Gardening in Bridgeport?

[LlamaMama]

It seems to me that there are two options for gardening. First, kick out the tenants at the apartment with the small garden there, or else live across the bridge in a teeny house.

I'm sure most people are doing other things in BP and gardening is less of a concern there, but it is the only way to get flame fruit and life fruit for the mixologist sim. Vampires would enjoy growing inexpensive Plasma Fruit. Living in a house means longer commutes into town, and less convenient access to the bars one needs to attend for skilling and moonlighting.

Are there other places to garden, within the apartment area? Is it possible to somehow buy a small garden plot somewhere? What have been your solutions?

[Branr]

In at least two of the starter apartments, there are spots around the apartment building where you can plant seeds.  Just click on a seed, select plant, and hover over the ground till the cursor turns green.  You won't have room to build HUGE gardens (it is the city, after all), but my vampire had a half dozen plasma plants growing in a row right outside the building entrance.

[LlamaMama]

I read around a bit, and learned that with "restrictbuildbuyinbuildings off" will allow you to turn pavement into dirt or gardens on the bottom floor.

@Branr: Do you know the names of those buildings you mention? Are they both occupied at the beginning of the game?

I'm considering placing a community garden lot, but I've noticed that there is no Plasma Fruit in the Buydebug section. I can work around it, but I'm surprised it's not there with the other plants in Buydebug.

[Joria]

LlamaMama, ( I love that name), if you aren't doing it for a dynasty, allow yourself a cheat or three and go into buydebug and get the plants there.  Those can be planted anywhere IN your apartment or on the roof or whether you can get to.  That other cheat is priceless.  The one that takes off the restrictions.  I am going to use it heavily in my BP redo.

[LlamaMama]

@Joria: I didn't realize you could place plants in places without dirt! Do you have to water and weed them if you get the Perfect plants from buydebug? Have you found Plasma Fruit in buydebug yet? I haven't been able to.

[wildredchild]

@Joria: I didn't realize you could place plants in places without dirt! Do you have to water and weed them if you get the Perfect plants from buydebug? Have you found Plasma Fruit in buydebug yet? I haven't been able to.

The plants from buydebug are normal quality, not perfect.

[LlamaMama]

The plants from buydebug are normal quality, not perfect.

Thanks. Yeah, I tried it, and sure 'nuff, normal. I'm so spoiled by gerrr00's community lot with all the perfect plants, I didn't realize she gardened them all up to perfect, herself!

Edited to add: Due to lack of space around most apartments, I think that raising gardening to level 7 by gardening alone would be very difficult. Small gardens just wouldn't raise the skill very fast. Probably the best plan to reach level 7 and have access to growing special seeds, including plasma fruit, would be to read the skill books. Then in a small space just the special seeds/fruit could be planted.

[Pam]

Edited to add: Due to lack of space around most apartments, I think that raising gardening to level 7 by gardening alone would be very difficult. Small gardens just wouldn't raise the skill very fast. Probably the best plan to reach level 7 and have access to growing special seeds, including plasma fruit, would be to read the skill books. Then in a small space just the special seeds/fruit could be planted.

Or watch the gardening chanel on television to increase skill.

[LlamaMama]

So how does it work, this cheat to place buydebug plants wherever you want them? If they're in your apartment, do you still need to weed and water? I've never been able to figure out the water hose way of watering, but I can't imagine a sprinkler indoors!

[mtglady]

They use a water can to water the plants. 
I created a 'planter' type of an area using that monorail or brick fencing in my Sims apartment where she is growing a couple of special seeds and one plasma fruit.  And yes, she still has to weed them. 

[Joria]

So how does it work, this cheat to place buydebug plants wherever you want them? If they're in your apartment, do you still need to weed and water? I've never been able to figure out the water hose way of watering, but I can't imagine a sprinkler indoors!

I don't think so, but then they will never be any better than "normal".  You have to weed and fertilize and water for them to improve at all, and they do so very slowly.  If I'm not doing a dynasty/legacy thing, I will sometimes plant a couple of each buydebug plant, havest it,  plant the fruits I get and get rid of the originals or just use them for instant food for awhile.

I had planted some in houses I was redoing for fun and they just continued to grow as if they were "wild" plants, but they were always just normal quality.

[LlamaMama]

In my opinion, the most complete and safest garden to download is the one made by our forum member, gerrr00. It's complete with all the perfect harvestables, excluding plasma fruit. You can get it here.

[Joria]

In my opinion, the most complete and safest garden to download is the one made by our forum member, gerrr00. It's complete with all the perfect harvestables, excluding plasma fruit. You can get it here.

LlamaMama geroo's adorable and excellent garden is so pretty, but I do have one concern.  Since she personally grew all those plants to the perfect stage, wouldn't they have to be tended?  They are all in sprout stage, which is fine if you are going to tend the plants but DO they need tending?  Can they work as a "community" garden without care and if they don't need care will they continue to grow?

[gerrr00]

LlamaMama geroo's adorable and excellent garden is so pretty, but I do have one concern.  Since she personally grew all those plants to the perfect stage, wouldn't they have to be tended?  They are all in sprout stage, which is fine if you are going to tend the plants but DO they need tending?  Can they work as a "community" garden without care and if they don't need care will they continue to grow?

I, of course, have put it in all my games.  I was unsure myself when I started out.  But all the plants do not need tending and they grow no problem.  Since it is a community lot and not "your" lot it seems they have different growing times and harvest times.  Like the apples are not as plentiful as if you had an apple tree in your own garden.  I may be completely wrong, I have not had the time to sit and watch the garden grow.  So far I also have not had any plants die with the exception of the Death Flower Bush.

[mtglady]

I too have gerrr00's garden in all of my towns.  I have placed the garden on lots I added using world editor near sidewalks and paths since it really doesn't need street access.  My Simmies like to go there as a family weekend treat where the little ones catch butterflies and the parents harvest the plants.  They have a picnic and lots of fun.   Each weekend the garden is full of harvestable items again.
I am thinking of placing the garden on a slightly larger lot, turning it residential and building a small home for one of my level 10 gardeners so they can plant plasma fruit.  Once I have a few plants perfected, I will evict my Sim, destroy their home and turn the lot back to commercial.  Then I will replace the old lots in my towns with the new one so I will have everything my Simmies want, well at least until the next EP comes out. 
I never let such good talent go to waste.