Indoor
Gardening
If
you happen to live in a house or apartment with virtually no
outdoor space, you can still work wonders gardening indoors.
The inside of your home has the added advantage of being a controlled
environment that is independent of the weather conditions outside.
Therefore, you can grow plants indoors that outside would ordinarily
wither with the heat or freeze from the cold.
With
indoor gardening, you’ll still need to take into account
such factors as ambient temperature, moisture, air circulation,
and the availability of natural and artificial light sources.
Depending on the size and design of your home, you may be limited
in what you can grow. However, rest assured that there are many
options out there for any size space.
For
example, if you have a tall roof but narrow spaces, you can
try the shade tolerant South African native Afrocarpus falcate.
If you have a lot of wall space to work with, you can build
a series of shelves and have a large collection of succulents
and cactus that require little watering. Spider plants are ideal
for hanging baskets and the more creative urban gardener can
look towards orchids, bamboos, and ferns. Orchids are a classic
indoor plant that grow well indoors because of their tropical
origins.
Bulbs
also make an excellent choice for indoor gardens. Bulbs can
provide your house with year-round color. Even if you live in
a region with long winters, you can grow bulbs to cheer up your
indoor environment. You can use bulbs to have beautiful spring
color in January, but to accomplish this you will need to “force”
your bulbs. This means that you create the conditions for them
to flower before their naturally blooming time. The Brooklyn
Botanic Garden provides several articles with tips
on growing bulbs indoors.
Water
gardens using fountains or small ponds can also function well
indoors. You’ll probably want to contact an expert on
water garden design and construction depending on how elaborate
you want your garden.
Indoor
gardening occasionally requires special technology such as metal
halide grow lights which do a great job of creating “virtual”
sunlight. Fluorescent lights can also work great for growing
seedlings or small plants indoors. Compact fluorescents work
just as well and use less energy. For a complete
resource on indoor gardening, see this site. Another useful
gadget is this great Houseplant
Watering System, which will give your plants the exact amount
of water they need and will help you grow healthy plants despite
your busy lifestyle.
When
gardening indoors, you should also select plants and containers
that will fit well with your interior decorating. Think of the
different colored flowers and foliage available that will match
your home furnishings. Visiting your local nursery and seeing
a few samples can help you generate ideas. Terracotta
pots and wooden planters can also make a wonderful addition
to your home decorating.
If
you’re interested in growing fruits or vegetables indoors,
you’ll be happy to know that some citrus plants and many
herbs grow very well indoors. Try growing potted basil, along
with sage or cilantro. Tomatoes can often be grown indoors if
you have plenty of sunlight or use hydroponics. Some species
of lemons, oranges, and more exotic citrus fruits such as the
Meiwa Kumquat grow great indoors given the correction conditions.
See this site for a detailed article on growing
citrus fruits indoors.
 ©
2005 Urban Gardening Help. All Rights Reserved.
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