Tis the season to start planning your 2011 edible gardens. City dwellers must overcome the myth and fear that growing veggies is only for those with a stiff mortgage and plenty of land mass. Those of us who live in apartments and high rises can overcome this obstacle by employing some creative solutions:

Urbio Vertical Garden: This up-and-coming design team is currently collecting funds via Kickstarter to turn their urban jungle ideas into reality. Their concept of magnetic and adjustable plastic planters is brilliant, modern, and functional.  Let Urbio be your inspiration.

DIY: There are endless ways to reuse common household items to use for vertical or porch gardening. Until Urbio’s idea becomes a reality there are many ways to DIY similar concepts using empty jars or milk cartons. We recently scored a set of vintage wine cases in our alley and have converted them into large hefty planters for our front balcony. Closet storage solutions work wonders too! Try filling a shoe organizer with dirt and hang it on a wall near a sun filled window.

Living Wall Art made tasty: Many other design companies, like Authentics from Germany, is using the green trend as an opportunity to merge art with agriculture. You can easily transform these plant containers into veggie garden enablers. Simply use a lightweight potting soil and home-made compost to get a window garden started in your bedroom or living room.

Old Fashioned Planters: Any window ledge, either interior or exterior, can be transformed into a space to grow veggies or herbs. The key: lots of sun! You can try try and try with a wall facing window but the results will never impress. Especially if you’re trying your hand at heirloom cherry tomatoes or zucchini, you’ll need a lot of natural light so that they can develop bountiful blooms – and hence – edibles. Pretty much any container can be converted into a planter by simply drilling a few drainage holes into its base.

Don’t forget rooftops! If you have access and permission, consider transforming your roof into a green garden! My local grocer True Nature Foods did just that and grows tasty veggies and herbs right above their shop. This kind of undertaking doesn’t even have to be quite as ambitious. All you need are some wide or deep containers, water, and sunshine and you’ll have a rooftop garden in no time!

Looking for more vertical gardening inspiration? Check out this great site which will give you plenty of ideas for how to convert your urban dwelling into a garden of eden.