As more people continue to move into cities, the urban garden has become a clever way of adding green space to any home. While some urban gardens are large enough for growing crops and herbs, other gardens simply serve as a means of bringing a little bit of nature into the urban jungle.
As people in the city are often pressed for space, these urban garden innovations help to maximize plant growth in unique and ingenious ways. For example, vertical planters have become a popular way of spreading greenery where there may be little or no surface area available. Hanging planters and stick-on window vases are other creative solutions for cultivating vegetation in tight spaces.
However, in the event that you do have more growing space available, there are several urban garden innovations that can be used to grow your own food right in the middle of the city. Smart greenhouses can help to mitigate issues of pollution and lack of sunlight, to help plants grow in what would otherwise be inhospitable conditions. There are also high-tech accessories available such as self-watering planters and app-connected gardens that will make it easy for any urban consumer to enjoy homegrown produce.
54 Examples of Urban Garden Innovations
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Smart Modular Microfarms
These Connected Greenhouse Create Rooftop Gardens in Urban Areas
53
Eco Garden Kits
The Vive Planting Set Prepares Kids for Easily Growing Greenery in Their Backyards
52
Vertical Aeroponic Gardens
LA Urban Farms' Tower Gardens Save Water, Space and Time
51
DIY Mason Jar Gardens
This Home Herb Garden Tutorial is Practical, Eco-Conscious and Adorable
50
Mobile Metropolitan Microfarms
The Bowery Project Uses Vacant Lots to Support Urban Agriculture
49
Self-Watering Indoor Gardens
This Versatile Planter is Combined With a Hydroponics System
48
DIY Growing Books
Novel Planter Kits Allow People to Create Refreshing Vintage Home Decor
47
Rustic Wooden Crate Planters
Add a Rustic Touch to Your Indoor Plants with This Helpful Guide
46
Hydroponic Home Gardens
Earth Prime's Personal Garden Helps to Grow Inexpensive Food at Home
45
Home Farming Boxes
The Mini-Farm Grow Box Lets You Easily Grow Greens At Home
44
Compact Home Farm Kits
The Modular Chicken Coop Enables Backyard Urban Agricultural Setups
43
Homemade Plant Hangers
This Natural-Looking Decorative DIY Plant Holder is for Hanging Houseplants
42
Smart Greenhouses
The SmartGreenHouse Offers a Twist on Urban Gardening
41
Portable Herb Planters
Nomad by The Garden Apartment Encourages Sustainable Kitchen Ingredients
40
Modular Hydroponic Planters
The Citysens System Enables You Grow an Indoor Vertical Garden
39
Fruit Sprouting Utensils
Growing Avocado is Made Easy by the Floating AvoSeedo Kit
38
Sustainable Garden Beds
Vita's African Keyhole Garden Bed Conserves Water Over Time
37
Effortless Gardening Kits
GardenIn's Zero-Maintenance System Comes Out of the Box Pre-Assembled
36
DIY Urban Farming Kits
The Shroombox by Fungaea Will Help You Grow Fresh Ingredients at Home
35
Park-Inspired Workstations
Draw Your Focus Away from Work with This Fantastic Fish Tank Desk
34
Autonomous Planters
This Self-Watering Planter is Perfect for Forgetful Users
33
Disassemblable Urban Gardens
The Hochbeet Planter is Perfect for the Nomadic City Dweller
32
Stick-On Window Planters
Spoon and Tomago's Paper Planter Are Versatile and Compact
31
Observatory Vegetable Growing Kits
These Transparent Window Planters Let You Observe Germination
30
Minimalist Stone Planters
This DIY Activity Transforms Ordinary Pieces of Stone into Chic Planters
29
Self-Replenishing Home Gardens
The Electrolux Home Garden Gives Users Access to Yearly Herbs
28
Composting Vertical Gardens
The Balkonton Garden Contains a Home Compost to Feed Organic Waste
27
