Welcome to Gardening in Small Spaces! Hi my name is Tennille and I would like to welcome you to Gardening in Small Spaces. This web site was inspired by my very own small space container garden on my 16 x 3 foot balcony. I started researching small space container gardens in the Spring of 2006 and was amazed at wealth of resources that I found in the library, at book stores and on the Internet. I had somehow missed this trend and felt a bit silly. I had always wanted to plant a garden but I guess I, like many others had hung obstinately to the idea that you needed a lot of land in order to obtain one.
In the beginning of 2004 I set out with the goal of purchasing a single family home on a rather modest budget. I realized this would be difficult, but I was determined to find one. “I didn’t need much, I thought to myself, a modest yard, at least 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and an unfinished basement.” After a few months of searching, I painfully realized that my budget was a little too modest to make this happen. My real estate agent tried to tell me, but I was in my own little world with visions of my children and I approaching a perfectly landscaped home. I could see them running around our flawlessly green lawn and myself planting an assortment of the most beautiful shrubs and flowers that anyone has ever seen. I was not ready to let go of this dream. After a few months of searching and constantly being disappointed, I turned my attention to townhouses hoping to salvage the idea of at least having some type of yard, even if it was smaller than I had originally imagined. After about a month I found out that these too were a bit out of my reach. At the urgence of my Real Estate Agent I reluctantly began to look at apartments. This was an extremely difficult decision for me, especially when the apartment I was being ask to look at was in a building. I had always been a bit scared of heights and could not see myself fully enjoying an apartment with a balcony taunting me. In the end I felt defeated, but thought to myself if I could find an apartment with at least a second bathroom and washing machine/dryer in the unit, I will have obtained 2 things I had never had before in addition to actually owning a home. The only apartments that met my preferences were in buildings rather than village apartment kind of set ups. So I am now a second floor apartment dweller (I turned down a 5th floor apartment prior to purchasing this one).
The first 2 years I barely stepped out on my balcony. I was not really sure what to do out there except be nervous. I had already delegated this apartment in the back of my mind as being just a stepping stone to my “real” first home. I realize now that I was looking at this all wrong. My balcony which I once feared has now become my refuge and has allowed me to experience something that I thought was out of reach. Small space container gardening has been a wonderful experience for me and has enhanced my quality of life in so many ways. It has encouraged me to learn and grow in so many ways. I am now able to plan things more effectively, be more creative, be more patient, bond with my children while teaching them about gardening and continuously enjoy nature having created it only a few small steps away. It is funny what happens when you wake up and realize there is a whole world that I had turned my back to because I was unwilling to open my mind and see past my fears and prejudices. Whether you have a 15 X 15 foot area or a tiny balcony, there are creative ways for us all to reap the benefits of a garden. By using different types of containers, window boxes, hanging baskets and choosing plants that will thrive in small space you will create your garden paradise yet. I hope this web site helps you realize that you can create beauty in even the smallest spaces.
-Tennille
