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Growing a Sydney Urban Garden
Photo: My little indoor garden and a salad I made using some of my herbs.
Living in Potts Point in an apartment without a balcony is a bit of a challenge for me sometimes because I miss having a garden, but that still hasn’t stopped me from having a little indoor garden as well as growing a few herbs that I use for cooking.
I’ve always been a gardener and have grown plenty of organic vegetables in my time, and in a high-density area of mostly units, where I live in Sydney there is still a way to bring the outdoors indoors.
I have plenty of sunlight coming in one of my windows so my little herb and cactus garden grow on top of my fridge. Even though it’s not much, I still feel like I’m ‘gardening’ In a way. I also have a small garden ledge outside the window where I grow a couple of succulents and a colourful Geranium.
To keep the inside of my apartment ‘green’ I grow a number of indoor plants, next to the window and have grouped them together as a way of making an impact. I use a liquid fertilizer once a month. One of the easiest and I think, beautiful indoor plants to grow are Phalaenopsis Orchids they last for months and come in a range of beautiful colours. You can buy them in most garden centres or some online florists.
Other ideas for an urban garden are:
VERTICAL GREEN WALLS
These can be erected on a balcony or even inside. These are compact, easy to erect and great for growing plants, flowers and even vegetables in them. If you are lucky enough to have a sunny balcony this is a great space saving idea. You can even plant some seeds and grow some vegetables.
AIR PLANTS
A stylish and affordable way to bring some greenery inside is to hang some pretty hanging terrarium bowls with an air plant or place one on the table. Air plants are very easy to look after because they live on air! No need for soil or regular watering. Place them inside near a window and spray a mist of water on them 2 - 3 times a week in warm weather, less in winter.
And if you need more inspiration on check out these other great Urban Gardens in Sydney:
The Grounds Of Alexandria – This is like having your very own mini countryside in Sydney. I love the concept of the Grounds of Alexandria with its great produce, food, markets, entertainment – it’s a seriously good place to visit in Sydney.
Keep an eye open for City Farm in St Peters. City Farm on a half-hectare site in Sydney Park at St Peters. Construction is due to begin in mid-2016, with farm activities projected to start later in the year.
Photo: Central Park Sydney
There are some great vertical garden walls in Sydney, especially at Central Park Sydney in Chippendale. Designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc it has become the world’s tallest ‘vertical garden’ – a living wall of plants, flowers and vines stretching 150m high. Designed in collaboration with Paris architects Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Blanc’s living artwork is a talking point of Sydney.
Pocket City Farms is taking Sydney’s neglected spaces and turning unused spaces into mini farms by growing fresh organic produce for the city’s residents! They are currently working on the construction of the first urban farm in Sydney.
