Tips for Gardening in Small Spaces

Growing in multiple, huge raised beds and large vegetable plots is a blast, but it’s such a special challenge to grow in a small space.

Our new homeowner clients came to us in early summer, wanting to transform an existing raised bed box from growing ornamental grass to growing groceries but not sure where to start.

We worked together side-by-side to remove the grass, add healthy, organic soil to the garden bed, install a custom-built cedar trellis, and plant a tasty variety of plants like tomatoes, swiss chard, cucumbers, marigolds, beets, radishes, peppers, and nearly a dozen herbs like rosemary, basil, mint, and lavender.

Isn’t it amazing what a couple months of growing, healthy soil, and a little help from a garden coach can do?

Their cucumbers are flourishing on the trellis, the marigolds are in full bloom, and our clients started enjoying their harvests almost immediately.

Gardening in small spaces is easy if you know the tricks- Here’s some of our favorite tips for growing in small spaces:

1. Prioritize Prolific Plants

Some plants will give you more harvests than others per plant. When making your planting plan, select mostly plants that will continue to offer a large bounty like kale and other leafy greens, herbs like basil and cilantro, and cucumbers and tomatoes. Consider avoiding plants that need large blocks of space, like corn, or ones that spread out significantly, like squash.

2. Get Vertical

In small spaces, there is often the option to grow up instead of out. Installing tall trellises, like the cedar one above, can offer a great option for crops that need support like tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. We recommend trellises over cages for plants like tomatoes, as the plant can be shaped to take up less room overall than in a cage and is easier to maintain and prune.

3. Make a Plan & Plant Intensively

Making a planting plan is a great first step to planting. One of the biggest benefits to raised beds is that you can plant more intensively (aka closer together) than you can in in-ground garden beds. We typically use square foot gardening planting recommendations, plus some interplanting. This means planting a row of tomatoes and cucumbers, and then planting a smaller, fast growing crop like radishes between them. By the time the tomatoes and cucumbers are getting spreading out more, the radishes will be ready to harvest.

Remember: it’s easier to prune after you plant than re-plant later in the season. If you notice your plants are starting to look a little overcrowded, you can always prune back plants or pinch off seedlings to help the others thrive, so don’t be afraid to plant heavy and enjoy the bounty!

Gardening in the Heat

It must be July!

July in Central Ohio is typically considered the start of “peak harvest”- that time where everything in your garden is absolutely exploding, and you find yourself leaving grocery bags full of zucchini on your neighbor’s doorstep out of sheer desperation (sorry again, Carol, for the Great Zucchini Incident of 2018).

Leaves may look a little wilty. Some of your plants may be bolting (also known as “going to seed”- learn more here).

Heat waves don’t have to mean growing food grinds to a halt- here’s some of my top tips on gardening in hot weather:

1. Water Heavily in the Mornings:

Water heavily. If you’re worried about drowning the plant, let me assure you that, when the temps climb above 85 F, it’s pretty darn hard to damage them with water alone. Try to water in the mornings so that any wet foliage has the chance to dry during the daytime. Summer crops, like tomatoes and squash, are drama-queens about wet leaves, so water close to the roots if you can help it.

2. Transplant When it’s Overcast:

If you’re a little late to the game on planting, and just now getting those pepper, tomato, and cucumbers transplants in the ground, those babies are at higher risk of transplant shock because of these temps. Transplant on a day when the sun isn’t on full-blast and some clouds are covering the sky. While the plants may still suffer a bit from heat, cloud coverage will help prevent them from frying in the sun and reduce transplant shock.

Not sure what to plant, or when to plant it? Snag our super comprehensive, 15-page planting calendar here.

3. Water Seedlings Frequently:

If you insist on planting seeds, rather than transplants, check on them at least once a day. Like all living things, plants are most vulnerable during the first parts of their life, when they crack open their seed coats and their first little leaves poke through the soil. Established plants may be able to handle a bit of drought- teeny seedlings will fry and die in the sun if you don’t keep their soil moist.

4. Take Care of Yourself:

Heat stroke ain’t no joke (trust me, I know). Take frequent water breaks in the shade when gardening and try to garden earlier in the morning or later at night when it’ll be cooler. Bonus points if you go into full gardening-dork mode and get one of these neck things (not sponsored- I just love these).

5. Get Creative With Your Harvests:

Let’s face it, there’s only so much Zucchini bread you can take. Go beyond roasting and sautéing and dive out of your comfort zone with juicing, spiralizing, grilling, and frying. Who knows- you might just find out you love zucchini raw, like how I prepare it in my Raw Summer Harvest Salad.

Garden Projects: The DIY West Jefferson Garden

The “After” Photo!

We love a good DIY Project!

