Does your hostel room seem dull and lifeless? Are you tired of staring at blank white walls? Looking to add a little flavor to your apartment? Well, these dilemmas are pretty common, especially when you choose to live in an old-fashioned hostel, or a rented flat. Your space just doesn’t do credit to your aesthetic. Of course, if you opt for a professionally managed space like Stanza Living, your room won’t just be your room, it’ll be a slice of your personality. From spacious, fully furnished spaces that you can personalise, to wall graphics that will feature in all your selfies, Stanza Living is all about a design that’s as young and vibrant as you.
But if you haven’t opted for such an accommodation provider, what do you do? Do you have to live somewhere that’s boring and monotonous? What if your landlord won’t let you repaint your living room or tape posters to the walls? Never fear, because we’ve got the answer for you. You can revitalise your living space and give it the pop of colour it’s been missing by growing your very own indoor garden. No matter where you live, be it a girls PG in Laxmi Nagar or a rented flat in Gurgaon, it has become super easy to grow your own indoor garden. And not just basic ferns, you can even spice up your life (and your cooking) by cultivating a DIY herb garden.
It’s shockingly easy to grow!
What are the pros and cons of growing an indoor garden?
Well, that’s the beauty of it – there are basically no cons to creating a DIY garden. However the pros, now there’s a large number of those. After all, some greenery is sure to brighten up any space, where it’s a small apartment or a PG where space for plants and indoor trees is typically limited. You just know a plant-lined window sill will add a lot of extra natural beauty to your space. And for the gardening newbies, an indoor garden is the perfect way to learn the basic ropes of gardening. Because let’s not forget that compared to an outdoor green space, an indoor garden is much less difficult. And there’s no feeling quite like seeing those first shoots peek through the dirt. So give it a try, and then pat yourself on the back when you finally flex your green thumb. You could also choose to grow a spice garden – just think of all the money you’ll save by growing your own herbs!
So what are you waiting for? Here are our foolproof steps for you to create your own indoor garden and achieve success!
Step 1: Finding a place for your plants
We learnt this in school but it probably bears repeating. All plants require some amount of sunlight to grow. So it’s super important to identify the spots in your apartment that have enough light for the plants you’re growing. South-facing windows offer the most sunlight during winter. So that’ll be a great bet for plants that grow best in tropical climates, such as snake plant, bamboo, spider plant, weeping fig, areca palm and pothos. However, if you don’t have enough access to natural light or prefer going the spice route, herbs like mint, chives, chervil and parsley don’t require such heavy light, so you can easily nurture them in other parts of your flat. And if your PG doesn’t have a window, but you still want to get fancy, try setting up grow lights for best results. This is a great trick to gardening, especially when growing from seeds.
Step 2: Buying your plant babies (or seeds)
Now it’s no secret that gardening can be a bit of a waiting game. But even impatient folks like us can become plant parents. All you have to do is pick up some plants from your local nursery that are already germinating. And you can complete your room’s aesthetic by buying plant pots that match your decor. But if you’re all set to undertake the journey from scratch, it’s best to start in spring. Buy seeds along with a good-quality potting mix for the best results. You could also choose to start the seed-planting process in a plastic tray, and transplant the seedlings into a new pot later. Either way, remember to place your containers out of sunlight somewhere warm, and keep them covered. Once the germination process starts, you can place them in sunlight (or under your fancy new grow lights) to let the miracles work.
Step 3: Feeding your plants
It’s not just you that needs to hydrate. Water is something that’s equally essential to your garden’s success. But just be sure you don’t overwater your plant babies or they’ll end up drowning. Instead of going to town on the soil with a mug, try to water lightly using a watering can or sprayer, so that everything stays moist instead of soaked. And yes, how often you need to water your plants will depend on how quickly they dry out. You can easily check on their progress by adjusting the amount of sunlight they get, and by doing a fingertip test on the soil before you water. And don’t forget to give your seed babies a fighting chance. Feed them so that they grow strong. After a week or so after germination, you can start them off on a liquid houseplant fertilizer about twice a month. That’ll keep them healthy and in good shape. And now your very own indoor garden is ready to be the talk of the town.
And don’t worry foodies, we didn’t forget about you. If your garden is an experiment in herbs and spices, there is an extra step that you’ve got to take care of – harvesting. And when it comes to growing your own food, we know there’s nothing quite as tempting as eating it. But don’t cut into a young new plant as soon as it starts sprouting. You need to let it grow about four to six inches tall so that it acquires some sturdy roots and leaves before you give it the first snip. And when you’re harvesting herbs, sharp kitchen scissors or clean shears are your friends. The clean cuts they make will help your plants heal quickly. Just remember not to cut more than a third of the plant as your harvest, so that it has the time and the strength to grow back quickly. And now it’s only your imagination that limits how you’ll enjoy your new sprigs of thyme and parsley!
Your brand new indoor garden is only three, easy-to-follow steps away. All it needs is a little bit of maintenance and some TLC. So go and flex your green thumb and add some natural colour to your home. And don’t be discouraged if it takes a little longer than you thought, plant parenting does take time and patience. But if you keep at it, you’ll definitely succeed and be the proud owner of a gorgeous indoor garden.
