Garden Design IdeasGarden Ideas, Photos and Tips for Gardening at Home
Using grow bags , pots , and raised beds , Bethany Bey has produce a bountiful rooftop garden at her home in Chicago , IL . pic by : Bethany Bey
After living in Chicago for about 10 years , Bethany Bey had leave office to the belief that she would n’t have a “ real ” garden until she move into a place with a backyard . The impulse to get her hands in the dirt was always in the back of her mind , though , growing up having assist her mummy and grandfather tend to their gardens . But in 2020 , when Bethany and her hubby moved into their spot with a rooftop patio , her cerebration exchange : Even though she did n’t have a backyard , she could put a rear bed up there and originate a few thing . Why not ?
tight - forward to the present : Using container , grow bags , and bring up beds , Bethany has transformed that 340 - square foot distance from a rooftop patio into an abundant garden , bursting with coloured homegrown efflorescence and even solid food .
away from some scope gardening knowledge , which she acquired from dabbling in gardening with her momma and grandfather , Bethany is strictly ego - taught . Since engraft that first raised bottom , she has consumed one C of videos and online articles , ever on a pursuance to determine more about the nontextual matter of container horticulture . sooner this yr , Bethany sign up for an online horticulture education course of study . “ I want to get a more schematic pedagogy to read the why and how behind what I ’m doing , ” says Bethany .
Fortunately for those who know her or live in her proximity , this passion is something she volitionally share with others . In summer , when her plant are producing copious amounts of flowers , Bethany creates what she calls “ sidewalk bouquets , ” which she set out on the pavement in front of her base for passersby to take for free .
She also enjoy growing magniloquent industrial plant that peek over the top of the rampart around her rooftop garden . “ I wish to think that people walk by might see them peeking over the edge and be inspired to farm something too , ” Bethany order . On her Instagram page ( @chicagogardener ) and YouTube channel ( ChicagoGardener ) she portion out pictures , videos , and ideas with those following her garden journeying .
Here , after having the chance to sing with Bethany , we partake eight tip for anyone who wants a fecund flower garden of their own — in a garden of any size .
1. Pack in Plants
In the rear bed against her patio wall that sits among planting of zinnias , salvia , and other vibrant bloom , Bethany has several variety of genus Gomphrena , planted tightly together , putting on a lovely display of light pink and fuchsia . exposure by : Bethany Bey
When spacing plants , Bethany has found that she can typically shave off a few inch from the recommended distance suggested on works labels . “ Typically , I ’ve incur that matter perform just as well , but there are times when I realized I should have followed instructions ! ” sound out Bethany , who is up for experimentation when it comes to gardening .
For the most part , she shares that she is able to put plants nigher together as long as she give close attention to their pauperism — pruning them if they look like they ’re kick the bucket to start overlapping , and game the ones that involve help staying upright . “ lately , I planted two indeterminate tomatoes close down together and pruned them where they overlapped , ” says Bethany . “ They both did groovy , and their yield did n’t suffer at all .
2. Be Selective About What You Grow
After a few years of tending to this space , Bethany knows what grows well here — and she also experience what she like . Here , some of her pet flowers thrive : several miscellanea of zinnias , two types of Supertunia , and pinkish and whiteSuperbena ® Pink Cashmere ™ vervain . Photo by : Bethany Bey
When Bethany first started garden , her mindset was similar to that of many gardener : “ I want to develop everything , ” she says . Over the twelvemonth , though , Bethany has taken note on which food and flowers do best in her garden . “ I began choosing more plants that I know have done well and are going to get the most in the place I have . ”
For food , Bethany opts for crop such as pea , green beans , and cherry tomatoes . “ These give a gross ton of output signal on just one plant , ” she says , observe that pumpkins , melons , and the like do n’t make much when you consider the amount of space they take up .
For efflorescence , Bethany selects plant life she can contract from and then they keep bring on such as zinnias , gomphrena , and dahlias . “ I used to grow sunflowers , but many of them only produce one bloom , ” Bethany sound out . “ Even though I love them and they ’re so pretty , I can employ that space for something that ’s going give me blooms all summer long . ”
3. Invest in Self-Watering Pots
At core , an AquaPot Lite by Proven Winners hostsRockin ' ® Fuchsia salvia , Aromance ® Mulberry ™ nemesia , andSuperbells Magic ™ Pink Lemonade ™ . Photo by : Bethany Bey
When demand if she commend self - watering pots , Bethany answer with a classical “ Yes ! ” presently , the home nurseryman has about four of them and observe that she wants more . ego - lacrimation stool are treasure for their ability to keep territory at a logical level of moisture . Bethany can bear witness to this , noting that during summer , she can rely on a ego - watering wad to keep her plants sufficiently irrigate for about a week .
Her favored self - tearing pots?Aqua Pots by Proven Winners . “ These are the best I ’ve seen , ” tell Bethany . “ A lot of times the self - watering pots are n’t pretty , but these are . ” She prefers the AquaPot Lite line because their light weighting means she can carry them up to her balcony garden without too much hassle .
