One of life’s pleasures is certainly eating a freshly picked strawberry or picking a few fresh basil leaves for lunch from your own garden. There are only a few things that can compare to the sweet taste as a product from your own garden. But many today don’t live in houses or have gardens, but in buildings, where they often don’t even have a balcony. But that doesn’t mean they have to give up their own domestic production.
If you are a gardening enthusiast and enjoy growing fresh herbs, vegetables or fruits, your living space should not stop you from doing so. Even if you live in an apartment, in addition to typical houseplants, certain plants, fruits and vegetables can also thrive. When you decorate the rooms in your home with houseplants, you are not just adding greenery. These living organisms communicate with your body, mind and home in ways that improve your quality of life. We bring you tips on the perfect garden in your apartment and the benefits of plants within the living space for you, but also the environment that surrounds you.
The first important thing, when setting out to create your own oasis of homemade products, is to decide what your garden will look like; whether you choose to grow flowers that will bring you only aesthetic pleasure or you want to have some benefits as well, so your garden will turn into a small market. If you’ve decided that your garden will have spices or vegetables, write the names of the plants on the pots – this way you will always know where everything is.
Turn things you would otherwise throw away into a modern garden that everyone will love. What is practical, when it comes to gardening in a smaller living space, is that you can use anything you can think of – plastic bottles, cans, jars, etc. You can use plastic bottles in different ways: you can cut them in half and make a pot, and you can also plant in the upper part of the bottle, which you will then put in the lower part and save time on constant watering. This way, you recycle potential waste and contribute to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for our cities and the planet.
Then, it is necessary to choose a place that has windows and where a lot of sunlight reaches because many plants won’t live long without light. Light entering your home will have a triple effect: it will “feed” your plants, and it will help you reduce energy bills because you will light up but also heat your home, which will, in parallel, contribute to reducing heating bills.
Smog is not the only concern when it comes to air quality in cities. Indoor air pollution is equally prevalent and increases the risk of many health problems. One of the benefits of a garden in the living space, especially a smaller one like an apartment, is cleaner air. When you breathe, your body takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. During photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This opposite pattern makes plants and humans natural partners. Plants that are recommended as the best air “purifier” are pygmy date palm (Phoenix Roebelenii), golden pothos (devil’s ivy, lat. Epipremnum aureum), sagebrush (Spatifilum), philodendron and spider plant (green lily, lat. Chlorophytum).
As part of the photosynthetic and respiratory process, plants also release approximately 97% of the water they ingest, which increases the humidity in the room. Place several herbs together, and this will increase the humidity of the room, which helps prevent respiratory problems such as colds, sore throats and dry coughs. Humid air in the room also helps protect the wood in your home, especially if your carpentry is wooden, as dry wood can shrink and crack, and you can have unnecessary cracks in windows or doors. In this way, your home will be more energy-efficient and the air much better.
The last thing, but also the question many may ask, is definitely – when to embark on this adventure and sow your first spice plant or flower? The best time to plant is right now! The end of winter is slowly approaching, and spring is looming, and the days are getting longer and warmer. So, visit a nearby market, find seedlings of your favorite fruit, vegetable or flower and enjoy the fruits of your labor.