After watching BBC's Gardeners' World this week, I've found a genius solution for edible gardening in a small space

The truth is, not everyone has a big rolling garden or access to their very own allotment. I surely don't, but it hasn't stopped me from making the most of my outdoor space and enjoying a watch of the BBC's Gardeners' World every week.

Whilst I've become quite fond of my balcony gardening and the challenges it makes me work through, it does feel as though there are some plants I simply can't grow. And although there are so many edible foods you can grow in pots on your balcony or patio, I've always worried about the plants outgrowing the space and somewhat taking over.

So during my weekly watch of BBC Gardeners' World, my interest was piqued even more when organic kitchen gardener Rekha Mistry shared her thriving edible garden.

This weeks gardening job to get done - courtesy of BBC Gardeners' World

Owning a balcony, I am no stranger to patio container plants. But what I have struggled to find the space for are flourishing edible plants, and other than my humble herb garden, I've accepted that growing my own food just isn't an option anymore.

That is, until presenter Rekha showed us around her garden on this week's episode of Gardeners' World and offered a solution for my problem.

"Growing your own is one of the biggest joys of my life. I know where my food comes from, I know what’s in it, it tastes incredible, and with the cost of living soaring, it makes total sense. This year, I plan to fill my front patio with edible plants that are grown entirely in pots and containers. I’m going to prove you don’t need a lot of space to have a go yourself," begins Rekha.

And it's true, even if you're on the hunt for small garden tips, you needn't shy away from edible gardening.

"And even this small tabletop is enough space to grow your fruit, vegetables and herbs. The best thing I think I’ve added this year is this mini greenhouse. Small spaces, lots of containers do work. But if you don’t have space for a mini greenhouse, a windowsill is still good enough," continues Rekha.

"This is a dwarf apple tree, and I started it two years ago in this very pot, and it’s doing very well. I want to grow all kinds of fruit, herbs and vegetables, and just like my apple tree, the best varieties to grow in containers are dwarf," she adds.

And there it was, the simple answer to my problem. Dwarf variety edible plants!

"Now, these are my dwarf varieties of tomatoes. Dwarf varieties simply mean compact plants that produce high yields. And the whole benefit of that in a small space is that the root system can cope with the restricted pot that it’s growing in," explains Rehka.

"This one is my Mongolian dwarf tomato. I’m taking it out now because they’re tender plants, and the frost in my area has now gone, so perfect timing to get them outside," she says.

Dwarf varieties are the answer to vegetable gardening for beginners when you've not got the room to spare. There's no need to worry about repotting or losing the plant due to confinement, as dwarf varieties are more than happy in small spaces.

"I’ve also got chilli plants, this one is Basket of Fire, and it’s already started producing fruit. Again, small plants but very high yield," continues Rekha.

And it's not just her wisdom on the best plants for small spaces I was quick to note down, no, Rekha also has a fantastic hack for prepping your container plants when living in terracotta pots.

"Growing any plant all summer long in a container or pot is going to demand extra feed and water. I like to soak my terracotta pots in water for an hour before planting up. This just stops the pots from sucking the moisture out of the new compost," she muses.

So if you're ready to try some sustainable garden ideas, then now you have no excuse, like me, to grow your very own fresh produce right on your front door.