SPECIAL HOME & GARDEN | SPONSORED BY MINOR'S GARDEN CENTER, INC.
Making the Most of
Small Gardening Spaces BY SHEILA JULSON
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F
rom the Victory Gardens of World Wars I and II to today’s myriad urban gardens throughout the city, Milwaukeeans have proven there are no limits on what we can grow. Whether it’s a small city lot, a balcony or a windowsill, you can fill your space with greenery that provides beauty and sustenance.
EVALUATE THE YARD When choosing a space to plant your garden, evaluate sun exposure and daylight hours. Six or more hours of direct sunlight is generally considered to be full sun, but lots of herbs will grow in partial sun/shade (three or four hours of direct sunlight). Those include bee balm, chives, chervil (also known as French parsley), cilantro, lemon balm, lovage, which has a taste similar to celery, mint, oregano, parsley and tarragon.
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Calendula, a hearty annual that’s a genus of the marigold family, also grows in partial shade. It has bright orange and yellow blossoms that attract pollinators. Calendula has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat wounds, rashes and inflammation. UW-Madison’s Arboretum has several suggestions for Wisconsin native flowers that do well in shady gardens: arboretum.wisc.edu/news/arboretum-news/ gardening-with-native-plants-woodland-plants. Most vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, peas, beans and corn need full sun. Also, consider the time of day that sunlight falls on planting space. The hours between sunrise to noon are generally shaded from scorching afternoon sun. Cool season crops like lettuce and spinach may bolt faster when exposed to afternoon July heat.
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