Urban gardening blogs we love

A bright, gently swaying flower border alive with the gentle buzz of honey bees or a basket stuffed with freshly harvested veg- an age old scene of rustic charm. But wait – what’s that you hear?

The roar of traffic, the wail of sirens, the clamour of the city? This is not a country tale – but gardening against the odds deep in the urban jungle.

Do you live amidst the concrete but still want to garden? Well you can and these blogs will show you how:

Abundance Manchester

City scrumping for a good cause. Last September, the volunteers at Abundance Manchester harvested no less than two trailers of eating apples, dates and figs from around the Didbury area of the city – all of which was donated to a good cause. The idea behind the project is a simple one – to make use of all the surplus fruit that grows on trees and vines all over Manchester. The group also have their own veggie plot and are always on the lookout for new recruits.

Guerrilla Gardening

Another way to get your fingers dirty if you don’t have access to land of your own, is to become a ‘Guerrilla Gardener’. Illicit cultivation of abandoned sections of the urban landscape is a daring challenge, but as far as we can see – its a win win. An improvement of the town or city environment at no cost and maximum enjoyment. Blog Author Richard has been at it since 2004 as he puts it, “Fear is the biggest obstacle, optimism your best weapon”. Well – what are you waiting for?

Aerial Edible Gardening

Helen Babbs is the proud mother of twins. Her latest blog post is full of photos of the little darlings – they’re chilly plants and although small – they look very healthy. This blog author is a writer, editor and journalist, living and rooftop gardening in London. Her blog is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of film, photography and delightful drawings by Elizabeth Noble and Luísa Alpalhão. Well worth a read.

City Smallholder

Normally when you hear talk of a master plan – James Bond will be doing his best to foil it. But not in this case – these folks have turned just about every inch of outside space around their bungalow over to vegetable gardening. Thanks to their meticulous planning they now have about one hundred square feet of ground under cultivation. Their philosophy is one of ‘urban permaculture’ – and if you don’t know what that is – there’s a Youtube clip that explains it very nicely.

Cwm Harry Land Trust

“We tried roasting and popping the amaranth seed, apparently this is what the ancient Mayans used to do and this was one of their staple foods, it was surprisingly nice and lots of visitors were prepared to try it.” One of the highlights of the Cwm Harry Land Trust seed swap event. This website and blog goes to show just how much can be achieved when the community gets together. Combining waste collection and composting with a community garden – this organisation based in Newtown Powys is dedicated to sustainability in the local food sector.

Patio Patch

“Under gloomy skies, there is no sparkle in raindrops and instead the young growth is washed and readied for the Spring, like children before the arrival of important visitors.” Laura of London waxes lyrical about the dismal days of February. The last of the dark days before spring are often the hardest to get through – and this intelligent and very readable blog is just acknowledging something that I am sure we all feel.

Ruskin Park Community Garden

“One of the elements of the wildlife area will be a bug hotel made from palettes. We’ll need straw and thick bamboo canes to stuff between the layers. We’ll also be looking out for things like old watering cans/ garden ornaments (obviously nothing gaudy or unnatural) but anything that might allow for bug hiding places or shelters.” A call to action for residents of the Lambeth and Ruskin park areas of London. This blog represents community gardening at its best; giving access to the land and promoting healthy, sustainable lifestyles in the urban environment.

Urban Bees

“Since honeybees are gentle creatures which eat only pollen and nectar they can live side by side with you and your neighbours.” Urban bees is a social enterprise set up to encourage urban beekeeping by training and educating people to become responsible beekeepers in an urban environment. Not a blog – more of a resource, we thought we would throw this one into the mix simply because it highlights an interesting and potentially very tasty way of bringing a bit of wilderness into the city.

Vertical Veg

“High yields from vertical spaces”, is this blog’s strap line – and it really does do what it says on the tin. Author Mark’s aim is to get as much out of the assortment of growing spaces around his London home as could be expected from a city allotment; that’s £782 according to the author. And we wouldn’t bet against him achieving his goal. There is a wealth of information here for anyone interested in filling the nooks and crannies available to them with green things.

Out of My Shed

Out of My Shed is the fruit of a professional gardener’s labours in the blogosphere as she tends to plants and vegetables in London. The author, Naomi, is particularly adept at plant combinations and planting design for clients all over one of the largest cities in the world. You can also read her inspiring efforts with the very successful Blackstock Triangle community growing project, learn how tennis balls can save your strawberries from birds and how a paddling pool watering system can babysit your plants.

City Farmer

“Major news! “Urban Agriculture: Food, Jobs, and Sustainable Cities” – now online” This headline, one of the recent posts on the City Farmer Blog heralds the publication as an e book of this important work from the United Nations Development Program. City Farmer is a Canadian organisation that has been supporting and promoting urban veg gardening since 1978. As you would expect, this is a huge resource for anyone interested in growing food in the city.

If you have an urban gardening blog or know of a great one we have missed please leave a comment, and we’ll consider adding it to the great blogs above.