Generation Rent: 3 Tips for Creating a Moveable Garden

Today, we bring you an external expert to the table to tell us some nifty gardening tricks. Nicky Roeber is the Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres. Here, he shares his top tips for creating a garden that can be packed up and moved — perfect for green-fingered members of “generation rent”.

There are millions of people in the UK who are renting their homes and, if you’re one of them, you’ll know that it can be difficult to create an outdoor space you’re proud of every time you move. But, where’s there’s a will there’s a way: if you think outside the box and get creative, you can make a portable garden that you can take wherever you go.

Here, I’ll outline my three top tips for creating a moveable garden. I’ll talk you through some of the things you need to consider, and how to ensure your greenery will survive several moves. Read on to find out more.

Use pots, containers, and hanging baskets

When you’re putting together a moveable garden, using pots, containers, and hanging baskets is the best option. Not only will you be able to take these with you when you move, but they also have the added benefits of being low maintenance and perfect for use in small spaces. Plus, they’re relatively easy to set up both initially and when you move. So, they’re ideal if you don’t have much gardening experience but still want to add some greenery to your outdoor space.

However, there are some things you need to think about when you’re gardening with containers. First, you need to make sure that each pot has plenty of drainage holes so excess water can escape. This is incredibly important as, if your soil becomes too wet, your plants’ roots could rot, which will cause them to die. Unfortunately, many containers are sold without sufficient drainage, but you can fix this by drilling or punching more holes into the bottom of them.

It’s also vital that you put a lot of thought into where you’re going to place your plants. It’s best to hang or place them in the areas of your garden that get the most sun, as this is where they’ll thrive.

The RHS’s guide to growing plants in containers is a great resource if you’re new to gardening, or aren’t used to looking after plants in pots and hanging baskets. So, be sure to give it a read before you start.

Choose the right plants

When choosing the plants for your portable garden, you should think very carefully and do plenty of research. Any flowers or shrubs you pick out need to be robust enough to survive any future moves. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself starting from scratch with your garden whenever you set up home in a new place.

As well as choosing plants that will fare well in containers, I’d recommend opting for low-maintenance varieties that look great all year round. Also, as you can’t be sure what kind of outdoor space your future homes will have, it’s wise to opt for plants that can survive in a range of different environments. ‘Golden sword’ yucca, boxwood shrubs, golden creeping Jenny, and bergenia are all great choices.

Opt for compact or foldable furniture

Moving home isn’t the most enjoyable experience. In fact, it’s more stressful than getting a divorce or starting a new job, according to research carried out by E.ON. So, you don’t want to make the ordeal much worse by investing in bulky garden furniture that’s difficult to pack up and move.

I would recommend buying compact or even foldable furniture that you can easily transport whenever you move home. A small table and a couple of chairs will help to make your garden much more homely. But, most importantly, they’ll be easy to take with you, and should fit into most outdoor spaces.

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There you have it: my top three tips for creating a portable garden. Take these on board to create a beautiful garden you can be proud of. And, best of all, you’ll be able to take everything with you once you move to your next place!

Photo author: Unsplash – Jwwhitt