IT’S TIME TO REDISCOVER THE JOY OF INDOOR GARDENING

If indoor gardening has you thinking of your grandmother’s old homemade macramé plant hangars filled with spindly spider plants, think again. Today’s indoor gardeners are bringing much more style, function, and creativity to the table.

Plus, if you’ve been out of the gardening loop, you’ll be pleased to know there are multiple benefits to harnessing your inner gardener and putting your newly developed green thumb to work. It’s time to rediscover the benefits and the pure joy of maintaining an indoor garden.

Here are four reasons to get started today, for anyone who wants to bring the outdoors inside.

EAT LIKE A KING (A HEALTHY ONE)

You may not be able to grow a large fruit tree in your home due to limited space, but that’s what dwarf varieties are for. From dwarf Meyer lemon trees to the potted orange tree, there are plenty of options – just ask your local nursery.

Citrus is great, but nothing beats a home-grown tomato. Once you’ve savored the taste, you may have trouble going back to the grocery store variety. Tomatoes can certainly be grown in containers and they’ll greatly impact the quality of your food.

COOK LIKE A 4-STAR MICHELIN CHEF

Chefs who host cooking shows love to show off their kitchen herb gardens. Snipping fresh leaves here and there to create incredible gourmet dishes isn’t just for professional chefs, however.

Grow your herb garden on a windowsill and you too can enjoy the delicious taste of fresh-cut herbs on your morning eggs or your spaghetti dinner.

A quick edible garden doesn’t have to take up your entire windowsill, however. Today’s indoor gardeners with limited space are ingenious at creating alternative gardening spaces. They use a number of hanging implements (including refurbished pallets), wall racks, and even re-purposed bar carts that can be rolled around to follow the sun.

TURN YOUR HOME INTO A SPA

It always seems the people in charge of decor at spas have an obsession with fresh blooms. There’s a good reason for that: there’s nothing more delightful (and healing) than the scent of sweet blossoms. For anyone who lives in the north, an indoor garden will be doubly appreciated as they wait for those long months for the tundra to thaw.

For year-round blooms, try the African Gardenia, a cousin of the traditional Gardenia. For blossoms that occur in January, when you might need them the most, try Winter jasmine. 

PURIFY YOUR HOME’S INDOOR AIR

While we’re on the subject of spas, another reason they often feature greenery is the amazing air quality benefits that indoor plants give. From formaldehyde to benzene to ammonia, there can be lots of harmful toxins in our indoor air. Some plants can literally ‘scrub’ your home’s air of these toxic pollutants.

There are several varieties of plants to choose from. Oh- and it turns out your grandmother knew a thing or two about clean air with her spider plant. NASA has compiled a list of air-cleaning plants and guess who’s on that list: the good old spider plant.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, there’s a new take on indoor gardening these days, thanks to today’s legions of clever, brilliant apartment dwellers who crave greenery, fresh veggies, and beautiful blossoms year-round.

Let these ideas inspire you to create a greater, greener life inside your home this year and beyond. Happy Gardening!

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