The Illegal Space-Saving Garden Solution New Yorkers Never Gave Up On

If you're living on the seventh floor of a New York apartment building, there's very little room for gardening. The desire for a thriving garden, however, has led many New Yorkers to find creative solutions. A popular option for many is to garden on their fire escapes. It's not uncommon to see fire escapes decked out with hanging planters and pots boasting beautiful flowers, herbs, and vegetables. It seems like a great way to garden when there's no ground to use, and starting a vegetable garden is a good way to keep your grocery bill low. New Yorkers have been gardening on fire escapes for decades, and while newer buildings don't have outdoor fire escapes, many residents of older buildings still use theirs to create thriving gardens.

Unfortunately, fire escape gardens are illegal. Fire escapes are meant to be used as an emergency exit, and having anything on them could potentially make it more difficult to escape. The last thing you want is to stumble over a plant in the smoke and confusion of a fire and fall down the stairs. Even hanging planters aren't allowed. They may not block your path while they're hanging, but if they were to fall off during the chaos, hanging planters could become a tripping hazard. Having any items on your fire escape could leave you dealing with hefty fines or potentially even eviction, no matter how lovely your plants are.

While laws aren't the same in every city and some places may allow gardening on fire escapes, the safety risks involved means you probably shouldn't try it. However, there are plenty of other gardening tips and tricks to help you make the most of your small space. Another proud New York tradition is rooftop gardening. If you have a safe way to access the roof, it may be a good place to keep container gardens. You should check the local zoning laws and building codes for possible restrictions before you start. Make the most of the space by using companion planting to grow multiple plants in a single container. Don't forget to utilize the vertical space with hanging planters and vertical gardens.

If you aren't able to start a garden on your roof, consider creating an indoor vertical garden for herbs or small flowers. You don't need to spend a ton of money on it either — you can DIY a space saving vertical garden using soup cans or other similar containers. If you have an exterior window that doesn't lead onto your fire escape, window boxes are a great option. Plenty of small flowers, herbs, and even fruits and veggies can be grown in a window box. If all else fails, there are low light plants you can grow entirely indoors. Leafy greens like lettuce grow well indoors, and you can grow enoki mushrooms indoors without much trouble as well.