Small Space Gardening

An Incredible Use of SMALL Garden Space

August 25, 2011 · 8 comments

Many of us have small gardens and know the challenges of trying to fit a lot into a tiny space, but what if you basically have NO space upon which to garden? What then?

Well, Baylor Chapman in San Francisco knows that dilemma all too well. She lives in the Mission District – a hip, cool, industrialized section of the city that it is very urban. Baylor is a “green” florist (Lila B Designs) who strives to use local, organically grown flowers in her floral designs.

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And there is a great story in that…

But, this post is about how Baylor is also a gardener with basically NO space. And how she has come up with creative ways to garden anywhere and in just about anything…(notice the shutter behind her in the photo below)

We filmed Baylor a few months ago for Growing A Greener World and I wanted to share some of the photos from the shoot. The episode is on Small Space Gardening and we featured two locations with Baylor.

The Deck Garden:

Baylor’s personal garden space is on a deck of just 500 square feet. It gets full sun and no view other than the industrial buildings around her. But in that space, she has created an oasis where she can entertain, read and relax…And the coolness factor is through the roof!

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Yes, that is a truck tool box being used as a bench!

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Baylor makes great use of color and unusual containers.

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Check out these succulent shutters!

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And these succulent, metal…thing-a-ma-jigs!

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More coolness…

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Heck, even the inside of her loft was ubber cool.

The Parking Lot Garden:

For Baylor’s floral design business, she wanted LOCAL, organically grown flowers but she also wanted unusual plants for her brides. Although she found a few local sources, it was not enough when she had larger events…So, she decided to grow them herself. But where?

How about around the perimeter of an urban parking lot?!

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That is what she did! She grows tons of incredible plant material in pots around a rented parking lot. The lot itself is still used by a production company for deliveries but the edges were empty…until now.

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Baylor’s helper in the garden and floral business is Sophie. Check out

her cute gardening skirt, complete with clipper pockets. Love it!

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It just goes to show that with a little ingenuity, you can do anything!

The episode we filmed will be airing nationally on Public Television on October 1, 2011. After that date, you will also be able to watch it on our website HERE.

To read more about Baylor and what she does, check out this blog post by my friend Debra Prinzing. Baylor is going to be featured in her upcoming book on locally, sustainably grown flowers! I will be writing more about that book when it gets closer to publication!

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I Want To Make A Succulent Orb

February 3, 2010 · 9 comments

I found this succulent orb kit on Etsy.

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The idea is to design and build your own tiny succulent garden and either set it on a sunny windowsill (it has a flat bottom) or hang it in a window. What a fun idea. It reminds me of the miniature terrariums I posted about HERE.

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Designing Gardens on a Teeny-Tiny Scale

January 25, 2010 · 6 comments

Here is a miniature garden I created in a small enamel pan.

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I have made several of these and they always turn out charming. This one has a tiny patio I created out of cement powder and little stones.

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It looks difficult, but it is amazingly easy. I found a kit from Two Green Thumbs Miniature Garden Center. They have everything you need to make patios, walkways…any kind of hard surface.

Here are some photos from the website:

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Aren’t they fun?

I love miniature gardens because you really feel as if you can just step right into the garden. That is one of the reasons I created a G-Scale train garden in the middle of my herb garden. Kids and adults get such a kick out of tiny landscapes!

You can find more information about creating miniature gardens at Two Green Thumbs. They even have a newsletter.

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Grow Your Salad Right in the Colander!

August 12, 2009 · 4 comments

What could be more appropriate than growing lettuce right in a kitchen colander?

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I found this great salad garden by Kerry Michaels over at About.com.

It really is a simple process to recreate a similar “Salad-in-a-colander”. Kerry Michaels gives all the details in the post. It is easy-peasy.

All you need is a a colander, some window screen and some seeds. I see old colanders all the time at garage sales. Time to pick up a few!

And wouldn’t this be cute as a hanging pot?

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Miniature Terrariums

July 22, 2009 · 7 comments

Remember my post on the tabletop “air plant” terrarium a few weeks ago?

MiniTerrariums Well, check out these miniature terrariums created by Amy Whitman, a horticulturist at Gardener’s Supply Company. She writes about these terrariums on the company’s gardening blog.

(You didn’t know that one of the major gardening catalogs had a blog? Oh yes! Many gardening companies are jumping into the blog-sphere these days.)

Amy created these unique mini-gardens in an assortment of glass containers as holiday gifts for her co-workers last year. She found the assorted glasses at a local thrift store and filled them with gravel, soil and tiny plants.

The blog post gives full instructions on creating these charming mini-gardens. The only thing I would do differently is to use a spoonful of charcoal instead of gravel. Charcoal will keep any standing water smelling sweet…just in case someone over waters.

I saw similar miniature terrariums at the San Fransisco Flower and Garden Show this year.

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Of course these terrariums do not last forever. Depending upon what you grow, the plants can quickly outgrow the container. Succulents and mosses will probably last the longest.

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But what a fun way to spruce up a dull office desk or a boring corner of your kitchen!

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GROW UP…with Climbing Italian Summer Squash

July 1, 2009

I am absolutely loving this Italian Summer Squash, also known as “Trombetta di Albenga” I planted it from seeds I bought from Renee’s Gardens. The seed pack says that it is an Italian heirloom squash with a delicate taste similar to a “nutty artichoke”. Well, we finally harvested and it definitely has a delicious, mild [...]

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An Air Plant Terrarium

June 29, 2009

I always have something growing on our kitchen table. (Not mold, silly! Plants! Ha ha) Here is my latest centerpiece creation: One old glass container from my friend Michelle. (FREE) A few smooth stone rocks (FREE) Two air plants – unknown tillandsia species (About $7 total) Maintenance (Almost none! See link below) The result? PRICELESS! [...]

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The Building of a Potato Condo

June 25, 2009

Have you tried your hand at growing potatoes in a “condo” yet? I first heard the term “potato condo” from Shibaguyz when they posted about it last year on their blog. Usually, called a “potato box” or a “build-as-you-grow” box, I think the Shibaguyz description of a condo is much more appropriate. This is bio-intensive [...]

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Los Angeles Garden Show: Featuring Edible Plants

May 4, 2009

Yesterday, I went to the LA Garden Show at the Los Angeles Arboretum. It was fabulous! The theme was: EDIBLE PLANTS! WooHoo!  Yes, I was in heaven wondering acres of edible landscapes that could be grown in backyards, pots, and balconies. They featured organics and sustainable gardening practices and lots of cool garden designs. Here [...]

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