Dueep Jyot Singh - A Beginners Guide to City Gardening: Sustainable and Organic Gardening In Limited Space

Dueep Jyot Singh and John Davidson

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Smashwords Edition

JD-Biz Publishing

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Disclaimer

The information is this book is provided forinformational purposes only. It is not intended to be used andmedical advice or a substitute for proper medical treatment by aqualified health care provider. The information is believed to beaccurate as presented based on research by the author.

The contents have not been evaluated by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other Government or HealthOrganization and the contents in this book are not to be used totreat cure or prevent disease.

The author or publisher is not responsiblefor the use or safety of any diet, procedure or treatment mentionedin this book. The author or publisher is not responsible for errorsor omissions that may exist.

Warning

The Book is for informational purposes onlyand before taking on any diet, treatment or medical procedure, itis recommended to consult with your primary health careprovider.

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Introduction

What do I mean by city gardening, you mayask? There was a time, when people had large open areas justoutside their door steps in the town, or in the country, and allthey had to do was fence it off and try to tame it.

But as more and more people started migratingto cities, the available space for gardening began to be lessened.That was because concrete jungles came up, where once we had greenfields. Suburbs on the outskirts of cities still had lots of landwhere gardens could grow, but for all those living uptown downtownand Midtown in Flats or in closed blocks, limited spaces anddetached and semi-detached houses, one had to make do withimaginative and constructive ideas, with which they could still bein touch with greenery around them.

Boxes and plant containers on windowsillshave been a part of city gardening.

You as a city gardener know that you havejust limited resources in terms of space. That is why you have beento know how to adapt these limited resources to gain thesatisfactory end you desire that to have a garden in your house,or just outside your window sill, or in a room, or in yourbackyard.

People are afraid to experiment in looking atall the options open to them, when they want to make a city gardenin limited space. So they keep to potted geraniums, some sadlooking chrysanthemums and other seasonal flowering plants, andpossibly a little creeper.

On the other hand, if you have been broughtup in the country, and have spent a major portion of your lifesurrounded by plants, it is possible that you are instinctivelygoing to have a knowledge of plants and their needs. And you aregoing to bring this knowledge along with you to the city.

This knowledge does not come innately youneed to be surrounded by gardeners. Also, trial and error on yourpart and advice from experienced experts who in their time havetried and erred and then imparted that knowledge to you for yourbenefit, is going to help you make a really nice city garden.

This book is for all those beginners who aredreaming of their own garden in which to relax and also forexperienced gardeners, who want some extra tips and techniques withwhich they can improve their gardens.

Planning Out Your City Garden

If you are perched up like an eagle in a nestwith absolutely no access to any sort of ground soil in which tosee your garden grow, do not despair you have all that floor areain your house on which you can place pots and containers. That iswhy it is essential to take stock of all kinds of situations anddifficulties with which you may find yourself confronted.

If you do not have too much space, usewooden containers to include pots.

Situation and Shape

From tiny backyards and courtyards to justbalconies and windowsills, your city garden can vary in size. Inmany cases, the house plots are small and are going to be subjectto the disadvantage of being overlooked and overshadowed by hugebuildings, which are over tall in proportion to the open spacesbeside them. This is one of the drawbacks of living in thecity.

Owing to the narrow frontage of mostterraces, the proportion of any garden here is going to be somewhatunpleasing. That is because the length is too great for the width.However, all this can be changed with careful planning.

Firstly, do not approach a possible andprospective gardening site with preconceptions about the sort ofgarden you desire. You can definitely not have a pergola or a follyin a balcony. But you can have creepers climbing over lattices orover supports, to make something which looks like a doorway to yourdream garden.

Who stops you from having this in yourbackyard? You just need support and climbing roses orbougainvilleas.

There are possible existing features alreadypresent in your backyard. It may be uneven; some corners may beshadowed by the high-rise apartments next door, and other matterswhich need to be considered when you plan out your garden.

Take all of these points into account. Youcan make a little garden in a place enclosed by walls. But this isnot going to be a cottage garden. However, this can be turned intoa formal courtyard.

If you have a long narrow strip of land, justgood enough to shelter some trees which are the landlords prideand joy, you cannot dream about a Dutch garden or a sunken gardenhere. So be realistic in your expectations.

Drainage and Soil

With the areas have been long inhabited, andparticularly where open spaces have been neglected for a long time,the soil is frequently going to be of very poor quality. Besides,in the city, the soil turns sour. This is all due to the chemicalpollutions in the atmosphere. You are also going to find this soilimpoverished. Under such conditions, it is impossible to establisha garden on the ground. You are going to be building raised gardenshere, or do your gardening in healthy soil, placed incontainers.