No garden? Don’t despair with these handy tips

ONE of the downsides to flat living can be the lack of garden to call your own.

You may share a communal garden or be surrounded by green space, but those of us with itchy green fingers can get a little frustrated, especially during these recent sunny weeks we’ve been experiencing.

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During summer we all yearn to be outdoors sat in a cool, well-tended garden.

However for many of us, particularly first and second time flat-dwellers in a city – the best we will get to this dream is by sitting in our flat with the window open.

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However one solution, right under your nose, is to use your window sill.

Become a window box gardener and create a lovely blooming window box.

Here are some tips on creating a mini-Kew Garden on your windowsill.

Choose a container with drainage holes (or make them yourself if there aren’t any holes).

Fill the box with compost and place your plants in without packing them too tightly.

Fill the gaps with more compost, pat down and water.

Place your window box on a deep ledge, or fix brackets on the box, securing it to your window sill (councils and passers-by below take a dim view on falling boxes).

Water to keep the earth moist, but not too damp. As a rule of thumb, once a day in the evening during summer is best.

Add fertiliser once a week to the water if you’re feeling particularly green fingered.

Evergreens like ivy, lavender, heather and hebe are ideal window box choices, perfectly happy in cooped up spaces.

Consider growing veg: according to the National Trust, the equivalent of 344 football pitches’ worth of growing space can be found on our windowsills.

Most veg will want direct sun, but some – such as lettuce, onions, parsley and radishes – like shade. Beans, carrots and herbs are all possible to grow on your windowsill.

The deeper the window box the greater variety of veg you can grow. (Courgettes needs lot of room to grow so possibly best left until you have a garden).

If you have a small balcony, consider laying a small patch of lawn.

And, if you’re looking to branch out of your flat and looking for a property with a garden, make sure you use the keyword search on Zoopla.co.uk