| How to Garden in a Small Space Posted: In many places, land is costly or scarce. Many homes and apartments include only a tiny porch, balcony, or patio. Others have a very small yard backing up to the neighbor's fence or the back side of another structure or a smaller part of a larger garden, such as a side alley. Even a single, well-placed container can add personality and color to a small space. Here's how to make the most of your space, however small. Steps -
Gardening begins on paper. - Measure it physically. How much space do you really have?
- What is the climate and exposure in your space? Does it get a great deal of sun or shade?
- Look at the surroundings. Is there something you wish to cover up or conceal, such as a wall, fence, or utility box? Is there something you wish to preserve or incorporate, such as a nearby tree, a view, or other surrounding landscape?
- Check out the soil. If your small space has soil, is it clay or sand? Does it support other plants, even weeds?
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A watering can may be a decorative element in the garden when not in use. - Choose a purpose for your garden.
- Is it purely decorative, or would you like to grow a few herbs or food plants?
- Decide where you will be when you look at this garden. Will you be out in it or will you mostly view it from indoors? One or two chairs and a small table can make a small garden an attractive retreat in which to sit and read.
- Clear the clutter. If you are serious about making a garden here, try to find someplace else to store the mop. Many communities discourage the use of outdoor spaces as storage, anyway.
- If you must store items in this area, such as if this is the only place for your bicycle, at least minimize the size and number of items stored. Discard or remove any items that are not necessary and give yourself space to organize and access the rest.
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Plants in pots can be rearranged easily. -
Prettier than a fence or railing. - Use any plants peeking over the fence. If you can see a bit of a neighbor's shrub or tree over your fence, plant some lower plants in a grouping in front of it. Done right, it can look like all three plants are in your yard.
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It can be as simple as giving different areas different purposes or qualities. - Vary the path or patio material from one room to the next.
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Tuck in a bench or chair, if you can. - Go up. Generally, the horizontal space is what's limited. Build a vertical garden, try a taller container planting, or train a climber up a wall or fence. You could also use window boxes or other wall- or fence-mounted containers, or a table or open shelving for more containers.
- Create a focal point, or one focal point per room, if you have multiple rooms. This could be a colorful chair or bench, a water feature, or an especially showy plant or planting.
Video Tips - Place containers up on feet and place trays underneath them to prevent staining the surface below. Most plants don't like to have their roots standing in water, but you should water containers until the water runs all the way through and out the bottom. If there is excess water in the saucer or tray after watering, pour it out.
- Consider portability. If this is an apartment, how long will you be staying there? Will you have to move plants to a new home?
- Unglazed terracotta (red clay) containers lose water quickly. A colorful glazed ceramic, plastic, or resin pot can be a design element in itself, and its contents won't dry out as quickly.
Plants are not the only source of color in a garden. - Find a balance between cozy and crowded. You want a garden, not a jungle.
- Don't forget indoor spaces if you want more plants than you can put outside. A sunny windowsill can grow a variety of herbs, or a few well-placed houseplants can brighten things up. Did you know you can even grow corn indoors?
Warnings - Be sure anything you place on a balcony or second-floor porch is secure against falling.
- If you choose to conceal something, consider its purpose and accessibility. It's one thing to train a vine up a fence, but don't cover up a utility meter or obstruct a ventilation intake. Instead, try to obscure these items from view without blocking access.
Related wikiHows Sources and Citations - Really small gardens: a practical guide to gardening in a truly small space, Jill Billington 1999.
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| How to Make Cream Cheese Brownie Cupcakes Posted: Brownies are a treat that everyone in the family likes. When you get bored with traditional brownies, try adding what you'd least expect—cream cheese! To make it more fun, turn the brownies into cupcakes so there's less of a mess and the kids will have fun taking them on the go! You can even use this dessert for parties since they're not the traditional treat and they look more elegant than regular brownies. Ingredients Steps Brownies - Choose your favorite brownie mix, as it is the base for this recipe.
- Pour the brownie mix into a bowl.
- Stir the brownies using a wooden spoon instead of a mixer. This will make the brownies a lot more fluffy. This recipe is going to make the brownies more cake-like, which means we'll use an extra egg.
- Preheat your oven at 350 degrees F.
- Crack 3 eggs into the brownie mix. Then add water and vegetable oil to the mix. Try using a brownie mix that comes with Hershey's syrup in it, and add it to the mix with the wooden spoon. Stir the mixture about fifty times.
- Place a cupcake paper into each cupcake holder of your pan and pour the mixture into each cup halfway. After filling each cup you can now make the cream cheese filling.
Cream Cheese Filling - Add softened cream cheese in a bowl, and add one unbeaten egg.
- Add sugar with salt.
- Mix the cream cheese mixture using a mixer set at low speed. Take a spatula and stir it around. Don't worry if there are still chunks from the cream cheese after using the mixer, the oven will melt it and allow it to be blended into the brownie mix.
- Add chocolate chips and stir them into the cream cheese mixture. Now you can take one of two spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture and put it on the brownie mixture in each cup.
- Place your brownie cupcakes into the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. To test out how well the brownies baked, use a toothpick to poke each cup. If the toothpick comes back out clean, the brownies are ready to be taken out.
Video Things You'll Need - Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Muffin pan
- Cup cake liners
- Mixer
Tips - Check on the brownies continuously to ensure they don't burn.
- Make sure you don't fill the cups too high with the brownie and cream cheese mixture so they don't overflow onto the pan.
- Try using a batter bowl with a spout and handle so the mixture is easier to pour.
- Don't be afraid if the cupcakes are a little messy--they're not supposed to look perfect and will always come out cracked and a little gooey!
- For a better presentation of the treat, unwrap each brownie from the cupcake paper and present on a nice plate.
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