From reducing stress to easing the effects of depression to providing food, gardens can enrich our lives in more ways than one. And contrary to popular belief, it is not limited to those in rural areas. While gardening in urban areas can be more difficult and taxing, there are many frugal ways to grow a perfectly healthy and bountiful garden.
The main issue you face will be finding space. Hanging baskets and trellises can help you utilize the walls and railings of patios and balconies. Basic wooden trellises can be found for under $10 at Walmart and baskets for balcony railings can be found at Lowe's for about $15. Hanging baskets can be found in just about any garden center and prices can vary, though they are usually around $5-$10.
Another issue to tackle is finding lots of cheap containers since you probably don't have a big enough yard, if any, to plant in. I've found the best place to look is the Walmart garden center. There you can find $1 pots perfect for growing flowers and herbs. Tomatoes, squash, eggplants and other vegetables plants will require bigger pots, typically about 18" in diameter. Those pots can be found for around $10 each.
As far as the plants themselves, any garden center will do. I've found that most flowers, vegetable plants, and herbs are around the same price in any store. Young plants can be found for around $3-4 and seeds are usually around $1-2 per packet. For newer gardeners, I recommend buying young plants as they can be a bit easier to care for than seeds/seedlings.
Pets can also enjoy your new garden. My cat loves going out to lay under the plant stands and sniff around. But please, PLEASE be mindful that lots of plants are extremely toxic to pets and should be kept away from them at all times. You can find a list of toxic and non-toxic plants here. And even if your plants are not toxic, keep an eye on your bets when they are in your garden because they can be mischievous. My dog decided to take a chomp out of my basil plant recently and almost uprooted it. My cat has also done quite a bit of damage to my spider plant that I'm doing my best to keep away from her, but you know how cats are. While I do have to keep an extra watch when they're around my plants, I'm happy they're enjoying the garden as much as I am.
One last thing to be mindful of is your neighbors, particularly those who live below you. If you're gardening on a top floor balcony, be sure to do your best to not spill soil or water onto the balcony below you. I am really clumsy and constantly knock over plants and soil and had to bring a peace offering to my downstairs neighbors.
Gardening has definitely improved my quality of life lately and has helped me through a recent bought of depression. I highly recommend everyone try their hand at an herb garden at the very least as there is something magical about helping little plants thrive and grow. Being able to surround yourself with flowers and plants that you had a hand in caring for is such a wonderful experience and can become a sanctuary in the middle of even the busiest city.