Vegetable gardens are becoming a household standard these days. It is not uncommon to find vertical gardens hanging outside and planters sitting on the window ledges within apartment complexes.
If you want to create your own vegetable garden, but don’t have any open soil, there are various ways of working around this:
1) Make use of sunny spaces
Purchase pots or create wooden planters that you can put on your balcony, outdoor patio, or near a window inside your apartment.
Pro Tip: If you are going to keep your planters indoors, just be sure to clean underneath them regularly to ensure that they do not leave stains on the floor, as this will come out of your deposit if you are renting the space.
2) Install vertical gardens
These work best if installed outdoors on a patio space or balcony but can also work indoors provided that your apartment gets lots of light and has good ventilation. Tenants would be better off to avoid this option though. Installing a vertical garden indoors will require permission from the landlord as it will require some construction. Instead, tenants can purchase hanging planters which they can hang from their curtain rods.
3) Check with your HOA
While possible to grow a vegetable garden in a home without a spacious backyard, you are advised to check the conduct rules issued by the complex’s Home Owners Association or Body Corporate. These rules will outline acceptable behaviour within the complex, as well as the general aesthetics of the building and what sorts of renovations are allowed. In certain complexes you might find that homeowners and tenants are prohibited from placing things in front of windows, on window ledges, or hanging things on exterior walls without first gaining written consent from the complex. If you do not comply with these rules, you can be held liable to fines.
4) Accept your limitations
There is a limit to how much one can do in a small living space within a sectional title. If you are passionate about growing a vegetable garden, perhaps you should search for a new home further outside of your CBD where plots are generally larger and more affordable. What you end up saving on your grocery bill once your garden is ready can then be rerouted into the higher fuel costs of having extended your commute to work.
