Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing great. I love gardening. I am here to share my experiences. As a beginner, I made lots of mistakes. If you are a beginner, you can follow my instructions.
Nowadays, as a result of modern civilization, most of us live in apartments. There is a shortage of space. Your garden can be on the roof, balcony, or a small corner of the house. If your garden is a roof garden, then you can plant whatever plants you like. Fruits, flowers, and vegetables can easily grow there. But if it is a balcony garden, there are some restrictions. Every kind of plant can’t grow there. Many times, there are restrictions. Many of us can’t decide which plants are best for small spaces. So this blog is about how you can utilize your free space for making a small garden. It will give you mental peace. Today I will tell you how to start a garden very easily and what basic knowledge is needed for that. Since rooftop gardening is quite a big project and it is difficult for beginners to start rooftop gardening first, so today we will start with how to start a small balcony garden. Let’s get started…
1. Fixing the aspect ratio of your spaces
First, you need to choose where you want to set up your plants. You need to see whether your balcony is vertical or rounded. If perpendicular, you can plant many plants in small spaces, including bottom and hanging tubs. You can use different types of plant stands if you want. You can also use your wall for a hanging tub. And if you have a rounded balcony, you can choose a suitable tub instead of a plant stand. Above all, without too many plants, planting plants in the right proportion will show your tasteful thinking. Such a garden which will give you peace of mind and comfort.
2. Location of balcony
Secondly, you need to see what is the correct position of your balcony. Because sunlight is the most important thing for the growth of plants. It is important to pay attention to whether your balcony receives sunlight or not, and how long it receives. Depending on this, you have to select plants for your garden. Some plants grow well in strong sunlight, some plants prefer low light and some plants do well in shade. Therefore, plants should be selected keeping in mind the sunlight. Here are some directions shared for growing plants well.
South-facing garden is the best option for growing plants. You’ll get more sunshine with a south-facing garden. Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the south-facing balcony gets the most sunlight.
But if your balcony is not facing south, nevertheless you can decorate your balcony garden with different types of plants. Your balcony can be north-east facing or west-south facing or something else. Just you have to know the perfect plants that you can grow.
3. Choose the right plants
As it is a balcony garden, it is not possible to plant all kinds of plants. The plants should be chosen based on the width of the balcony and the presence of sunlight.
If the balcony is north-facing which never gets sunlight directly, then there are very limited options for planting. However, you can plant bleeding hearts, caladium, spinach, lettuce, parsley, mint, succulents, etc.
If you have strong sunlight for a day-long or south-facing balcony, you can choose marigold, zinnia, ferns, jasmine, basil, aloe vera, begonia, bougainvillea, rose, jade plant, oregano, sedum, etc.
The east-facing balcony gets less sunlight. The light is not too harsh for plants. So orchids, cosmos, hydrangeas, daisies, hostas, camellia, verbena, pansies, ferns, lobelias, tomatoes, etc can be the right plants for gardening.
The west-facing balcony is perfect for plants that can tolerate more heat of sunlight. High heat-tolerable plants can be chosen for this type of balcony. Petunia, marigold, begonia, geranium, morning glory, hibiscus, strawberries, etc can be selected for planting.
You can also plant different types of vegetables. However, as a beginner, you should choose plants that do not require much care or effort to grow. After gathering some knowledge, you can enhance your garden.
4. Preparing the garden soil
The most important thing for planting is preparing your garden soil perfectly. It’s not like that, you just pick some plants randomly and they will grow without caring. You have to be careful about your garden soil mix. Different types of plants have different criteria, though the basic mixing of soil can be the perfect soil primarily.
First of all, you need garden soil from your resident area. If it’s not possible, you can buy ‘Readymade soil’ from the nursery. Or you can mix soil at home. For this, first, you need to know what type of soil is perfect for plants.
As we know, among the four types of soil, ‘Loamy soil’ is more suitable for farming. This soil is also known as ‘Agricultural Soil’ as it is a perfect mix-up of the other three types of soil sandy, silt, and clay. It has a higher amount of calcium and pH level. So if you get this soil, it’s the best choice. Otherwise, we can make soil mixing with 25% garden soil, 25% sandy soil, 25% cocopeat, and 25% compost or organic fertilizer. In the starting period, we can start our gardening with this mixture. Gradually we will mix other things according to the needs of different plants.
5. Watering the garden
After the setup of the garden, a proper way needs to be followed for watering plants. Water should be given to the plant according to its requirements. The needs of each plant are different. Some plants need a lot of water. Some plants need little water. Plants like cactus-like less water. Plants like water lilies stay in the water. Some plants need to be watered when the soil is dry. So you have to water according to the type of plant. You can water twice in summer. One time in winter. The best time to water is early morning and after evening. Never water plants in the afternoon when the soil is hot. Watering at this time may kill the plant.
If it is a roof garden with many trees, you can water it using a hose pipe. This will reduce both time and trouble. If it is a balcony garden, you can water it with a mug or a watering can. Above all, it is necessary to ensure proper watering of the plants.
6. Caring for the plants
Last but not least, you have to care for the plants for a beautiful and lively garden. Proper care can decorate your garden, which will represent your beautiful mind. Choosing the right plants, mixing the soil, and watering at the right time will make your garden charming.
When you wake up in the morning and see the smile of flowers in your garden, your day will become beautiful. A small garden is enough to remove the fatigue from your mind. So stay well and love the tree.