4. Get Creative with Plant Placement
Rather than placing all plants in sight on the ground , Bethany attend for ways to elevate them . Here , Bethany ’s blossom cart from Deer Park Ironworks adds interest , top by a cockcrow glory vine . picture by : Bethany Bey
“ I ’m always looking for anything I can expend to put a works somewhere that I could n’t put a plant before , ” says Bethany . After seeing railscapes from Plant Trap , she jazz she had to give those a seek to tally some flowers in front of her menage . Railscapes impound to your existing fence , giving you a spot to place a peck so it appear to float on your fence . “ I ca n’t really imbed anything in the ground in that quad , so using those on the front railing gives me a way of life to add plants , ” state Bethany .
For her balcony garden , Bethany add a flower cart from DeerPark ironworks . The 3- by 4 - foot metal prime go-cart gives Bethany a place to farm a morning glory vine . In gain to providing a spot to trellis plant , it also adds height to the garden , pee the space more visually interesting .
5. Stick to Large Pots
Lately , Bethany is opting for pots larger than 8 inch out on her patio . Because they hold more soil , it takes longer for them to dry out . picture by : Bethany Bey
In addition to wanting to add more ego - water pots to her container repertoire , Bethany is also slowly doing away with small toilet and transition to larger ones . Why ? “ If I have a pot that ’s 8 inches , it dries out quickly , ” say Bethany . “ If I have a large pot , though , even if it ’s not self - lacrimation , I can be gone for the weekend and not worry about it as long as I give it a good soak before I impart . ”
6. Give Yourself Easy Access to Plants
By putting large containers on caddies , Bethany can well move them to different locations or prune all around the plant with ease . picture by : Bethany Bey
Especially in a small infinite , it can be unmanageable to project out a footpath so you could easily access everything in your garden once your plants are full - grown . Every twelvemonth Bethany observes and takes line of little adjustment she can make so plants are more easily approachable . This year , one diminished pinch Bethany made was order some container on a tea caddy with wheels . This allows her to bend them easily for harvest and cut back all around the plant with repose — a small plus Bethany key out as “ game change . ”
7. Situate Seating Areas Strategically
Bethany ’s patio furniture is put to take in the beauty of all the vivacious blooms while also taking vantage of the view of Chicago beyond . Photo by : Bethany Bey
deliberately seeking out way to enjoy the garden is an aspect of gardening that is sometimes neglected , but it ’s so important to take the time to soak up the fruit of your childbed . Bethany recommends placing your seating areas so they face your pet views . “ I ’d had my terrace furniture in the same lieu every year and short realized that my chairs were facing away from the flowers and towards the wall of our house , ” aver Bethany . After stimulate that actualization , she moved some container around so she could situate her chair in the ideal location — looking out at her bloom garden and the pretty city views beyond .
8. Incorporate the Indoors
To produce a bit for hang efflorescence for drying , Bethany bought three bubbly gold mantle perch and set up them on a paries inside her home . picture by : Bethany Bey
With limited planting spaces outdoors , it realise common sense that Bethany would also utilize the inside of her home to include plants — but she ’s very strategic when it get along to adding anything into her space . “ I require things that are pretty , but I also require them to be functional , ” says Bethany . Last year , she get down drying some of the many flowers her patio garden was producing , and hung them from her ceiling . Though she like the room it look , she wanted to forecast out something more lasting . That ’s when she decide to purchase three curtain rods that she hung on her wall . “ Even when there are n’t efflorescence on them , they still take care pretty , ” Bethany say . “ When it ’s cut across in flowers , it looks even pretty . A operative piece of art . ”
Bethany Recommends: Plants for Prolific Blooms
Here are a few of Bethany ’s favorite reliable plants that give her blossom all spring through the remnant of summer .
More From Bethany
Here are several more inspiring photos from Bethany and her garden .
When Bethany learn about With Love , Chicago , a non - profit system who will surprise redolence for people to find around the city , she was barrack . “ I always have more flowers than I can use , so I began get to my own nosegay and leaving them in front of my house for the great unwashed to take , ” says Bethany . She ’s witness that they go quickly , and she ’s even received thank you card for the posy . “ I sleep together how something small and unexpected can change someone ’s daylight . ” Photo by : Bethany Bey
With plant always on her mind , it ’s no surprise that Bethany has found creative ways to uniquely comprise them into her home . “ When I find something that front pretty , I like to estimate out how I can turn it into something I can use for plants . ” On the wall above a fly high ZZ plant is a candelabra that Bethany has transformed into a plant propagation post . Photo by : Bethany Bey
Regarding colour , Bethany ’s plan of attack is “ semblance topsy-turvydom . ” “ I love having as many color as possible in the garden , ” she say . For Bethany , one of the benefit of using so many different colour is to be able to make lots of bouquet with unlike looks . Though she wo n’t rule out any color in particular , she does stay by from pastels because she finds they “ get lost ” among other coloring . Photo by : Bethany Bey
Although Bethany does n’t typically opt for a specific color outline , she did stick to pink and whites in her shade container border . From left to right : Tiny Quick Fire ® panicle hydrangeaoffers pale pink and whitened blooms all summertime long . middle to substance ® ‘ White Star ’ caladiumhas green - lined creamy blanched foliage with rosy veining . Further up the border , Heart to Heart ® Va Va Violet ™ caladiums ’ showy garden pink and unripe dapple leafage convey out the pinks in the other works , including polka - dose plant . picture by : Bethany Bey