Futuristic In-Home Garden Systems
SproutsIO by Jennifer Broutin Farah is Easy and Eco-Friendly
26
Geometric Planter Systems
These Haskell Garden Pots Add Grandeur Elements to Your Yard
25
App-Connected Home Gardens (UPDATE)
Niwa Makes It Easy to Grow Your Own Food at Home
24
Modern Planting Pods
Herbie is an Indoor Garden Accessory for the Urban Farmer
23
On-The-Go Planter Accessories
The Happy Family Kit from EQ3 is Designed For the Urban Gardener
22
Self-Watering Urban Gardens
The Glowpear is a Self-Watering Planter That Will Brighten Any Space
21
Transparent Home Gardens
The Scholastic Root-Vue Farm Teaches Children About Slow Foods
20
Urban Grow Lights
The Bulbo LED Grow Lights Are Perfect for Urban Indoor Farming
19
Size-Adjusting Planters
The Fold Pot is a Flexible Pot Designed to Grow in Size With Your Plant
18
Pulley-Operated Apartment Planters
This Window Frame-Fitted Plant Holder Gives Urban Garden Space
17
Self-Watering Herb Kits
The Ecofarm Mini Herb Garden Self-Sustains Using a Built-In Fish Tank
16
Railing-Specific Garden Pots
Urban Gardening is Made Easy with These Special Balcony Planters
15
Multipurpose Concrete Planters
A Cement Flower Pot is Proposed for Flexible Indoor Use and Decor
14
App-Connected Home Gardens
The Niwa Smart Growing System Helps Anybody Have Green Thumbs
13
Easy-Pour Packaging
A Watering Can Fertilizer Bag Makes Tending to Your Garden a Splash
12
Sustainable Garden Supplies
The Ace Urban Garden Tool Packaging is Designed Without Harmful Toxins
11
Urban Gardening Decor
West Elm's Cityscape Planters are Stacked to Create Abstract Structures
10
Urban Farming Innovations
Jana Pijak Discusses Her Top Picks for City Gardening Solutions
9
3D-Printed Cube Planters
Cubify's Vertical Gardening Collection Features Wall-Hung Pots
8
Train Commuter Gardens
The Saradofarm Scheme Lets Train Commuters Garden On-the-Go
7
Hedgehog Home Garden Accessories
This Ceramic Animal Planter from West Elm is Eco-Friendly
6
Plug-In Planters
The 'Modern Sprout Plug-In Planter' Makes Growing Plants Effortless
5
Fruit Shrub Collections
BrazelBerries Provides Edibles Right Outside People's Homes
4
No-Fuss Flower Planters
'Drop and Grow' Adds Color to Your Garden without Digging
3
Concrete Wood Planters
La Morena by Shift Combines Materials For a Modern and Stylish Pot
2
Symbiotic Flower Pots
This Aquarium Planter Supports Fish and the Growing of Herbs Indoors
1
Produce-Sharing Communities
AmpleHarvest.org Lets Gardeners Give to Their Neighbors in Need
Related Ideas
Self-Sustaining Indoor Gardens
The 'Hydro' Automated Hydroponic Indoor Garden is Connected
Smart Indoor Hydroponics Gardens
The Verda Garden Modular is a Space-Saving Way to Grow Veggies
Space-Saving Hydroponic Gardens
The ExoTower Modular Hydroponic Garden Tower is Slender
Innovative Plant Growth Boxes
abby is the Newest Next-Gen Smart Indoor Hydroponic Grow Box
Sunlight-Evoking Plant Systems
Yechan Choi Designs the Equinox Light to Control Indoor Lighting
Four-in-One Herb Planters
The Gusta Gardens 'HARRY HERBS' Indoor Herb Garden is Self-Watering
Automated Urbanite Farming Systems
The 'Weatheseed' Indoor Farming System is Easy to Use
Smart Greenhouse Technologies
Iron Ox is a Startup Working to Automate and Improve Greenhouses
Intelligent Microgreens Appliances
The 'AutoSprout' Automatic Sprouting Machine is Easy to Use
Gardening Furniture Systems
Verda Garden is the World’s Most Modular Indoor Garden
Upcycled Vegetable Packaging
Anina Packages Plant-Based Ready Meals in Upcycled Waste Vegetables
Modern Indoor Farm Stands
Lettuce Grow Helps You Grow Your Own Groceries at Home
Mushroom-Growing Ceramic Planters
Gus by Good Growing Can Nurture a Variety of Mushrooms at Home
Natural Moss Terrariums
Petite Foret Plus Features Five Tiers for Observing Fresh Moss
Virtual Pet Planter Pots
