If you want to try your hand at gardening but don’t have the space to grow large plants, an expert has shared five projects you can do even in more cramped environments
Have you ever grown these plants? (stock image)(Image: Getty)
A gardener has shared five plants you can grow, even in small spaces. Summer is in full swing, and many of us will be hoping to spend more time outside. One way you can do this is by tending to your garden – you can even grow your own fruits, vegetables or flowers from home if you have the space.
But what if your outdoor area is a bit lacking? Taking to TikTok, Martha Swales shared several things you can cultivate in smaller spaces. “You don’t need a huge garden to grow your own and the taste and sense of satisfaction is so worth it,” she said in the caption of a recent video.
All of these projects can be done in containers, so you don’t even need a lawn or flowerbeds.
Cucumbers
“Number one is to turn your window box into a vertical planter to grow cucumbers,” she said.
She said this is one food that “tastes so much better when you grow it yourself.”
Cucumbers are typically harvested in midsummer, around 12 weeks after sowing. Outdoor plants will bear fruit until around September, while you may still be able to harvest cucumber from greenhouses as late as October.
Strawberries
Martha’s second suggestion also makes use of vertical space by stacking pots on top of one another to “make a strawberry tower.”
“This is a perfect project to get started in winter, when the garden is gloomy and grey,” she said. “By summer, you’ll be picking your own fresh strawberries.”
Salad leaves
Martha’s third suggestion is “perfect” for beginners who have never grown their own food. “[Grow] baby salad leaves in shallow trays, so you don’t need a lot of compost and they’ll be ready to harvest in just a few weeks,” she said.
The gardening expert said this method allows you to grow a “huge variety” of different leaves, and you can stack the trays on shelves to save space.
Salad leaves are typically harvested when they are around 10cm tall, four to six weeks after they are sown.
Physalis
You might not have heard of this “cute little lantern fruit,” but according to Martha, you can grow a fruit-bearing plant in just one year from seed.
“They are easy to grow,” she said, adding that they taste like “tropical fruit” or pineapple.
This is a hardy, perennial plant that will come back year after year. According to Gardena, plant from seed early in the year, ideally in February.
PotatoesContent cannot be displayed without consent
These are Martha’s “ultimate, all-time favourite container food to grow.” “There’s literally nothing more fun than harvesting potatoes,” she said.
She said she had grown this versatile veg in a variety of containers and soil, making them ideal if you don’t quite know where to start.
When you should plant your potato depends on the variety, but most need to be planted in spring.
Martha added that all of her gardening tips and more can be found in her book, Give It A Grow, which was published in March of this year.