Gardening can feel intimidating and unapproachable, especially if you don't have a big yard or much outdoor space. One expert on Instagram is showing viewers that anyone can garden.
The scoop
Joseph Clark (@joesgarden.official) shares tips and tricks for getting the most out of your gardening. He's posted about growing an unlimited supply of herbs and how to use banana peels for your plants.
In one clip, he takes viewers through several plants that thrive in small spaces and containers.
"It is often thought you need a big garden or allotment to have fresh food growing, but that isn't the case," he says.
In the video, he explains that there are plenty of plants that do well using containers. Tomatoes are one of the top options, and he shows off a mini tomato plant only a few inches tall. Joseph also says you can grow lettuce easily in a window planter.
Radishes are another plant you can grow in a small pot; plus, they grow quickly. The creator also says to look for dwarf varieties of your favorite plants when looking to start your container garden.
"Small space gardening is a lot more manageable and fun," Joseph added in the caption.
How it's working
Gardening is a healthy pastime and can save you money on groceries. Growing in containers will yield fewer crops, but some larger gardens can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Establishing your garden can have some upfront costs, but you may be able to use seeds from your grocery fruits and vegetables for free.
Utilizing small varieties of your favorite crops is one of the best ways to grow in a small space or pot. Micro tomatoes are plants that stay very small.
"Some micro tomatoes top out at a mere 6 inches in height, while others have vines that reach up to 20 inches long and cascade over the edge of a pot or hanging basket," writes Savvy Gardening.
Growing your own food can help reduce reliance on mass-produced products that have likely traveled thousands of miles to reach your plate. So-called "food miles" cause incredibly high air pollution levels. As Carbon Brief reported, "In a single year, global food miles were responsible for 3bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions – 3.5-7.5 times larger than previous estimates."
Walking over to your planter box to harvest your veggies negates the majority of this planet-warming pollution.
What people are saying
The post had a lot of positive responses.
One person commented, "I have already used many of your plant growing hacks in my mom's greenhouse harvesting time is my favourite."
Someone else said, "We have a wonderful tomato garden, on the balcony. Small place, but worked."
"Trailing French beans work great in containers," suggested another small space gardener.
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