Homegrown's Jamila Norman Offers Growing Advice For Those With Limited Space - Exclusive

Jamila Norman knows a thing or two about working with the space you've got when it comes to growing. As an urban farmer and owner of Atlanta-based Patchwork City Farms, Norman shows those in her urban community that it's possible to start your own garden regardless of where you live — even right in the heart of Atlanta.

On "Homegrown," Norman seeks to spread that knowledge to other communities by showing people across the country how to garden the land they have and turn their own backyards into sustainable sources of nutrition. Through her own work as an urban farmer, Norman hopes to instill in people the value of having access to fresh, sustainably grown fruits and vegetables — and prove that you can grow your own without having access to tons of land or space.

In an exclusive interview with House Digest, Jamila Norman shared her biggest tips for starting your own food garden if you have particularly limited growing space to work with.

Jamila Norman says that with the right conditions, you'd be surprised at what you can grow in your small space. "You can always grow something," she said. "You can grow something in pots. You can grow something on a porch. You can grow something on a window sill."

While a large amount of land is not important, Norman reiterated that the right amount of sun is crucial. "You definitely need sun, and if you don't have sun, you can start growing stuff with grow lights," she said. "It starts to get expensive when you go into trying to do all indoor production, especially in the absence of sunlight."

If you don't have access to a window or outdoor area like a balcony or porch that receives direct sunlight and aren't interested in the complexities and expenses that come with all-indoor growing, Norman says you still have options.

"I lived in New York," she said. "In some of these high rises, there's no sun coming in there. Then you want to look for opportunities like, 'Is there a local community garden?' or 'Is there a church that might have a garden?' or 'Do I know someone that has some green space at their home or something like that and I can join in?' You might have to step outside of your home to join others in a space. A lot of people are cultivating spaces like that, especially in cities, to give folks opportunities to grow who might not have it in their immediate personal spaces."

Stream Season 2 of "Homegrown" now on the Magnolia app and on Discovery+.