As our population density grows, communities are being built with less space to fit more houses. Homes are often left with narrow lot lines and smaller yards than communities built in the ’80s and ’90s. The amount of space we have to grow plants and vegetables is getting smaller, and our desire to grow our own fresh, organic produce is getting bigger. For plant lovers and vegetable growers, this creates quite a challenge. How do we grow more vegetables in smaller spaces?

Well, the backyard is typically the first option for a vegetable garden. Backyard gardeners have been constructing raised and elevated beds in 4’x8’ spaces for many years. We use our square-foot gardening principles and companion planting guides to get twice the yield in the same amount of gardening space. That’s a big increase in the yield of vegetables in a relatively small space. This is by far the most convenient and least conspicuous way to garden. However, if your backyard is full of trees and doesn’t get the full six hours of direct sunlight as a minimum for your garden, what other options are there?

The next place to plant your vegetable garden could be the front yard. In Florida, a bill was recently passed from the state’s legislature “prohibiting local governments from regulating vegetable gardens on residential properties except as otherwise provided by law.” Now, how the new bill could impact the guidelines of homeowners associations allowing front yard vegetable gardens in neighborhoods remains to be seen. It is understandable to think of how an unkept vegetable garden could lack that certain curb appeal, but so does an unkept yard. I do hope that someday the guidelines that govern the definition of a well-kept and weeded front yard could be applied to a vegetable garden in the front yard, too. It looks like we are headed in that direction!

A creative way to maximize gardening space is with a vertical garden. One example is a grow wall that can be set up with automatic watering. The grow wall typically consists of small containers lined vertically along a wall. Herbs, lettuce, chives and scallions do particularly well because they don’t require the 8” to 10” depth that most vegetable plants need for a healthy root system. Then, to take it to the next level, you could make the investment in a hydroponic grow wall. These can be fancy systems with lighting that can produce and grow indoors or homemade with PVC pipes. Either way, it makes a great expansion for a traditional garden.

Rooftop gardens are becoming more popular in big cities, where it has turned into a cement jungle. It takes a good deal of planning and preparation to get the supplies and water source needed on the rooftop. Once the area has been prepared and the garden is established, it is important to also address the scorching heat on the roof and very strong winds. These rooftop garden struggles are quite real, so just know what you are getting yourself into when taking on this type of project. 

However you go about it, growing vegetables at home for yourself and others is a healthy and satisfying experience for all involved. If you’re not sure where to start, go small. Just get some herbs and a tomato plant in a pot and see how it goes. Happy Gardening!

Amber Harmon is the Owner of My Nona’s Garden, where they sell and service low-maintenance, elevated, organic vegetable gardens. Our mission is to bring health, promote growth, and provide vegetable gardening education to local communities, one garden at a time. 

Visit www.MyNonasGarden.com for more information. 

“We make organic vegetable gardening easy!”