As a condo owner, you might miss a yard where you can plant your plants and vegetables. Whether you have only a patio in a high-rise or a small patch of grass outside your bottom-floor condo, there are several ways to add landscaping to your area and maximize your small space.
Take a look at some of the ideas that you can implement to improve and enhance your space. Please make sure that you review your associations rules and regulations before making any changes! Most exterior modifications will require an approved modification form from your association Board of Trustees as well.
Potted Plants
One of the easiest ways to landscape your condominium area is to add potted plants. Choose a color scheme for the flowering plants, such as all yellows or only oranges and reds, then fill in with green potted plants. Too much color in a small space can be overwhelming, but green plants can bring a natural element to your condo garden without looking gaudy. Potted plants are typically small, which makes them easy to change out for the seasons. If you enjoy pink and other pastels in the spring but like to bring in jewel tones in the fall, potted plants are easy to swap out. Put some plants in hanging baskets to take advantage of the vertical space as well as the floor of your patio.
Planting Beds
Consider a planting bed plan using perennials in a variety of colors and blooming seasons. A rotating variety of bloom colors and timing can make a small planting bed area pop! Some great perennial blooms to choose are lavender, coneflower, black eyed Susan, daylilies, and shrub roses. Remember that perennials will come back year after year and they will spread. Perennials, when they grow too wide in a bed, can be split and transplanted to other areas of the planting bed or shared with neighbors. If you prefer, you can add annuals to your planting bed for a pop of color each season. Vinca, for summer color, is incredibly drought resistant and will live through harsh conditions. For fall interest, ornamental peppers are beautiful, different and deer resistant. Most communities use mums for color in the fall. Mums are beautiful, but did you know that they are a perennial? When mums are planted in the fall, they die off at the end of the season because it is not the proper time for them to be planted. If you change up your bed design and plant mums in the spring, you will enjoy their beautiful blooms in the fall and they will grow and come back year after year.
Vegetables
A small landscaping space doesn’t mean you must give up your favorite fresh vegetables. Some vegetables, such as corn, require a large garden area, but you can grow vegetables such as baby eggplant, tomatoes and peppers in pots on your patio in the warmer months. Stay away from bean plants or anything that grows on a vine. Vines can be very invasive but there’s plenty of great veggies that grow compact and easily in containers. Use larger containers, such as a wine barrel container, so you can put several plants in each container. Some of these plants can grow throughout the winter in a Mediterranean climate, such as rainbow chard and purple cabbage. These edible option add color to your landscaping all year. Container planting on your patio can be very gratifying as well! Being able to pick your own cherry tomatoes for a salad or colored peppers for stuffing is an amazing feeling.
Trees
Dwarf trees can thrive in small areas, helping you landscape your condo’s patio. Use large containers to hold the plants and try to place the container in a sunny corner of your patio before you add the tree; the container is hard to move once it’s full of soil and tree roots. Dwarf crape myrtles offer colorful flowers in the late summer, and they can be cut back each year to control their height. The dwarf poinciana tree provides bright orange and red flowers from spring until winter starts, making a focal point for your condo landscaping. Some dwarf fruit trees, such as lemon and lime, can grow well on your patio. Plant some flowers or green plants at the base of the trees for additional visual interest.
You don’t need to be a Master Gardener in order to have color and greenery around your home. There are a wealth of ideas and information all over the internet for small yard gardening. Check out Pinterest for some amazing ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Fall is ahead of us and you can get started now planning your landscaping improvements!
If you ever have any question about landscaping, or anything pertaining to your condominium association, please don’t hesitate in contacting us at [email protected] or calling us at 732 446-0611. You can also visit our website at https://kleinpropertymanagement.com.