The 'Planpet' Smart Plant Pot Concept Gives Greenery a Digital Profile
Digital Interaction Planters
The Conceptual 'Planta' Planter by Doyeon Lee is Communicative
Updated Indoor Gardening Solutions
The Plantone 2.0 Delivers a Hassle-Free Gardening Experience
Terrarium Stool Seating Solutions
The 'Wild Stool' by the Jorge Herrera Studio is Naturalistic
Low-Energy Indoor Garden Systems
The 'SproutHub' Indoor Garden Works with 54 Plant Varieties
3D-Printed Living Soil Walls
University of Virginia Researchers Develop a Groundbreaking Method
App Controlled Indoor Gardens
Plant Factory's Hydroponic Farm is Fully Automoated
Self-Watering Plant Pots
The Vivo Pot by Ivan Zhurba Functions as a Desk Light and Decor
420 Automated Grow Boxes
The New abby Smart Indoor Plant Grow Box Boasts a Slim Design
Greenery-Sheathed Architecture Offices
This Building Will House the Offices Of 'VTN Architects'
Plant-Friendly Night Lights
Mona Safari Designs the Spacecrop Device to Look Like a Spacecraft
Plant-Filled Latticed Buildings
Wallflower Architecture + Design Creates the Touching Eden House
Indoor Organic Waste Gardens
The Conceptual BOSCH Eco-Hub by Batuhan Duran is Sustainable
Plant-Covered Skyscrapers
Ingenhoven Architects Completes a Pair of Skyscrapers in Tokyo
Hydroponic Plant-Growth Ecosystems
The Square Greens Pod is a Compact Device to Cultivate Food
Plant-Powered Air Purifiers
The 'Flora' Decorative Air Purifier is Made with Natural Materials
Garden-Centering Urban Townhouses
This Vietnamese Home's Layout is Arranged Around an Inner Garden
Ambient Energy Harvesting Planters
This Hydroponic Planter System Encourages Interaction
Plant-Supporting Air Purifiers
The 'FloraPur' Air Purifier Concept Cleans the Air in Several Ways
Self-Watering Multifunctional Planters
Moss Develops the Grow Lamp to Simplify Gardening
Air-Purifying Houseplants
'Neoplants' Makes Engineered Houseplants that Clean Airborne VOCs
Plant-Based Table Lamps
Craighill and Gantri Release a Minimalist Plant-Based Lamp
Garden-Inspired Smartphone Chargers
The Mini Moonlit Desk Garden by Seunghyuk Shin is Meditative
Mycelium Sustainable Bright Partitions
Interesting Times Gang and OBOS Drop the Veggro Collection
Vehicular Shipping Container Homes
The Conceptual Jeep Container Home Supports Off-Grid Living
Chic Staggered Planters
LSA International Debutes the Balcony and Terrazza Collections
Soil-Free Garden Systems
The 'Gourmet' Garden Uses a Nutrient-Rich Medium & LED Lighting
Planter-Like Air Fresheners
Procter & Gamble Debuts an Air Freshener with Motion Sensors
Greenery-Enclosing Medical Buildings
This Building's Atrium Will Be Packed With Trees & Plants
Mesmerizing Avant Garden Collections
Sprayground Unveils New Range with a New Handbag Silhouette
Vegan Hydroponic Nutrients
Re-Nuble Uses Food By-Products to Create Vegan Plant Nutrients
Garden-Inspired Pavilions
Overtreders W Build a Demountable Pavilion in the Netherlands
Happiness-Increasing Urban Space Concepts
Rebeka But Introduces Their Ürban.dose Vision
Inside-Out Greenhouse Restaurants
Norm Architects Complete a Project in a Swedish Vineyard
Conceptual Fresh Flower Refrigerators
Heejun Shin and Janchi Create a Dried Flower Refridgerator
Sphere-Shaped Skyscrapers
The 'Skyscraper City of Tiankeng' Has Different Microclimate Spheres
DIY Plant Decor Kits
The Lee Valley Make It Yourself Plant Stand Kit Encourages Creativity
Illusory Planter Stands
The 'Rooted Planter' is Inspired by the Tensegrity Principle
Award-Winning London Garden Homes
Nic Howett Architect Designs the Secret Garden Flat
Car-Free Neighborhood Redevelopments
Berlin’s Former Tegel Airport is Being Converted
Mockup-Inspired Garden Structures
New Affiliates & Samuel Stewart-Halevy Create Testbeds
Plant-Covered Concrete Homes
Studio Symbiosis Designs the Villa KD45 in Delhi with a Terraced Roof
