Urban: Expert Guides and Resources

Sustainability involves three practices that ensure the wise use of water, materials, and other resources to make sure they last from one generation to the next and in harmony with nature.Know your soil conditions.© piyaset / Shutterstock.com Many urban gardeners are correct in thinking they have poor soil. The urban garden area is likely to be compacted and poor in structure and quality.

Children’s gardening has become huge all across the country. Many educators, parents, and public officials see gardening as a way to reconnect kids with nature, get them outside for some healthy exercise, and teach them about healthy eating habits. You can find many ways to encourage and entice your children to be involved in the garden at home.

Creating the perfect urban garden is one thing. The right tool makes or breaks a gardening job. Using a hoe to dig a hole for planting a tree is like eating soup with a fork. It’s just not the right tool for the task.Hand trowels and cultivatorsHand tools are perfect for gardening in raised beds, containers, and window boxes.

Urban gardening requires some creativity and flexibility, but the benefits you reap are well worth the effort. Your family can enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs all season long, and gardening is great exercise. You can plant an urban garden in a vacant lot, an underused parking area, or your roof, back deck, or patio.

City residents in many areas are challenging the notion that they can't grow gardens in their urban settings, by finding creative ways to garden in limited space. Some folks are even pulling up their small city lawns to plant vegetable gardens, urban orchards, and edible landscapes. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to garden in the city.

In creating your own vertical garden, you can use do-it-yourself containers or ready-made products you can buy at the local urban gardening store. Here are some of these options: How to make your own garden containers Almost any plant will grow in a suitably sized container, so be creative and have fun! Don’t forget watering and maintenance considerations when reusing and building your own vertical container systems.

Growing your own annual flower or vegetable transplants from seed for your urban farm isn’t difficult; you just have to have the right equipment, time, and dedication. Here are some simple steps you can take to get your seeds started indoors: Find a few good containers to use. You can use many different types of containers, including clean yogurt cups, peat pots, peat pellets, plastic pots, and plastic trays.

Herbs are the perfect edibles for the urban gardener. They are mostly small plants that produce abundantly all season. Herbs fit equally well in a container, flower garden, or vegetable garden. Many are perennials that will come back year after year. They grow best in full sun, but some, such as parsley and chives, can tolerate part shade and still produce well.

Regardless of what tree or shrub you want to grow, the planting process is the same. If you don’t know which type of tree or shrub you want to add to your garden, consider your three options: Bare root: These deciduous trees and shrubs are dug from nurseries in the late winter, before the leaves emerge in spring, and shipped to you, usually via the mail.