Urban gardening is all about making the most out of your space. Whether it’s an outdoor balcony or back porch, you can turn this area into a full-on garden with just creativity and strategy!
If you love plants but have limited space, container gardening is for you.
Here are 18 plants that will grow perfectly in containers.
1. Lavender
Lavender is a hardy plant that thrives in sunny spots. It’s actually not too picky about soil, as long you provide the right conditions with high-quality compost and plenty of water!
Be sure to fertilize it yearly so its roots have enough nutrients for growth each season.
2. Basil
Basil is a sweet-smelling herb that should get between 6 to 8 hours of full sun daily and thrives in moist, well draining soil.
Basil should never dry out, as this will make the leaves limp and brittle. Once your plant flowers- pick them off to prevent bitterness from getting too intense!
3. Thyme
Thyme is a difficult plant to grow from the seed, so buy an established herb or ask someone you know for cuttings.
It likes plenty of water, so trim regularly and make sure you have well-draining soil in order to avoid root rot!
4. Lemon Balm
With a height of up to 12-24 inches and the ability to spread quickly, this herb is an ideal candidate for your porch. It can be planted in full sunlight or part shade with well drained and sandy soil.
It’s always best to plant cloves in cool weather during the early spring or late fall. Carefully water them, and make sure their soil is just moist enough so they don’t get dry at all times of day!
5. Peppermint
Peppermint is a great plant for the porch. It’s not too difficult to care for, but needs light soil with good drainage and indirect sunlight so it isn’t scorched by direct sun all day long! Every few months just top off your potting mix or give him some fresh compost thrown in from time-to-time.
To keep your plants moist, water them regularly. Peppermint can grow up to 4-feet in its first year so cut and prune it often!
6. Rosemary
Rosemary is a lovely plant to have in your garden. It produces blue flowers and pine-like leaves, so you need well drained soil with at least six hours of sunlight for it!
To keep rosemary in its best health, plant it on the dry side with terra cotta pots. It doesn’t do well when temperatures are too high or cold so make sure there’s plenty of room that is draft-free and not near any windows where warm air could flow through into cooler areas around it!
After it’s bloomed, trim rosemary by up to one-third, cutting just above a leaf joint.
7. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a perfect fit for your average pot!
8. Lettuce
Lettuce is a fast growing plant, and you’ll be able to harvest it more than once throughout the season. Choose wide pot so that your lettuce has room grow!
9. Radishes
Radishes grow fast and can come in nearly any kind of pot, wide or deep. The bigger the variety you have on hand, the more space your container needs to be!
10. Eggplant
Eggplants are surprisingly hearty plants that can grow in containers. They’re also pretty vulnerable to garden pests, but taking good care of them will make sure they thrive!
11. Spinach
Spinach needs a little more sun than most plants, but it can be happy in partial shade. It thrives when planted out on the porch and gives you delicious greens year-round!
12. Kale
Kale is a type of leafy green vegetables that you can grow in containers and harvest as needed. It enjoys cold weather, so it’s perfect for the winter!
12. Chard
Chard is one of those plants that needs at least 6 inches of space to grow. It’s a tough little chucker, but it can really take off when given enough room!
13. Peas
With all their simplicity, peas are an easy plant to grow. They only require basic care and attention so you can have them on your balcony or porch too!
14. Carrots
Carrots love cooler weather! In order to grow them, keep the soil moist so that their roots don’t dry and crack.
15. Cucumber
Cucumbers require a medium to large pot (depending on the variety) and need to be fed regularly.
16. Zucchini
Zucchini is one of those veggies that does great in containers and isn’t too hard to take care.
17. Garlic
Garlic is a great way to spice up your container gardening! Place bulbs about five inches apart from each other in the pot.
18. Peppers
If you want to spice up your life with hot and spicy food, grow some peppers!