I come from a very similar background to you, it sounds like. Big acreage, country gardens. Or big yard suburban gardens.

But we moved into a loft apt with a huge patio in 2003 and LOVED it. We have since moved to a new apt up on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River in St Paul, and our 1800 sq ft 3 BR 2 1/2 bath apt has two really long balconies! I watch the geese, eagles, hawks, falcons, and in the last few days, the great blue herons (no egrets yet) flying over head. A wild turkey woke us up at 6:30 a.m. yesterday--wandering through our parking lot. And we are in middle of the city!

Here is the thing, though. If you are buying a place, Seriously consider the differences between condo & small homes. First, your equity and value isn't as much or as reliable as a house. Second, even with a small yard, you can put it ALL into gardens & voila! No lawn care!

We will start house shopping in earnest this summer. We've really enjoyed the freedom renting gives us, and have usually been lucky w/landlords. But it is still having the landlord. A condo assoc. may or may not be just like a landlord that won't let you paint. Some older assoc especially are looking to attract quality buyers, and aren't as strict. But also be aware of the extra cost of the association fees, and that they keep going up.

But that said, the challenges and joys of creating new types of gardens for us has been pure joy. You don't have to be that handy with tools to build a trellis or an arbor. We put up lattice work fencing around our patio at our old loft, so we could do more vertical gardening (which we will do on our balconies this summer, but not too much, since we are house shopping), and to have privacy. It was green and STUNNING. I was going for the walled garden effect, Mediterranean style because it was a completely sheltered south patio, so it was HOT. You can buy or build gazebos, use vines for shade--container gardening is a blast. We had raised beds built in and enjoyed tomatoes, peppers, spinach, really whatever we wanted.

So don't write off small & urban as impossible to garden! It totally ISN'T impossible, and it will bring you great joy discovering the endless possibilities of small space gardening.