Back in January 2025, I met with a group of residents who wanted to transform their condo courtyard into a thriving vegetable garden. It had tired soil, no irrigation, and an old fountain that didn’t work.
We met to discuss what they’d like to grow and how they wanted to use the space for the community. Then we came up with a plan: Remove the old soil (probably contaminated with decades of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers), add new soil, plant biointensively and water by hand. They were on a budget, and we made it work. Here are the results.
North End of the Condo Courtyard
We wanted to anchor the center of the garden with perennials and flowers. Artichokes and rhubarb are the backdrop for the old fountain. The residents decided on flowers instead of strawberries, because drilling drainage holes in the fountain proved challenging. They felt more able to control the watering with flowers .
We tucked perennial herbs like trailing rosemary, oregano, thyme, and chives along the curved edge with seasonal flowers to attract beneficial insects.
The garden’s orientation isn’t ideal, so we placed tomatoes, peppers, and squashes the sunniest part of the planter. They residents lined the edge with alyssum for beneficial insects, and added a layer of mulch over the top of the soil to hold in moisture.
South End of the Condo Courtyard
To the right of the center fountain, we gradually added crops that don’t need as much light. Beans, alliums, root veggies, and salad greens fill the space. A few more flowers pop with color in the background. They ordered a decorative trellis for climbing crops (far right). If you want your own, use that link above to help support Gardenerd.
We took a different approach with the southern shady side of the garden. It gets almost no directly sunlight during parts of the year because of the giant ficus trees in the next property, so we planted blackberries, raspberries and native shade plants long the south wall. Reflective light from the condo building would help them grow. And yes, those cane berries are producing fruit (Reflective light works)!
To plan this garden, we used the techniques found in High Yield, Small Space Organic Gardening to get the most out of this strip of soil while still leaving space for them to get in there to weed and tend the crops. The residents are happy to be harvesting and they enjoy sitting out in the courtyard more than ever. Next up, they plan to convert another planter to a mini fruit orchard.
Do you have a community space you want to convert into a thriving vegetable garden? Get together with your neighbors and make a plan. We’re here to help if you need it!
