8 Genius Small Garden Ideas & Balcony Ideas for 2018

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This week's post is a special guest post from Jennifer Ferrari at The Chaos Boss Organization Solutions. She has rounded up some of the internet's most clever ideas for gardening in a small space!

Whether you're a city dweller with an itty-bitty garden (like I am!) or you're looking for condo balcony gardening ideas, this post is for you!

For suggestions on where to get the materials for the projects in this post, you can scroll down below Jennifer's post. I've sourced the things you'll need, as well as other suggestions for small space gardening!

If you're interested in ideas on how to use plants to freshen up the inside of your home, click here.

Enjoy the post!

- Jo C.

8 Genius Ways to Garden in Small Places

By Jennifer Ferrari

There is no better time of the year to enjoy the outdoors than the spring. After emerging from the cold of winter, spring is the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the greenery, sunshine, and warmth.

And there’s no better way to thoroughly enjoy this time of year than by gardening.

Gardening is an active yet relaxing way to spend time outside in the warmer months. It also happens to be a very popular pastime as well: Last year, 117.6 million Americans tended to gardens all across the country.

There are many reasons why people garden. It can be therapeutic for mental health by fulfilling emotional needs and helping people live in the moment. It benefits physical health by providing quality aerobic exercise and battling stress hormones. And, it can even help keep your family’s budget in check.

Speaking of family, gardening is a terrific opportunity for kids to learn about agriculture and where some of their foods originate. I couldn’t wait to start a garden after I had my first son. When he was old enough to help, we buried the seeds together in starter pots and then watched the tiny seedlings sprout and grow. It was magical for him (and I!) to see the changes in the plants from seed to fruit.

It was easy for us to create our garden because we have a very large yard and deck with ample space for multiple rows of potted plants.

But what if you only have a small area to work in? Or no yard at all and only space to hang things? If you’re in this situation, gardening can be a bit more challenging, and thus, less fun.

So, what do you do if you want to garden but don’t have the space?

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to turn your small patio, yard, or deck into a gardening oasis by trying these 8 pretty brilliant solutions to gardening in less-than-spacious areas.

(Note: Here are some fruits, vegetables, and herbs that can be grown in pots and small containers!)

1. It’s In The Bag Garden (via Instructables)

Here is an easy starter project for a vertical garden. What I love most about this set up is that it utilizes a common item for such an uncommon purpose. Here we have an over-the-door shoe organizer turned vertical garden. So simple, yet so mind-blowing.

2. DIY Chicken Wire Wall Garden (via Home Made Lovely)

This garden is very similar to the previous one, except that this has been constructed from scratch as opposed to repurposed. If you are a DIY-er, then this might be a fun project to help you literally build your new garden from the ground up.

This framed chicken wire set-up can also be used without the pots for climbing vegetables.

3. Hanging Basket Garden (via A Beautiful Mess)

Here is another DIY project for any skill level. By taking ordinary boxes and strategically drilling holes into them, you can build a stacked herb or flower garden for the inside (or outside depending on the box) of your home.

This vertical garden allows for a lot of creativity when it comes to putting its design together: you can mix-and-match boxes, cord, and plants to really make it your own. Lining the inside of each box will help you keep your home’s floors water and dirt free.

4. Clay Pot Vertical Garden (via The Horticult)

Similar to the hanging boxes above, you can also create a more durable version. These clay pots are hung using a threaded rod and other materials. This version is best suited for an outdoor area since clay pots are slightly porous. But what I love about this is how well it functions for a small apartment or condo patio: it is an aesthetically pleasing solution that doesn’t take up a lot of your space (or your view!).

5. Indoor Hanging Herb Garden (via A Bird and Her Song)

If your windows could use some plant love, then this is the project for you! By drilling in some curtain rod hooks and hanging a wooden dowel across, you can create a hanging vertical garden right in front of any window in your home.

I think that this would be a fabulous project specifically for a kitchen window: just imagine reaching over to your indoor herb garden and throwing some fresh ingredients into that night’s dinner!

6. Ladder Herb Garden (via Moderate Home)

Here is an upcycled project for you DIY-ers. If you have an old ladder lying around, add a coat of paint and voila: instant space for a vertical garden!

I appreciate this one because of the recycling potential of the ladder but also all of the pots and containers. I also love that you can even store your garden supplies on it as well.

7. Upcycled Dresser Planter (via DIY How To)

In keeping with the upcycled theme, check out these dressers turned vertical gardens! While this kind of garden would take up a bit more floor space, it is definitely worthy of some attention. Anytime an object can be repurposed into something else I get excited.

It also gets me thinking about other uses for treasured family furniture pieces. What a great way to bring life back into something!

8. Stacked Pots Garden (via Home Stories A to Z)

This vertical garden is both functional and whimsical! For small patios and decks, you can stack clay pots (supported with a threaded rod) to save on space while still having a big impact. This is one vertical garden I’ve had the pleasure of trying at home:

So there you have it! Whether you live in a small apartment with no outdoor area or a large house with a teeny-tiny yard, there are plenty of ways you can turn your small space (inside and out) into a plant’s dream home.

Jennifer Ferrari is the owner of The Chaos Boss Organization Solutions. Through her work as a professional organizer and organizational strategies blogger, she helps clients consolidate, organize, and simplify in order to optimize their lives. She can be reached at thechaosbosslady@gmail.com.

Thanks for the great round up, Jennifer!

Shop these ideas:

The over-the-door shoe organizer vertical garden would look great hanging over the dividing barrier of a condo balcony or over a patio fence:

Misslo Over The Door Shoe Organizer

Not into DIY? This hanging planter is good to go right out of the box! Just add soil and plants:

Meiwo Pocket Hanging Vertical Garden Planter.

...it even looks great indoors!

Terracotta pots for several of the above projects:

Wicker baskets and rope for the hanging basket garden:

MyGift Rectangular Seagrass Baskets - set of 3.

Ravenox Natural Twisted Cotton Rope.

Not into DIY?

This beautiful folding bamboo ladder plant stand would look great on a condo balcony, patio or indoors! (I'm actually thinking of getting this for our living room--it would look great by a window!)