You don’t have a patio? Your home is too small? Your budget is too tight? Stop making excuses. Believe it or not, starting an indoor garden is not that hard. In fact, it can be as simple as gardening outdoors. All indoor plants ask for is water, nutrients, and light. If you add a little creativity to this formula, you can have a stylish living space and reconnect with Mother Nature, even in a small minimalistic home. Here are some indoor garden ideas to get you inspired.
Things to know about plants before starting an indoor garden
- Your plants must get enough light. Most plants react better to indirect sunlight. As some plants require more natural light than others, make sure you check how much light they need before choosing the space your plants will occupy. You might also need to get rid of clutter that’s blocking the sunlight, use artificial light, or paint the walls white for reflecting light.
- Overwatering can cause root rot while cold water can shock some plants. Insert your finger into the pot every day to check if the soil is damp. Most plants should be watered every few days (but only until the soil becomes moist) using distilled water at room temperature.
- Indoor garden ideas usually require a group of plants. However, not all plants get along. Try to group plants that have similar needs together. For example, plants that need dry soil and a lot of sunlight can be in one group, while those that need much more moisture belong to a separate group.
- Some plants grow faster than others. That means the faster-growing ones could kill the other plants unless you give them enough space to breathe and grow. To prevent this, never put plants too close together.
Simple indoor garden ideas for your home
Water garden
To create a water garden, choose plants that can live under water. Your plant and your pet fish can live in the same container. The plant’s root serves as natural food for the fish, while the fish’s waste nurtures the plant. Bear in mind that your fish need normal food as well.
Herb wreath
To make this fun piece of décor, you’ll need a larger, decorative, sturdy wreath and tiny pots in which you’ll grow plants. You can use hot glue to attach the pots to the wreath. It is recommendable to reinforce them with wire or garden ties.
Ladder plant holder
Vertical gardening is one of the best design ideas for small spaces. A ladder plant holder is great for small homes since it creates a lot of vertical space for your plants. All you need is an old wooden ladder, some planks or boards, paint, and, of course, potted plants. After cleaning the ladder, fix the shelves on the ladder using a screwdriver and paint it with acrylic paint.
Indoor wall garden
Imagine a beautiful, green piece of art on your wall that is actually alive. This cool design concept is perfect for small, modern and minimalistic apartments. Besides, most wall gardens are super easy to water – some even have built-in watering systems. You can purchase wall gardens or make wall planters yourself by using wooden boxes, picture frames, wooden palettes, pegboards, coat hanger rods, etc. One of the best places for an indoor wall garden is your bathroom, right above the bathtub.
Zen/Japanese garden
Zen gardens are calming and versatile, yet so easy to make and maintain. It literally doesn’t get easier than this. This indoor garden idea requires zero responsibility. You won’t have to take care of anything! To create a Zen garden, just use elements from nature like rocks, sand, and moss. You can play with it by adding tiny statues. If you still prefer live plants, use flowers of cool colors or succulents.
Creative planters
The following indoor garden ideas are all about using interesting planters. When it comes to planters, you can really let your imagination run wild. Here are some DIY planter ideas for beginners.
- Seashell planters. Tuck smaller plants inside a seashell allowing for good air circulation. Seashell planters make beautiful centerpieces for your living room and dining room. You can also put pebbles or tiny seashells around the plants inside the seashell planter.
- Cup planters. Pick some cups or mugs with saucers that compliment your room’s décor. You can use tiny teacups, huge mugs, and everything in between. Drill a drainage hole in the bottom of the cup and cover the bottom with rocks. Then, place dirt and your plant inside the cup.
- Coconut planters. To make a planter, you need half a coconut shell and string or twine. Paint is optional. Drill five holes in the shell – one for drainage in the base and four for the string to go through. .Fill the shells with soil and place small plants inside. Hang the coconut planter wherever you find suitable.
- Plastic bottle planters. This is one of the greenest and cheapest indoor garden ideas. All you need are recycled plastic bottles. If you want to make hanging bottle planters, drill holes in the bottles and use string to hang them.
- Light bulb planters. This is another eco-friendly indoor garden idea for beginner gardeners. For this DIY project, you need heavy duty recycled bulbs with thick glass since you need to cut a circular opening without shattering the bulb.
Author bio
Bernadette Martin runs her own small gardening business in Tampa, FL. She is also a freelance writer collaborating with several moving and storage companies, such as Pro Movers Miami. In her spare time, she likes to read crime novels and play water sports.