Brownstone homes often located in cities such as New York, Boston and Chicago were a popular style of housing built primarily in the 1800s. Also known as row houses, brownstones were built as long rows of residences connected to one another. With no front yard to speak of, the only outdoor space available for gardening is the long, skinny yard in the back of the home. In spite of the limited space, it's possible to have a flourishing garden even in the midst of the city.
Flower Garden
Even in a yard that is considerably longer than it is wide, there is still room for flowers. Dig beds along the edges of your fence line, on one or both sides, and plant a variety of colorful blooms. If you find that the soil is less than desirable as it often is in the city create raised beds, and import high-quality soil to give your flowers the boost that they need. Choose varieties of flowers such as day lilies, pansies and geraniums that require low to partial sun as the backyard may be shaded by the height of the brownstone building and nearby trees. Built a fence around your flower garden to keep your plans safe.
Vegetable Garden
Just because you dwell in the city doesn't mean you can't enjoy farming your own vegetables during the summer months. To avoid taking up valuable outdoor entertaining space in a narrow area, situate your vegetable at the end of the yard furthest from your house. Use a rototiller to thoroughly turn the soil to a depth that is hospitable for planting vegetables. Select varieties of vegetables that thrive even in less-than-optimal soil such as potatoes, radishes, carrots and lettuce.
Rock Garden
If you'd rather not toil in the soil like Cain, why not create a rock garden in your backyard space? Use a variety of rocks to pave the ground and create an outdoor patio area. Combine a variety of gray, tan and brown stones that blend well with the exterior stonework of the row house. Alternatively, import a plethora of pebbles to create a Japanese rock garden out back. Invest in a rake, and spend relaxing time creating patterns in the sea of small stones.
Butterfly Garden
When you want to interject a touch of whimsy and lightheartedness into your hustle-and-bustle life in the city, create a butterfly garden behind your brownstone. By planting the right types of foliage, you can attract a multitude of these delicate creatures and enjoy their gentle flight during your downtime. Plant flowers such as black-eyed Susan, New England asters, wild columbine and goldenrod in pots or beds. All are known to attract butterflies and will add a touch of color to your outdoor space.
A jalapeno pepper is a mildly hot chili that is used in many cuisines and is commonly enjoyed in salsas, salads and guacamole. The pepper seeds are typically started indoors and grow into three-foot tall plants when they mature. If you grow your own jalapenos, you'll have the benefit of saving money on your grocery bill and enjoying healthier produce that is not tainted with pesticides.
1. Place your jalapeno seeds on a plate and inspect them for quality. Remove any specimens that are discolored or smaller than the rest because these seeds have less chance of germinating.
2. Fill your growing container with seed-starting soil about 3/4 full. Push your finger in the dirt about 1/8 of an inch down in each individual cell. Drop a seed in each indentation and then cover the seeds with a light layer of soil. Your jalapeno seeds should never be more than 1/4 inch down from the surface because they do not have the ability to push past a thicker layer of soil.
3. Water your seeds so that the soil is moist but not drenched. Continue to monitor this water level to keep it the same throughout the growth process.
4. Place the growing container's lid over the seeds to keep them warm. If your container does not have a lid, stretch plastic wrap over the top and poke a few holes on the top for air circulation. Place a garden heat mat underneath your container or position your container on top of a warm spot such as the refrigerator. Jalapeno seeds thrive in humid, warm conditions.
5. Watch for your jalapeno plants to emerge from the soil in three to five weeks, depending on the variety. Remove the container's lid or the plastic wrap and then position a fluorescent light about two inches over the top of the tallest seedlings so that they continue to grow.
6. Wait for your jalapenos to develop at least four leaves and then transfer to large pots that have a depth of at least eight inches. Fill each pot about 3/4 full of soil. Remove each young seedling from the cells and plant it in the pot at the depth it was growing in the cell. Water the soil to get it moist.
7. Take the jalapeno pepper pots outside for about an hour each day about two weeks prior to moving them permanently outdoors. Make sure that your area's last potential frost has passed before moving your plants.
8. Move the pots outdoors in full sun.
9. Transplant each pepper plant into a 5-gallon size pot when they have developed a good root system and achieved about one foot in height.
