Urban lifestyle – the rising vertical skyscrapers and the horizontal polished roads hinder taking a stroll through the woods or cycle through the boulevards. We humans always found inspiration, mindfulness, intelligence and excitement from the natural world. But with time the human-nature connection has largely vanished as the tropical succulent sends a distant call for friendships. Imagine the wall-mounted green displays bringing the jungle juice into your compressed urban home space. Imagine the essence of bushes and thorns satiating your thirst for something pretty. Imagine the greens, the herbs, the smell of the floras, the reaping fruits, the variegated vegetables bringing nature right into your living space. It will be the root of change, giving a much-needed break from your work screens. Terrace/ balcony gardening will rekindle your passion for biodiversity – inspiring you to make a difference in the busy urban dwelling. Believe, escape, preservers and find peace in gardening.
Here go some tips and tricks to work on the empty terrace and balcony, converting it into a mini jungle.
Stay Connected with Nature – Get Started, Make the Right Space
We are in the 21st century. With the advancement in technologies, the size of the garden space has essentially shrunk – mostly into nothingness. If your house tells the 21st-century compact residence story – worry not! For you have got the entire terrace space to grow something smaller, something valuable. From mini lawns to potted plant parades, you can reimagine your terrace in a plethora of ways.
Firstly, the terrace can be converted into a mini lawn, which requires: Waterproofing of the space that can be done by using concrete covering. The second step is to cover the entire space with soil. As cool as it may sound, this arrangement in the terrace will bear extra cost and effort making it the least preferable choice.
The most preferable terrace garden setting is to create a potted plant parade – redefining the space with garden pots with no extra effort. Get started. Create an alluring layout of your likes. Get them gardening tools. Are you done? Come let’s talk about the pots.
“The most preferable terrace garden setting is to create a potted plant parade – redefining the space with garden pots with no extra effort.”
Get the right pots
Choosing the right pots to plant is a tricky process. Traditionally used terracotta pots are the first options that strike the mind. As convenient as it may seem, the pots are not durable, heavy and demand extra storage effort. Talking again about the pros of the 21st century, developments struck every field and gardening essentials have got some imperative improvements. HDPE grow bags – the novel carriers of plants are durable, resilient, light and reusable. Made as a BPA free alternative, the grow bags come in different sizes making them the best option for terrace gardening. Check out the Seed2Plant grow bag collection.
Get the HDPE bags in different sizes. Since it is easily foldable, getting a few excesses will never take your storage space.
Get the Right Soil
Now that the problem with pots is solved, the next step is to choose the right soil. Since terrace gardens are human-made, it is important to bring the nutrients on land to terrace space. The best way to import essential nutrients and micronutrients is to use a mixture of soil, vermicompost and fertilizer. The appropriate proposition is as follows: 2 parts of sand/ soil; 2 parts of vermicompost; 1 part of fertilizer.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Potting Mix - 100% Organic with 8 Fertilizers and 4 Beneficial Microbes |
Enriched Dry Vermicompost 100% Organic |
What Plants Should I Choose?Whenever heavy rain strikes make sure to add fertilizer to the soil. It is important to add supplements like cow manure to the plant every 3-4 weeks.
The selection of plants should involve making little steps at a time. Starting with common, familiar crops will benefit the most. Some plants indeed need more attention to flourish positively. Instead of laying hands on difficult plants, it is smooth to start with the easy ones. The home-friendly crops start with roses, hibiscus, jasmine, spider plant and herbs (coriander). Chili, Tomato, Capsicum, Eggplant, Lady’s finger, Bitter gourd and peas are some of the easiest options to start. Once you see the seeds germinate, grow and bloom, your confidence will push you to extend your garden to the entirety of the rooftop.
“Instead of laying hands on difficult plants, it is smooth to start with the easy ones.”
Not too Much, Not too Less
The phrase goes well with two basic ingredients – sunlight and water, too much of both is malignant to plants. The terrace always has room for the sun. Most plants require an average of 5-6 hours of sunlight. Summer is extra generous and will burn the leaves with too much light. In such cases, it is essential to prepare the garden space with shade nets. The arrangement can be made in spring so that by summer your garden is all ready to face the scorching sun.
The second basic need is water. Overwatering kills plants, but as beginner gardeners, it is hardly identifiable. The easiest way to track water requirements is to manually check the soil. Insert your finger one inch deep to check for dryness. If the soil is moist, resort to watering. If the soil is dry, water until the soil is sufficiently moist and not soggy. To start with, a Watering Can with minute nozzles like the Seed2Plant 5L watering can is a must-have.
Pest Control
Here comes the hard truth – it is almost impossible to keep away pests from attacking your beautiful garden. Pests, bacteria, and fungus find their way to attack plants.
Don’t worry! Because there are organic magic mixtures that will chase away the attackers. Always keep them in stock – pests and bacteria lurk around the corner.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Waste Decomposer - Organic |
Talking About the Cost…
With the basics covered, an imperative question lingers over the horizon: What is the cost to set up a fully functional terrace garden. To start in one go, the overall cost for tools, pot, soil, compost, seeds, watering equipment and fertilizer will come under 20,000 – provided you are planning to make a 25-30 plant garden. With step by step – 2-3 plants at a time approach, the setup cost will be largely reduced. After all, the sheer joy of seeing the plants mature and produce food will veil the costs that come with it. Green investment is also an investment in organic lifestyle, mental and physical health. Simple steps and happy returns make it an organic go-to hobby.
“Green investment is also an investment in organic lifestyle, mental and physical health. Simple steps and happy returns make it an organic go-to hobby.”
We have learnt some useful tricks and tips to convert the open terrace vacancy into a peaceful green space. If you are still feeling lazy about spending on the terrace garden – take a look at the following advantages that will motivate you instantly.
Something Economical to Ace Your Space
Everyone is chasing betterment through the passing seconds. Lucrative goods often attract our senses, hiding the elements of simplicity that can brighten up the home space, cost-effectively. Spending on gardening is the easiest way to ace your space. Seeing green is mindful. It reduces the indoor temperature, chasing all chemicals and pollutants. The terrace garden is a mini sterilizer that purifies the air around 24x7. In addition, you get to chew on organic ingredients – growing right under your roof.
Little Contribution to a Bigger Cause
Reducing carbon footprint is the priority today, as the rising pollutants invite global warming. There is no direct way to escape pollution without compromising the perks of the urban lifestyle. But a small change in home space could contribute a little to achieve the bigger cause. Terrace gardening is the simplest way to avert pollution and reduce carbon footprint. These little things will bring about a gargantuan change.
“Terrace gardening is the simplest way to avert pollution and reduce carbon footprint. These little things will bring about a gargantuan change.”
Best Way to Stay Connected with Nature
A terrace garden is the best doorway to natural subsistence in this busy world. Talk with the plants, hear their needs, connect with life, reestablish the lost connection with nature, try to understand the natural world and grow with it. Grow away from monotony, away from toxicity and stress. A terrace garden is a peaceful corner that we all need. Living amidst nature is the best way to bring change.
Happy Gardening!