How To Start an Urban Garden In DC

If you’re buying a $7 tomato from the farmers market thinking “there has to be a better way,” well, there is! Even in the city, you can grow your own food (my 1.5x3 community garden plot can attest). Here’s how to make use of even the tiniest spaces.

Designing Your Garden:

Whether you’re designing your community garden plot (more on how to get one here) or a windowsill garden it’s important to plan to get the most out of your space.

Don’t start from seed: If you are just getting into gardening, I recommend buying already-started plants since they are more likely to survive and will give you a head start. If you really want to grow from seed, consider faster-growing plants like radishes, arugula, and wildflowers.

Go vertical: Make the most of small spaces by using trellises and fences to grow up. Beans, peas, pickling cucumbers, and tomatoes can all be trained to grow upwards and do well in small spaces.

Try interplanting: Fill in the gaps in your garden and plant species that are harmonious next to each other. For example, plant beets under your peppers. They have different growth rates and light needs which means double the crop! You can also plant multiple rounds of fast growing crops like lettuce, leafy greens, radishes, and turnips.

What To Plant:

D.C. falls in Zone 7a of the USDA Hardiness scale which can help guide you on what to plant. If you are planting in a small space it is important to focus on high-yield crops that produce all season long. Some of my go-to's are tomatoes, swiss chard, kale, broccoli, beans, and herbs. If you’re working in a really small space, like a window box, focus on plants with shallow roots like herbs, flowers, and spring onions. But have fun with it!

Where to Get Garden Supplies:

Shopping local means you’ll have access to experts who can give you gardening advice specific to D.C. Here are some of my favorites:

• Ginkgo Gardens (Capitol Hill): This plant store focuses more on flowers and houseplants but in spring they sell a good variety of veggies. The staff are also super knowledgeable.
• Frager’s Hardware (Capitol Hill): This is my go-to. The back garden area has a huge array of veggie and flower plants along with compost, mulch, and topsoil.
• Ace Hardware (multiple locations): While they don’t have the largest plant selection, they have all your basics and a large selection of seeds, pots, and tools.
• FONA Plant Sale (National Arboretum): This native plant sale happens once a year — March 28 this year. Pick up rare plants and heirloom veggies and chat with the curators and horticulturists from the National Arboretum.