Gardening in Limited Spaces

Previously a sales manager with Computerland in Paoli, Pennsylvania, David Jarjisian later became senior vice president of Jackson-Cross Company in Philadelphia. Responsible for maintaining the tenancy of major office buildings, he was a multiple-time, top 10 producer in Pennsylvania’s City Center. David Jarjisian now enjoys gardening in his free time.

Gardening in a city can present challenges due to limited space, but there are many varieties of fruits, herbs, and vegetables that don’t need a lot of room to grow. Many can be grown successfully in pots or containers. All they require is rich garden soil, plenty of sunshine, and access to water.

Perfect candidates for container gardening include carrots, radishes, and lettuce, which take up minimal space and can be replanted after harvest. Tomatoes and peppers are also good choices, as they produce crops that can be harvested over and over.

Some people enjoy creating themed gardens, such as a “summer salad” container planted with tomato, cucumber, and parsley or chives. All these plants have similar requirements for sun and water, and grow well together.

The “Growth Mindset” That Comes with Gardening

Retired from a successful real estate practice and living in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, David Jarjisian focuses on a range of creative hobbies. He is particularly interested in gardening, fly-fishing, and furniture-building. For enthusiasts like David Jarjisian, gardening can be a relaxing and energizing way of reconnecting with the natural world.

A wide range of research has demonstrated that when people spend time outdoors, their physical and mental health improve as stress lowers. Working in a garden also draws on skills like concentration, planning, and focus as a gardener sees a long-term project through from idea to completion.

Experienced gardeners have noted that their time working outdoors teaches them acceptance, as well as the ability to recognize which things in their environments they can change, and which they cannot. In the natural world, people typically can’t achieve perfection. Pest invasions, inclement weather, and other conditions can present serious challenges, and can teach the valuable skills of patience with the imperfections and unpredictability of life. Gardeners then learn to celebrate their often-imperfect, but very real achievements.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by a sense of failure if something in the garden doesn’t go exactly as planned, an experienced gardener can develop what today’s psychologists call a “growth mindset,” learning from mistakes and building from experience in the most creative and constructive ways possible.

Pennsylvania Has the Country’s Oldest Horticultural Library

Library Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič - @specialdaddy on Unsplash 

David Jarjisian previously served as senior vice president of commercial real estate firm Jackson-Cross Company, later becoming CB Richard Ellis, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before that, he served as sales manager of Computerland, providing computer hardware and software products to clients. A resident of Newtown, Pennsylvania, David Jarjisian enjoys outdoor activities, including gardening.

Libraries are a traditional source of information on gardening, and Pennsylvania has the distinction of having the oldest horticultural library in the country in the form of the PHS McLean Horticultural Library. Serving the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and the gardening public, the library has a selection of 15,000 books, as well as DVDs on gardening, botany, urban greening, and plant care. Its compilation includes rare gardening books, catalogs on seeds and nurseries, and the PHS archives.

The library now also provides thousands of eBooks that are available for digital borrowing, made possible through a consortium with the Mt. Cuba Center and Longwood Gardens. The library hosts tours and a children's story time, and its gallery space showcases changing exhibits curated by the library staff. For more information about the library, visit www.phsonline.org.