As a renter, you might think that gardening is the preserve of homeowners, but there are ways for you to express your horticultural side without getting on your landlord’s bad side. Here’s some ideas for you to mull (or should that be mulch?) over.
Check your tenancy agreement
Read over your rental agreement before making any gardening decisions because you might have more licence than you think. Your landlord might not mind what you plant as long as it’s legal and won’t destroy the building’s foundations. Other landlords might not want shrubs but don’t mind flowers.
If your tenancy agreement doesn’t mention gardening at all, then speak to your letting agent or landlord to find out what’s acceptable and what isn’t. It’s best to do this before you head to the garden centre so you’re not disappointed if your plans don’t chime with your landlord’s.
Choose the best plants for your particular garden
Once you know where you stand with your landlord, you should think about what sort of space your garden is. Is it shady or does it get full sun? Is it a balcony or do you have a large lawn with promising-looking borders?
By selecting plants that’ll thrive in the conditions your garden has to offer, you’ll get the most out of your efforts, so do a bit of research before you start wielding that trowel.
Try portable gardening solutions
One of the things about renting is the fact that you tend to move more often than homeowners. A great way to take your plants with you is to use planters and container gardens. You can pick them up and move them with you when the time comes and they have the added benefit of not making any real changes to your landlord’s garden.
Don’t be discouraged by small spaces
Small spaces can still host a decent variety of flowers, herbs and salad plants. Herbs don’t take up much space at all and they’ll help to transform your cooking.
There’s also vertical planters and trellises, as well as window boxes and tiered plant pots to help you to make the most of a balcony or a smaller garden.
Join a community garden or start an allotment
It might be the case that your rental simply doesn’t have a garden so if window boxes don’t cut it for you, an allotment or community garden could be a brilliant solution.
Lots of towns and cities have allotment societies and Cheltenham is no exception, so check it out. The advantages of a community garden or allotment include shared resources like strimmers and compost heaps, as well as lots of space for you to grow your own food.
