Starting a Front Door Container Garden at a Studio Apartment

This summer, I found myself in a cozy little studio apartment in the beautiful historical town of Havre de Grace. Just a few streets down from the Chesapeake Bay. It was a move that was unexpected. Basically I had one week to move to a state and town I had never been to be closer to family.

 While moving into a tiny studio apartment meant letting go of a big garden. It also meant that I could downsize and get creative.  My first thoughts on where to garden were, "Maybe I will get a community garden like in Portland. 

  After that did fell through the only choice I had was to do something at my studio apartment that is a 3 unit houses. My goal was to do some gardening and turn a tiny spot into a cozy, a coastal garden oasis! Last week I begun to transform my boring landing by adding two window boxes and just plain black pots for now. 

I added  2 black window boxes first

 

This window box has 2 Geraniums and a Sweet Pepper

🪴 My Small-Space Garden Setup:

 

An assortment of vegetable plants and annuals

Here’s what I planted right outside my door:

• 2 black  window boxes (from Amazon) — Each holds:

  • 1 pink ivy geranium 🌸

  • 1 pepper plant 🌶️

  • 1 marigold 🌼 (hello pollinators!)

• 7 black 1-gallon pots (lined up on the steps and edge):

  • 1 Basil plant 🌿

  • 3 Tomato varieties 🍅🍅🍅 (a slicer, a cherry, and a Roma)

  • 1 Strawberry 🍓

  • 1 Cucumber 🥒

  • 1 extra marigold and Pepper for good measure

• A couple of fabric grow bags for overflow 🌱

Everything was purchased from Home Depot (plants and soil) and Amazon (window boxes, pots, and fabric bags). 

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💰 Estimated Costs:

Item	Quantity	Cost Estimate
Pink Ivy Geraniums	2	$4 each = $8
Peppers	2	$4 each = $8
Marigolds	2	$3 each = $6
Basil	1	$4
Tomato plants (3 types)	3	$4 each = $12
Strawberry plant	1	$4
Cucumber	1	$4
1-Gallon Pots (Black)	7	$3 each = $21
Fabric Grow Bags	2	$5 each = $10
White Railing Window Boxes	2	$15 each = $30
Potting Soil (3 bags)	3	$6 each = $18
Total Estimated Cost		$121

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