Growing a Garden When Living in an Apartment Building. Nice Ideas for a Nice Deed

Even if they don’t have their own yard to plant and keep a garden safely, a lot of people who live in apartment buildings in the city start growing grass, flowers or even trees on the small piece of land in front, instead of just living it bare or waiting for the city hall to take care of it. This way, they enjoy a bit of greenery together with their neighbours and even the passers-by, who see something nice and different instead of the usual buildings and parking lots. But people who want to take up gardening in front of their apartment buildings should know that the piece of land there is not the building’s owners, but it belongs to the city hall, who can decide to do something else on that area. Nevertheless, small pretty garden like these keep showing up. Here are some ideas for growing a garden when living in an apartment building.

Some people that undertook such a project express their view on the forum of lifestyle website kudika.ro when asked: “What can you plant in front of your apartment building, on an area of 100 square feet?”

Growing a garden when living in an apartment building. What you can try and what to expect

• “How about some lawn grass and some cheap, resistant flower seeds. Gazania is a good choice. You can also plant a small decorative cherry tree (it doesn’t fruit). I think a nice lawn with a cherry tree in the middle and some nice stones would be nice and calm for everyone”
• “Green fence, roses, hyacinths, crocus, lawn. I planted all of these and they look beautiful. Good luck!”
• “When I moved here, 5 years ago, there was nothing but rocks and garbage around. I started by cleaning the place up, I brought soil and fertilizer, I ploughed and planted a garden. I chose peonies, lilies, dahlias, corn flag, chrysanthemum, lilac, a fir tree, poinsettias, pansies, a green fence that makes white flowers and keeps spreading if you don’t trim it, hyacinths, lilies of the valley. It looks quite lovely and there’s nothing like having a coffee by my small garden. The neighbours were thrilled and started planting their own.”
• “I live in an apartment building and the first thing we did when moving here was to plant some trees (having plenty of space around the building). We had to keep planting them, because either the children tore them or some drunk neighbour cut them down. He finally left, but the trees stayed.”

Growing a garden when living in an apartment building. Some tips

The first thing you have to do is to establish the perimeter inside which you want to plant. Make a detailed plan of what you want to grow: which flowers, shrubs and trees go where. Mark the track for the alleys you want to have in your garden, says Eugen Nita, a horticultor, for libertatea.ro.

Don’t plant linden, acacia or mulberries just anywhere, because their flowers or fruit falling down turn into a slippery blanket, especially when it rains. Green fences with thorns are not a good idea, considering children in the block play outside.

You can decorate your garden with wooden or clay objects, that look natural, and also bring singing birds in by installing homes and feeders for them.

You can ask the city hall to give you some plants for the garden you want to grow in front of your apartment building.

Credits: kudika.ro, libertatea.ro, administram.ro

Photo credits: adevarul.ro, gds.ro, Facebook/ Gradina din Fata Blocului