Five Ways to Use a Small Urban Backyard
City dwellers often rely on botanical gardens and city parks for their outdoor fix, but many may have a perfectly good garden space in the back yard. Of course, the small backyard space may covered with concrete or overrun with weeds and worse. That doesn't mean there is no hope.
Posted — UpdatedYou can never magically expand a small space into a lush suburban garden escape, but there are good ways to use small urban backyard spaces. Here are five of the best options for a small urban garden.
Of course, it takes some planning and strategy to optimize an urban vegetable garden. Ideally, most vegetables want six to eight hours of full sun, so you may need a raised bed on wheels to help chase the sun. Also use a good rich planting mix and fertilize regularly, particularly if using raised beds, where you have not access to the natural nutrients in the soil. Also focus on dwarf varieties. Miniature eggplants, tomatoes and more are packed with plenty of flavor you can't find at the supermarket.
• You must supply water for wildlife, which may include birdbaths or small puddling areas for butterflies.
• You must create cover for wildlife, including birdhouses or even dead trees.
• You must have a space for wildlife to raise their young, which can include a nesting box, mature trees, caterpillar host plants or a planting of dense shrubs.
With all the concrete all over the city, it may seem counter-intuitive to pave over an existing yard space, but a nice flagstone patio, plus plants and furniture equals an outdoor dining room for the warm months.
Of course, city thieves will prey on anything not nailed to the ground (and some things that are nailed to the ground), so scour city garage sales, freebies and thrift stores for cheap outdoor furniture.
A paved space can still have landscaping of sorts. Put all your plants in containers, and you can move them around to chase the sun or accommodate groups of various sizes. If you use large containers, consider putting empty plastic bottles or other filler in the bottom of the containers to keep them from getting prohibitively heavy.
Moreover, beekeepers say their hobby is fairly meditative, and (careful) urban backyard hives are generating quite a buzz. Beekeeping also can help bring back an insect that seems to be mysteriously dying off.
If you can secure the yard, you can let the kids run free in an urban backyard playground. Everything is built up vertically in the city, and urban playgrounds are no exception. Most kids naturally want to climb, so the sandbox can be under the swings, which can be under the monkey bars, which can be under the fort.
As noted above, there are some unique challenges and additional work involved when establishing and using an urban back yard, but you may be surprised by how much use and joy you can get from a small space.