Integrated Garden Designs
Ludwig Godefroy Champions "Habitable Gardens" in Mexico
Indoor Gardening Planters
Growing Baby Greens with 'The Fieldhouse' Has Never Been Easier
Compact Microclimate Terrariums
The Biorb Air 60 Terrarium Optimize Plant Care in the Home
Miniature Building Block Plants
The LEGO® Icons Tiny Plants Set is a Fun Gift for Gardeners
Miniature Plant Monitors
The 'Enviro Grow' Uses a Raspberry Pi Microcontroller Board
Naturalistic Biophilic Lamp Designs
The Bioo Lamp Turns On and Off by Touching the Succulent
Tree-Inspired Solar Panel Systems
The SolarBotanic Energy Tree Works in Public or Private Spaces
Self-Watering Flowerpots
The GroPot from AgroSci Prevents Overwatering and Poor Plant Care
Rejuvenated Retail Buildings
This Vietnamese Building Will Feature Lush Native Greenery
Indoor Gardening Glowing Petunias
Light Bio Shines a Spotlight on the Enchanting Firefly Petunia
Urban Structural Street Furniture
BLUE Architecture Studio Designs the Symbiotic Urban Furniture
Plant-Based Dynamic Furniture
A Group of Design Students in Sweden Created the Chia-Chair
Ocean Plastic Indoor Gardens
Ocean by Ingarden is Made Out of Ocean Plastic Waste
Contemporary STEM Labs
Neubau Converts a Greenhouse into a STEM Lab for an English School
Chandelier-Shaped Self-Watering Vases
Yeonsu Ra Designs a Beautiful Centerpiece for the Home
Hydroponics Indoor Garden Designs
The Nutraponics TLX Blends Nature with Technology Together
Freshness-Maximizing Microgreens Packaging
Upward Farms Introduced New Packs for its Microgreens
Automated Indoor Garden Systems
The LetPot LPH-Max Smart Hydroponic Garden is Four-in-One
Solar Rainwater-Storing Roofs
Researchers in the Netherlands are Developing 'Blue-Green Roofs'
Bio-Based Compact Housing
Woonpioniers Designs the Sustainable Sprout Ruben & Marjolein House
Stylish Indoor Hydroponic Planters
The Folia Origin Planter Has a Built-in Camera and More
Interior Plant Design Services
Plantd Life Capitalizes on the Springtime to Boost Its Offerings
Subterranean Garden Installations
Tideway is Bringing Attention to the Thames Tideway Tunnel
Garden Oasis Renovated Homes
Sam Crawford Architects Designs the Hidden Garden House
Handle-Equipped Planter Shelves
The Conceptual Ta’care' Minimalist Plant Shelf is Portable
Organically Shaped Classroom Designs
Localworks Builds the Mustardseed Junior School in Uganda
Green Garden-Surrounding Homes
Cote Architects Designs the Hillside House in Hue City
Rejuvenated Former Bank Buildings
This Dutch Building Now Boasts Solar Panels & Insect Hotels
Comprehensive Gardening Brands
Gardenuity Boasts Patent-Pending Match Technology
Hidden Urban Oasis Cottages
Winwood McKenzie Adds an Extension to the Quarry House
Water-Less Minimal Design Gardens
Botánica is a Garden that Does Not Require Any Watering
Plant-Centric Dynamic Office Spaces
Maison August and Atelier Ochre Design the Garden of Edyn
Modular Automated Indoor Planters
The totam planter Has an Automated, Self-Watering Design
Chic Self-Watering Garden Planters
The Glowpear Mini Bench Works Well Indoors or Out
Self-Watering Compact Planters
House of Thol Presents the Streamlined Patella Crecenda Planter
Fluorescent Nano Fertilizers
Green Science Alliance Grows Fluorescent Plants from QDNF
Green Produce-Preserving Containers
Rubbermaid's 'FreshWorks® Produce Saver' Keeps Produce Fresh
Grass-Scented Bubble Bars
Lush's Wash and Grow Encourages Reusing Bathwater for Plants
Plantable Phone Cases
The iGreen Cover Sprouts Flowers and Herbs When Planted After Use
Retail Food Preparation Stations
Urban Eat Debuts a Smart Retail Solution for its Food-to-Go Range
Living Plant DIY Chairs
Front/ Highlights Themes of Nature with the Green Hideaway Chair
Plant Care Tool Collections
