‘I wish I did [this] years ago’

Just because you live in a small space, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have your own garden and grow your own food. One TikToker, Kia (@kia_urbangardener), shared a simple DIY hack to start a small garden by making the most of small spaces.

The scoop

Vertical space is the name of the game when it comes to gardening in tight spaces. A wall garden allows you to capitalize on vertical height while producing fruits and vegetables as a normal garden would.

@kia_urbangardener This gardening havk i wish i did years ago! I decided to install a @VVG in my backyard to increase the amount of food i can grow! #gardeninghacks #gardenproject #gardeningtips #gardeninghack #gardeninghacks101 #gardeningvertically #wallgarden #growyourownfood #growingherbs #herbgarden #fyp ♬ Yeah Yeah Yeah – Musisihalu

Kia’s DIY wall garden involves installing stackable wire grid racks against the wall for planters to hang off of, and she noted, “I wish I did [this] years ago.” 

You can grow “pretty much anything that you would grow in a normal garden, but just remember that the pots are more shallow,” Kia said in her video. “Opt for vegetables or herbs that grow well in a shallow pot.” 

Even though this is a small garden, plants still need light, water, and nutrients to grow comfortably.

How it’s working

This hack makes gardening a more accessible hobby for those with limited space, such as those who live in urban areas. Even if you don’t have access to a community garden plot, you can still try your hand at gardening and growing your own food in a smaller space with this DIY wall garden. 

Growing your own food can save you money on produce, and the produce tastes better. 

Research has also found that gardening helps people stay more active throughout the week, helping to improve aspects of gardeners’ mental health — improving self-esteem, levels of optimism, and general well-being. 

Research has also identified a correlation between those who garden and higher levels of fiber intake, suggesting that gardeners may have a relatively healthier diet than those who don’t garden.

🗣️ Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening?

🔘 Getting outside more 🌱

🔘 Growing healthy food 🥕

🔘 Making my yard beautiful 🏡

🔘 I don’t garden 🚫

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

Gardening also helps improve air quality because plants absorb carbon from the environment, reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases in the air that contribute to a warming planet.

What people are saying

Many adored Kia’s DIY wall garden, suggesting different plants she could try growing in her shallower pots. 

“That would be awesome for herbs,” one user wrote.

Another commenter suggested, “Strawberries would be great in there too!”

Others expressed concern about drilling into their rental property. 

“My landlord will not let me put holes in any walls,” one user wrote, to which Kia suggested an alternative: “You can rest and lean it against a wall too.”

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