10. Fertilize with a formulation made for peppers at half-strength every two weeks.
Trailing plants add a rustic touch to both indoor and outdoor settings. They may use underground runners or climbing vines to spread foliage. When choosing trailing plants for your garden, consider the climate, soil type and amount of light available. Keep in mind that many trailing plants are considered invasive, even if they are legal to plant, so devise a plan to control runners and seedlings.
Window Boxes
Display your trailing plants in a window box to improve the appearance of your home. The Clemson University Cooperative Extension recommends hanging window boxes at eye level, for example on the bottom level of your home, to increase aesthetic appeal, but you can also use them on upper levels if you live in an apartment or have multiple levels in your home. For the best look, extend window boxes the full length of the window. Trailing flower plants like fuchsia or alyssum are visually appealing. Plant trailing herbs like thyme and mint outside the kitchen window for easy access while cooking.
Ground Covers
Ground covers reduce weed growth and improve soil health. A variety of trailing plants, including yarrow, Mexican evening primrose, ivy, mint and speedwell, are ideal for areas smaller than 50 square feet. For larger areas, try fringed sage, creeping juniper, blue fescue and creeping baby's breath. Ground covers can be fragile, so use stepping stones or a path if they are planted in high-traffic areas. Flowering ground covers require more care and maintenance than other varieties, like evergreen trailing plants.
Trellises
Although trellis systems are often used for purely ornamental purposes, they also have utilitarian benefits. For example, many trailing fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes and berries, grow better when supported with a trellis system. The book "The Contained Garden" suggests placing a trellis behind potted plants that have trailing habits to provide support and opportunity for increased growth. Trellis systems also promote air circulation between the branches to encourage new development and support established growth.
Pots
Trailing plants can also be grown in pots, either inside your home or outside in the garden. Even if you have room in your garden, consider using a large pot to contain trailing plants and prevent them from overtaking other plants in your garden. Many trailing varieties, including Boston ivy, Virginia creepers, mint, sweet violet, snow-on-the-mountain and sweet woodruff can be aggressive and even invasive if they are not controlled. You can also use large pots of trailing plants as decoration in patio areas or beside a pool.
Raised bed gardening has a lot of advantages, such as less
weeding and accessibility to vegetables or flowers. Since the soil in these
beds drains easily, proper watering in a raised bed can be problematic. Because
of the high drainage properties in these beds, it may be difficult to
over-water, but under-watering is probable. To prevent under-watering, small
and frequent applications produce the best results. Drip irrigation is the best
way to water in these situations.
Drill a hole in the side of a plastic garbage can
approximately 1 inch from the bottom. The hole should be slightly smaller than
the drip irrigation line. Situate the garbage can near the raised bed in an
area higher than the bed itself. This will ensure that the water will exit the
can through the force of gravity to reach the bed.
2
Insert the drip irrigation line into the hole in the garbage
can to where the line has approximately 1 inch exposed inside the can. Push the
line into the hole firmly by hand. The small area of the hole will help provide
a more water-tight seal. The drip irrigation line must be long enough to
stretch from the garbage can to the furthest end of the raised bed.
3
Screw the female end fitting equipped with a small screen to
the exposed drip line inside the garbage can, and then push the fitting until
it is flush with the inner side of the can. Squeeze plastic sealant generously
around the fitting and the drip line inside and outside the can. Allow the
sealant to set according to the product's instructions.
4
Stretch the drip irrigation line across the center of the
raised bed to the farthest end from the garbage can. Fold the end of the line
over and secure it with a hose clamp. Use a screwdriver to tighten the clamp so
the water cannot escape from the end of the drip irrigation line.
5
Poke holes for the micro-tubing into the drip irrigation
line using the tool provided with the micro-tubing. The amount of holes and
tubing necessary depends on how many plants are in the raised bed. Each plant
requires one line of micro-tubing. Press the ends of the micro-tubing without
the end weights into the holes. Stretch the micro-tubing to the base of each
plant. The end weights will hold the tubing in place when you water.
6
Fill the garbage can with water. Put the lid on the garbage
can to prevent evaporation and keep debris from entering the water supply. The
drip irrigation system will continuously apply small doses of water to the
raised bed. Refill the can with water as needed.
If a
poking tool was not provided with the micro-tubing and end weights, use a
sharp knife to poke the necessary holes. If needed, apply plastic sealant
around where the micro-tubing is inserted into the holes to achieve a
water-tight seal.