Prick Ldn Launches a New Collection to Assist with Plant-Care
Efficient Houseplant Fertilizer Tablets
Instant™ Plant Care Improves Life with Its Plant Food
Foolproof Sprouting Kits
The Patella Crescenda Natural Sprouting Kit Lets You Grow Food from Home
Ready-to-Pick Microgreen Varieties
Bioplants Introduces Its Inouï Microgreen Range in Supermarkets
Locally Focused Visionary Tableware
IKEA's Design Lab Presents the New Products of Place Campaign
Beetle-Inspired Sustainable Planters
The Fog Smart Hydroponic Planter Leans on Biomimicry
Juxtaposing Garden Home Designs
Studio North Designs the Custom Garden Garage in Calgary
Climbing Plant-Wrapped Homes
Anarchlab Designs the Nevogilde House in Porto with Unique Screen
Water-Filled Herb Containers
Cole & Mason's Herb Container Helps Keep Fridge Veggies Fresh
Vibrant Dynamic Wall Plant-Hangers
Izabela Serej and Aleksandra Majdzik Design the FLOOS
Greenery-Filled Skyscraper Terrarium
ODA Presents a Look at the Terrarium Cheong-Dam Design
Anti-Chemical Farming Partnerships
GreenField and Snacktivist Foods Announced a New Initiative
Hydroponic Herb Kits
Raes the Roots' Indoor Herb Garden Kit Inspires Household DIYs
Low-Maintenance Soil-Free Plants
Dew Plants Only Need to Be Watered Once Per Month
Elevated Garden-Filled Buildings
Snøhetta Designs the New Cloud 11 Building in Bangkok
IoT-Integrated Vertical Gardens
Hexagro's Smart Vertical Garden Clovy Revolutionizes Urban Farming
Ergonomic Latticed Sofa Designs
Eva Schildt Designs the Gardener's Sofa for Design House
Light-Filled City Center Gardens
ROOM + Design & Build Designs the Secret Garden in Vietnam
Growth-Stimulating Electronic Soils
This 'eSoil' Could Help Plants Achieve Faster Growth
Precision Robotic Weeding Services
This Platform Carries Out Weeding and Real-Time Crop Modelling
Climate-Managing Greenhouse Concepts
Salazar Sequero Medina Designs the Livable Greenhouse Home
Sustainably Grown Cannabis Brands
Venterra Farms' Hybrid Farming Approach Combines Growing Tech
Plant-Supporting Pendant Lights
The Soltech Aspect LED Growlight Has a Pendant-Style Design
Minimal Urban City Apartments
GRT Architects Designs the East Village Apartment in NY
Under-Canopy Airflow Trays
Dual Draft Integrated Airflow Launches the 'Infinity Tray System'
Flower-Shapes Greenhouse Gardens
Cobe Designs the Opera Park on a Copenhagen Island
London-Based Garden Roofscapes
James Corner Field Operations Designs a Roof Garden in London
Planted Balcony Home Designs
4site Architects Designs the House of Greens in Bangalore
Historically Based Nurseries
Régis Roudil Constructs a New Nursery in the Palaid de l'Alma
Urban Green Space Overhauls
Four of London's green spaces will receive a makeover
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
City-Honoring Furniture Projects
The Symbiotic Urban Furniture Project is Imaginative
Plant-Based Functional Chairs
Franklin St. Studio Presents the Good Morning Glory Project
Oversized Colorful Dynamic Planters
Tuleste Factory and Manscrapers Launch the TFM Collection
Vertically Farmed Leafy Greens
Plenty Partners with Bristol Farms to Expand in Southern California
Farm-Sourced Christmas Trees
Gardenuity Offers Fresh-Cut Fraser Fir Christmas Trees
Plant-Aiding Hydroponic Systems
turf is an Energy-Harvesting Conceptual Cultivation System
Informational Gardener Support Apps
The 'Legume' App Helps Gardeners Grow with Confidence
Lantern-Topped Sleek Workshops
Cabinet Designs the Gardeners House in a Park in Geneva
Natural Material Gardening Sets
Pallarès and Audo Copenhagen Launch the Garden Collection
Naturally Derived Plant Food Kits
Flourish Plant Food is Organic and Dense with Nutrients
Environmental EV Air Purifiers
The Audi Urban Purifier Cleans the Surrounding Cityscape
Renovated Cottage Garden Extensions
John Ellway Renovates a Cottage with New Extensions