Make the Most of Your Space

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Sometimes we believe that caring for home and caring for others is a higher priority than caring for ourselves. But it’s very difficult if not impossible to pour into others when our own cup is empty. That’s why it’s vitally important to intentionally find or create moments that fill our cups. Gardening is one of those moments for me. While I only have two balcony patios, I make the most of each inch, and today I want to encourage you as well, to make the most of your gardening space.

plants 1
Consider your space…

The sun is beginning to beckon us outdoors more and like the groundhog, we are beginning to peak our little heads out from our hibernating holes. It is time to start thinking of the garden spaces where we will fill ourselves up with all things glorious and warmly wonderful.

It doesn’t matter what size gardening area you have to work with, patio, deck, or balcony – sprawling lawn or acres of land. The very first decision we need all need to make is how much space we actually have, and how much of that space we want to devote to our garden.

I’m sure you want to make the most of your space, but you also don’t want or need to use every square inch of it. You want to leave a little room for style.

Garden balcony
green and white garden
Consider your style…

Gardens (I’m using the English definition here) aren’t simply areas to grow food or veggies. No! Gardens can be spaces to grow flowers, propagate ivy, begin your journey into micro greens, or even simply a space filled with plants and greenery.

Consider your style of garden. And while you’re daydreaming of what kind of garden space you may like, consider what style you want it to have. Do you want it to be filled like an English garden with terracotta pots and wildly growing ivy? Or do you want it to be more manicured with tidy plants and carefully groomed boxwoods?

Consider what the outcome or finished version of your garden and you will inevitably make the most of your space.

garden
garden
garden
Consider the heavy lifting…

While gardening is a fun and fruitful (pun intended) hobby, there is a bit of housekeeping involved as well. Where will you store gardening tools? How will you keep compost and topsoil? What pots and planters are best for your garden? Will you plant directly into the soil? Do you need to amend the soil or create raised beds?

Since I live in an apartment with two balconies, the answers to these questions are very important as to making the most of my space. Given that the answers vary wildly from front patio to back patio, that means even more careful consideration is needed.

Making the most of any vertical space frees up the floor space of our outdoor living areas. We have free-standing planter boxes where I grow coral bells and propagate ivy during the winter. As the spring rolls in, these plants will re-awaken and will grow healthier and stronger throughout the summer.

Balcony railings provide extra growing potential as well. Over the rail flower boxes are creative ways to plant multiple varieties of flowers or herbs without taking up large amounts of space.

Outdoor deck boxes store gardening tools and planting materials while keeping them weather safe. Indoor storage options include sturdy plastic totes, or even baskets.

Consider function…

My mother-in-law has a beautiful wrap around porch on her farmhouse. On it hangs a porch swing and there are several outdoor chairs for lounging. I’ve always secretly dreamed of what I would do with that porch if it were mine – how I would style it up, how I would place the furniture, how I would create zones for outdoor dining, and small conversation areas where friends could gather with glasses of iced tea…

garden sketch

How we style our outdoor spaces and gardens is equally as important as what we choose to plant and grow in them. Make the most of your space by planning out how you intend to use your garden.

Will it be a place for morning coffee? Do you want patio lighting or outdoor candles? Does the furniture you have fit the space, and is it functional? Are the chairs broken or in need of repair? Would an area rug cozy up the space and soften underfoot? Do you need more than one seating area? And most importantly, how will you make the most of your space?

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From plan to practice…

As you start daydreaming of your own garden spaces, I would like to a few ways we will be using our garden spaces this upcoming season:

front balcony:

  • Environment: Full sun. Pergola. Concrete flooring. 6 x 9 feet
  • Atmosphere: English garden filled with terracotta pots and herbs. Plant stands for varied height. Planter stand with three tiers of shelves for easy watering. Two outdoor patio chairs; one small drink table for morning coffee. Bird feeder. Water feature.
  • Growth plan: Basil. Oregano. Rosemary. Thyme. Mint. Variegated oregano. Ivy. Boxwoods / Evergreen bushes.

back balcony:

  • Environment: Full shade. Completely Covered; tin roof. 6 x 11 feet.
  • Atmosphere: Shade garden filled with terracotta pots, one standing flower box. Outdoor statues of the bunny variety. Two cushioned outdoor dining chairs with one cafe table. Wind chime or rain chime. Maybe an outdoor rug for coziness.
  • Growth plan: Coral bells, English ivy, impatiens and hostas.
Perfectly imperfect…

Nature isn’t perfect, and our garden spaces do not have to be either. When the goal is to make the most of our space, and we thoughtfully consider each option and weigh each decision, we will also end up with a perfectly imperfect space.

This space will be one where we cultivate the soil, plant the seeds, water the earth, and watch life spring forth. We will care for and nourish our gardens and in the meantime, our gardens will care four and nourish our souls. Yes… caring for your garden is technically caring for home, but I dare say that whether you plant one pot of flowers or herbs or several raised beds, your garden will be a place where you care for yourself as well.

xo, Billie

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