Matthew Pottage - RHS How to Garden When You Rent

Using shade

The side of our flat has a very narrow and shady space, which is great for growing foliage plants and ferns.

Life does not always work out as planned, and some eight years later, for one reason or another, we still find ourselves renting the same flat. However, we now have a wonderful collection of potted plants, two self-contained water features, and a micro-pond, all of which can move with us when the time comes.

If I had stubbornly done nothing with the space, simply because it wasnt ours, I would have lost so much enjoyment and well-being from time spent gardening, and perhaps we wouldnt have got to know our neighbours, who have stayed friends ever since. Also, thanks to our collection of bird feeders, we appear to have become a mecca for the local sparrow population, all of whom are a pleasure to watch from the window.

Some eight years after moving in, for one reason or another, we still find ourselves renting the same flat. However, we now have a wonderful collection of potted plants, two self-contained water features, and a micro-pond, all of which can move with us when the time comes.

Its easy to find reasons to feel discouraged or disinterested in gardening as a renter. Maybe the garden is too small, too shady, untidy, unloved, underwhelming. Maybe its not a garden at all; maybe all you have is a yard, a balcony, a fire escape, a windowsill. Maybe youre too busy to look after a garden. Maybe youre planning to move in the next few months, and the idea of planting some seeds feels pointless when you may not get to see them bloom. So, with all of those maybes, why bother gardening as a renter at all? Why not wait until you own a garden of your own?

• Its all good practice. Use gardening in a rented space as an opportunity to sharpen your teeth, practising for the day you may get a larger garden, or own one. Many gardening principles are the same on a small scale as a large scale, and there is no such thing as a waste of effort in a garden. Even if plants die and believe me they do in my garden too its all learning and experience. The worst thing you can do is do nothing, for fear of getting it wrong. Nobody is born pricking out lettuce seedlings, and so much is learnt from giving things a go!
• Its good for the environment. Ever more importantly, gardening goes hand in hand with helping your local environment, which in turn, helps the climate, and the planet. Even if your space is tiny, if everyone made an effort to add a little greenery to their garden or outdoor spaces, suddenly a bee has a nectar source, or a bird has somewhere to nest. Planting can stop rainwater rushing down a drain, and a tree can help reduce the temperature around it, while absorbing carbon. These are things we all need to be acting on.
• Its a great mental health boost. Not only is gardening good for your physical health, but it can offer a huge boost to your mental wellbeing, too. Spending time among plants, away from screens, notifications, and emails, helps to bring a sense of calm, and there is something wholesome about nurturing and growing plants. Some of those plants might stay with you for decades, and become familiar faces in the garden, growing in sentimental value, too.