Apartment Gardening: From Balcony to Community Garden

Whether you consider yourself someone with a green thumb or you're looking to get into gardening for the first time, apartment gardening is possible and it's a great pastime. Know that those who live in an apartment complex can still garden and grow vegetables with ease! If you search for something like "renter garden ideas" on the internet, a lot will pop up, so we wanted to make your search for information a little bit easier for you by providing you with some apartment gardening tips.

Here, we will discuss the best flowers for a small garden, information about community gardens, and more. By the end, you'll know how to grow a garden in an apartment, and you'll be ready to get planting! It's rewarding and fun to grow your own garden in your apartment, so let's go over how to garden while living in an apartment complex!

Choose Plants that Are Easy to Care for

While it is tempting to choose complicated vegetables and flowers to plant in your garden, it is not the best idea. There are plenty of beautiful flowers and tasty fruits and vegetables and herbs that can be grown relatively easily—so, instead, choose those plants.

Apartments sometimes have limited access to natural light, depending on what direction your apartment is facing. So, always be sure to pick flowers and vegetables that are very easy to care for. Plus, if you're a beginner gardener, it's always best to pick easy-to-care-for plants, anyway!

Take the Light Into Consideration

Before deciding what to grow in your indoor garden, determine how much light hits your apartment. Only choose plants that will thrive in your apartment's conditions. These plants grow well in apartments with low light: Begonias, Fuschia, Spinach, snake plant, and Lettuce. While these plants grow well in apartments that get more sun: Marigolds, Zinnias, Basil, Dill, Rosemary, and Lavender

Utilize Window Sills and Balconies

Because apartments usually do not come with backyards or front yards with green space, you'll have to make use of all the sunny space you're afforded, like a window sill or a balcony. The good news is that it's incredibly simple to plant gardens on your window sills and balconies. Here are some tips for successfully utilizing such spaces:

If utilizing window boxes, make sure there are drainage holes: To use a hanging window box to plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables, simply put holes in the bottom of your box, and then add soil. If there aren't drainage holes, your plants won't survive.
Prune your plants as necessary: If you're growing plants outside your window or on a balcony, do not let your plants get overgrown. Not only does maintaining your plants help them to stay healthy, but it also ensures that you're respectful to your neighbors and property managers.
Ask your landlord if you have questions: If you're unsure as to what can be put on the balcony of your apartment and what cannot, simply ask your landlord. They might be able to give you some apartment gardening tips that are specific to your complex as well!

Make Use of Your Community's Gardens

Some residents are lucky enough to have community gardens available to them at their complex. People who live in the Eden Park Apartments have gardens conveniently located outside their home, so if you don't want to plant a garden on your own balcony, you can use the apartment community's gardens that are designated for resident use.

Know that it is best practice to follow the community garden etiquette if you're interested in using the community gardens. To be a good neighbor, follow rules like these while utilizing community gardens:

Do not plant invasive species: Your community garden should be a space that everyone in your community can enjoy. If you plant invasive species, it will make it harder for your neighbors—and yourself—to garden successfully.
Avoid harsh chemicals: Safety should always come first, so to keep the plants you grow safe, do not spray them with harsh chemicals.
Keep the garden space clean: If you get dirt on the ground outside the plots, or you take a tool and move it out of place, make sure you clean things up before you leave the community garden. When everyone cleans up after themselves, the garden looks better!
Ask questions and register early: Before springtime arrives, talk to your apartment office about how the community garden works. Also, be sure to reserve space at the community garden you want to use—whether it be at your apartment or at another spot in the community—as early as possible. Community gardens fill up fast, so you'll want to inquire about availability well before springtime.

Be Ambitious, But Don't Be Too Ambitious

Don't let a fear of failing stop you from trying to create an apartment garden. If you put your mind to it and you do some research, you can grow great flowers, vegetables, and other plants that you can enjoy with your friends and family.

However, at the same time, keep your garden project realistic. Don't try to create a large garden in an apartment complex, because you're going to have much more success if you grow a small garden in your small space. Big things can happen in a small garden!

Start Gardening at Eden Park Apartments Today!

After reading, you're more familiar the best vegetables for a small garden, community gardens, and how you can plant a garden while living in an apartment complex. With all this information, you're ready to start creating your own garden at the Eden Park Apartments. If you're eager to live in a Brooklyn Park, MN apartment, then our team at the Eden Park Apartments is excited to welcome you to our community. For more information about the property or gardening at our property, contact us.