Apartments can be small, and you have to make do with the space you have. Gardening in an apartment poses a particular challenge, not an insurmountable one! With some out-of-the-box thinking, you too can have a gorgeous in-home garden inside your space or out!

Location, Location, Location

Small balconies are an excellent place for urban gardening. Hanging wall gardens and potted plants work well but watch how you water! Your neighbor one floor down may not appreciate your green thumb when their balcony is soaked by runoff from your daily watering routine.

If you don't have a balcony, don't worry. There are other places to put those plants.

Don't forget your furry friends. Always make sure your plant choice is not toxic to your pets!

There are 4 Major Types of Light in Gardening

Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sun or slightly less if it receives sun in the afternoon, which is more damaging than the morning sun. This is great for flowering plants.

Partial Sun: 4-5 hours of direct sun. Seriously suitable for succulents.

Partial Shade: 2-3 hours of direct sun; these plants like light, but not direct sun. Think ferns, some herbs, ivy, and vines.

Shade: Less than an hour of direct sun. Peace lilies and many other indoor options like limited sunshine.

While it's best always to consider sunlight, we've correlated a small list of the best generalist plants to keep that apartment looking green and to supplement your quarantine kitchen. It just so happens that a lot of the easiest, most low-maintenance plants are also edible!

We have a Short List of Some of the Best Plants for Urban Living

Wall Planters & Hanging Shelves

Spinach, Arugula, Lettuce: Salad greens grow fast and have short roots, making them ideal for window boxes and wide shelves. Just be sure they get enough water!

Chili Peppers: Peppers grow well in pots and can fruit all year. Hot peppers are exceptionally resilient.

Nasturtium: Nasturtium flowers are pretty, colorful, and edible! Growing nasturtiums in your hanging garden or wall planter are easy with proper watering and lots of sunshine.

Windowsill

Strawberries: Strawberries generally need a lot of full sun (at least six hours per day). Best to water them often, too. Think moist, not soggy.

Basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, and oregano are great options for pots or window boxes. Check for light and water requirements. Just pick and throw them into the pot!

Big Pots on the Floor or Balcony

Tomatoes: These plants can get big and grow well in pots. They do best in a container that is at least 30 inches in diameter, but small variants can do well in hanging containers.

Meyer lemons: Small citrus plants are a cinch to grow. Lemons need six to eight hours of sun per day and like it a little humid. Best to put something under the pot, as citrus sap is sticky.

Herbs: Again, herbs are a no-brainer. Plants like basil and thyme are generalists. They can grow as large as you want. They'll do well in any position, but if you want a bushy bundle of basil, it's best to get a bigger pot. These fragrant plants in pots are great inside or out.

Go Local

Even in the city, there are many neighborhood resources for plants, gardening accessories, potting soil, and expert advice. Check-in with your neighborhood or business association for the best places locally to shop all things garden.

Store Your Supplies

Space is already an issue, and bags of potting soil take up a lot of it! Downtown Self Storage is always here if you need a place to put your gardening supplies. It's conveniently located, and all of your bulky gardening stuff can live somewhere where you won't trip over them!

Check for specials online at DOWNTOWNSELFSTORAGE.COM.

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Portland, OR 97209

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Portland, OR 97209

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