Our client came to us in March with tons of garden problems: the raised beds were falling apart, plants weren't producing because of a black walnut nearby, and the garden wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as the family wanted. They struggled with knowing what to plant, and when to plant it, and how to make the garden more apart of their routine.

The consultation was a blast, and we dreamed up a beautiful garden design that would fit their family’s needs and help them grow plenty of food, too.

The “Before!”

The garden design featured tall cedar raised beds, brick-colored flagstone steppers to match their beautiful brick home, added clear pathways, and featured symmetry and beauty.

Landscape Drawing of The West Jefferson Project

The best part?

Our client built this garden himself.

Yup. Rather than have us do the full installation, we crafted a customized DIY-Garden Guide that gave clear instructions on how to build and assemble the brand-new garden and raised beds, where to source products like soil and gravel, and how to plant his garden for the summer.

If we didn’t design the garden and followed their progress every step of the way, we’d hardly believe it was the same space.

Next, they’ll be adding a large arch trellis in between the two largest beds for climbing crops like tomatoes and cucumbers to climb on and a deer fence to protect their bounty from critters!

We couldn’t be more proud!

Your Garden Maintenance Checklist

July in the garden can feel a little overwhelming- all of your plants are just exploding with growth, it feels like every inch of your counter space is being taken up by squash and tomatoes, and where are these bugs coming from?

Here’s our basic Garden Maintenance Checklist you can use every time you’re in the garden to keep your cool:

1. Water

Try to water in the mornings so that plant foliage has enough time to dry during the day. It’s better to water deeply and less frequently than shallow and more frequently. In July heat, watering every day or every-other-day that it doesn’t rain is a good benchmark. If you stick your finger in the soil up to your 3rd knuckle and it’s dry, it’s time to water!

2. Seed & Plant

If you have some bare spots, maybe seeds didn’t germinate, or you recently pulled some plants, replant in the empty spot by adding a little compost to the (soil an inch or so of compost should do) and planting something fresh in it’s place. Make sure you are giving the plant enough room to grow (check the planting tag or seed packet for correct spacing), and always- always- label what you planted.

Struggling with what to plant, and when to plant it? Check out our $12 super-comprehensive Planting Plan, designed specifically for Central Ohio.

3. Check for Pests & Disease

The sooner you catch pests & disease issues, the better! Check for damage by pests or evidence of them: look for holes in your plants and turn over the leaves to see if anyone is hiding under there.

A big part of organic gardening is accepting that there will be some bugs- it’s all about knowing what insects are beneficial and which are the bad guys for our plants.

As soon as plants start to look extra-wilty (looking at you, cucumbers!), brown, or like they are dying, it’s time to investigate. Once you know what’s ailing your plants (is it cucumber wilt or just dehydrated plants?), you can take specific action.

4. Prune & Harvest

Cut off any crispy, diseased, super yellow, or brown leaves with clean pruners. We use a super-diluted bleach spray solution to sanitize our pruners between trimmings, you should, too!

Harvesting regularly will just encourage more production from your plants, so try to harvest something every time you’re in the garden.

5. Amend

Each time you plant something new, amend that area with organic compost, worm castings, or worm casting tea. Fruiting plants, like squash, tomatoes, and eggplant, like regular applications of these nutrients, too, to help with production. Consider keeping a stash of compost or worm castings to apply to your plants every couple weeks or so.

Ready to dive deeper into the care & keeping of your garden with a pro?

book an Existing Garden Evaluation session!

3 Reasons to Plant a Fall Garden

The worst gardening myth is that growing food stops when summer does.

It's just not true.

Fall is the best season for gardening. The weather cools down, there’s a crisp smell in the air… what’s not to love?

Here’s our top 3 reasons to plant a fall garden:

1. Care & Keeping is Easier than the Summer

July gardening can sometimes feel like a rush- you’re busy checking for pests, keeping everything watered, and trying to figure out what to do with all these tomatoes. Fall slows down, in the best way. The cooler weather brings a slow, easy gardening flow, and cool-weather crops like dark leafy greens and root veggies thrive in the temperate weather.

2. Grow into the Winter

Planting for a fall garden means you can use season extension techniques like row cover or cold frames to grow well into the winter. We love the abundance of summer crops, but there’s something special about harvesting kale and carrots on New Years Eve!

3. Colder = Sweeter

Yep. When temperatures plummet, the sugars in cool-weather crops crystalize and make veggies even sweeter (it’s science!). This makes for tastier beets, herbs, lettuces, and more. You can learn more about what to plant in the fall months in with our Columbus Foodscapes Planting Calendar.

If you’re ready to plan & plant your fall garden, book your New Garden Consultation or Existing Garden Evaluation today to get started.