• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Frugal Gardening

Simple ways to save money while you garden

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Garden Frugally
  • Buy These
  • Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

5 Compact Plants For Small Gardens

August 24, 2021 by Steph Coelho Leave a Comment

image_pdfimage_print

5 Compact Plants For Small Gardens

You’re probably interested in frugal gardening tips because you’re on a budget. But I’ll bet that many frugal gardeners also have to carefully budget gardening space. Most people don’t have a lot of room to work with. And even if you have a large property, it’s likely that not all areas are conducive to growing plants.

Growing within a constrained space is also a fun challenge. It’s a great way to try out new plant varieties and come up with ways to grow upward.

I’m a big fan of compact plants because even though I’m lucky enough to have plenty of space to work with, I love the neat and tidy look of compact varieties.

Here are some of my favorite compact plants for growing in small spaces or containers. Their miniature sizing also makes them great for growing indoors.

Orange Hat Tomato

This teeny-tiny tomato plant is one of the smallest I’ve ever grown. It doesn’t get taller than 9 inches and takes up minimal space. If you’re a fan of cherry tomatoes, it’s a great variety to grow on a balcony or patio. Because the plants are mighty small, consider planting a few for a bigger yield.

Seeds available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Orchard Baby Sweet Corn

I don’t grow corn often because squirrels usually make off with the ears before I can enjoy them, but this variety is an excellent pick for tiny, squirrel-free gardens. The small ears of corn are ultra-cute, and the stalks don’t get taller than 5 feet. Don’t plan a corn roast after planting these mini corn plants, though. Each stalk produces just a couple of ears. That said, it’s a fun way to try out this crop that usually takes up a lot of room. And it’s a great plant to grow with kids.

Seeds available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Baby Milk Bok Choy

Bok choy is one of my favorite crops to grow, and this variety is perfect for compact gardens. I love the unified look of the plants after harvest and the bright white stems. Their miniature size makes them great for steaming or stir-frying whole.

Seeds available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Little Gem Lettuce

This is actually the first variety of lettuce I ever grew. And it remains a staple crop to this day. I have some growing in my indoor hydroponic garden right now! Head lettuce can sometimes take up quite a bit of room, but this plant produces crispy, shrunken heads of lettuce that are perfect for one or two people. And the leaves are super tender and tasty.

Seeds available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Parisian Carrot

Here’s another variety that was a first for me back in my newbie gardener days. These small orange globes pack so much carroty goodness but don’t require as much soil depth as regular-sized carrots, making them an excellent choice for containers. They also look fancy when cooked and plated. Like little gem lettuce, Parisian carrots are a variety I still grow.

Seeds available from Hudson Valley Seed Co

Steph Coelho

Steph Coelho is a freelance writer gardening in zone 5b. She is a certified Square Foot Gardener and has taught various garden-related workshops. When she’s not digging in the dirt or writing, she’s cooking up fresh produce, running, or listening to her favorite podcasts.

Filed Under: compact plants, container gardening Tagged With: bok choy, carrot, compact, compact plants, compact veggies, corn, lettuce, tomato

Previous Post: « Using Shredded Paper As Garden Mulch
Next Post: Protect The Garden From Excessive Rainfall: Frugal Tips »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar




Popular Posts

  • Garden For FreeGarden For Free by Steph Coelho Is it possible to have a lush flower garden, produce…
  • Using Shredded Paper As Garden MulchUsing Shredded Paper As Garden Mulch by Steph Coelho Should you use shredded paper as garden mulch? Normally, I…
  • How To Get Free Seeds From The GovernmentHow To Get Free Seeds From The Government by Steph Coelho   At first glance, seeds seem like a relatively inexpensive…
  • Vinegar Uses In GardenVinegar Uses In Garden by Steph Coelho 1. Clay Pot Cleaning: Vinegar will remove the white salt…
hands in white gloves packing a plant for transport

Packing Plants for Transport

Packing plants for moving or shipping can feel daunting. Yet, you put so much care and effort into these beings that you can’t imagine them being damaged during transport. I will show you how to pack seeds, cuttings, bare-root plants, and whole plants for transport. Transporting Seeds Seeds are the easiest things to transport. Start…

Read More

onions growing in a container on a kitchen counter, edible plants you can grow inside

Edible Plants You Can Grow Inside

Growing edible plants inside isn’t tricky. All you need is an appropriate container, enough light, and to pick varieties that grow well in containers. Picking the Right Container Whenever you want to grow edible plants inside, you need to pick a container that meets the needs of your plants. When picking a container, you must…

Read More

beets with snow on them, top 8 edible plants you can grow in winter

Top 8 Edible Plants You Can Grow in Winter

When temperatures start to drop, many people think gardening has to stop. That’s not true. Here are the top 8 edible plants you can grow in winter. Tons of edible plants can survive winter temperatures, rain, and poor soil drainage conditions. And purple varieties, in particular, contain a compound (anthocyanin) that helps prevent root rot…

Read More

tiktok gardener

The Best TikTok Gardening Channels

  Tiktok is a great place to feel community. And #gardentok does not disappoint. Below is a list of the Tiktok Gardening channels! Gardening with Goo Gardening with Goo follows Goo and his garden! He constantly grows tasty-looking veggies and spreads real know-how by sharing his experiences.  Growing with Gertie Gertie (aka Katie) shares top-tier gardening…

Read More

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework