Gardens in the city

The New Urban Chic

HERE was a time when tilling the soil was a pastime reserved for farmers and just plain ole country folk. But more and more, city dwellers are donning gardening gloves and hats as they grab trowels, soil scoops and snips and take to the soil to bring the warmness of color to dreary streetscapes from Los Angeles to Chicago to Atlanta.

High-rise dwellers jazz things up by placing potted flowering plants on their balconies. While others with small-space gardens place potted plants on their stoops to add a splash of color.

Further highlighting the popularity of city gardening, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley this spring hosted the nation's first and only urban horticulture and community greening show in Grant Park. The event featured more than 40 design and planting ideas. One design included a front-yard garden, presented by Johnson Publishing Co. Others highlighted the ins and outs of rooftop gardening and provided how-to tips for balcony and patio gardening.

"What's unique about urban situations is that they have limited space for gardens and maximum desire," says Douglas Hoerr of Douglas Hoerr Landscape Architecture, who helped plan the event. "That's really what the show is about, showing people how to address and design a small space for their garden."

If you're lucky to have a yard--front or back--the key to success is to plan your landscape. Avoid the urge to impulse-buy all of your flowers before any planning or inspecting. The result could prove frustrating and disastrous. Check the direction of the sun and shade around your home or apartment before purchasing flowers to ensure that they can survive. Make sure the plants complement one another. For example, plant smaller flowers in front of larger ones to avoid dwarfing the smaller ones. Don't be afraid to mix it up by contrasting colors.

Dr. Barbara Yarn, an Atlanta-based anesthesiologist, and her husband, Tyrone, a retired agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, chose red and purple as the main color for their garden. For variety, they added a little pink and yellow. "My husband maintains the garden on his own," says Dr. Yarn. "He prepares to plant the annuals--flowers that last for only one season--as soon as the last frost is over in early spring. Some of the annuals he selected this year include impatiens, marigolds and geraniums." They also have vibrant perennials, or returning flowers, like azaleas, daisies and rhododendrons.

COPYRIGHT 2006 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning