For the ultimate in locally grown food and your own private relaxing green space, an urban garden is the way to go. But how do you start urban gardening – especially if you don’t have a green thumb and have never gardened before? The first step is to relax. Urban gardening has come a long way, and today, expert assistance is available for every NYC homeowner. You can start small, by creating an urban garden on a balcony, patio, or terrace – or if the gardening bug has bitten you hard, get help in planning and creating your own rooftop garden.

Choose the size garden you feel most comfortable with. Remember, it’s easier to start small and add over the course of time! Think about what you’d like your urban gardening experience to be like. Some homeowners really enjoy being hands-on with their garden: they love doing the actual selection and planting of plants, as well as the watering, weeding, and pest control. Other people are in it for the fun – they want to be able to enjoy their urban gardens and let someone else handle the work.

Either choice is completely valid: urban gardening is about meeting your needs and making you happier in your home.Now that you’ve figured out the scale and scope of your urban garden plans, it’s time for the really fun part: thinking about the look and feel of your urban garden.

Pinterest and Instagram are great sources of inspiration: when you find pictures of gardens you like, save them to share with your urban garden designer.

Urban gardens can contain vegetables, herbs, and fruiting trees and shrubs as well as ornamental plants including rose bushes, flower in every color of the rainbow, decorative grasses and more. Gardens can be designed around a theme, to celebrate a heritage or cooking style, or to provide a play area for children and pets. Identifying what you want your garden to look like comes before creating the plan that makes that garden a reality.

If this part of the process is overwhelming, don’t stress – a good urban garden designer can go through this with you, asking questions about your preferences and then making recommendations you can choose from. Then the plan will be created, and before you know it, you’ll be on your way to a fantastic urban garden!