It seems that more people are deciding to start their own apartment garden. Apartment gardening is an unexpectedly simple way to turn your apartment into a lush, modern urban oasis. And there are lots of reasons to go organic: growing herbs and vegetables in your apartment garden is known to reduce stress levels, improve productivity and reduce environmental toxins, and bringing nature inside is known to help boost moods and bring the outdoors to you. But what if you live in a studio apartment where space is at a premium? In this case, apartment planting may not be as simple or as enjoyable as turning a spare room or balcony into your personal garden.
The first difficulty is finding plants that will thrive in your apartment garden. While your plants will need sufficient light, it is important that you balance this with the amount of water that they require. You don’t necessarily want to over-water the plants, but rather, find the moisture level to be comfortable for them. Sunlight is also a concern for your apartment garden. Certain flowers and vegetables love sunlight and need it to grow, but others, such as herbs, will only bloom during certain times of the day.
There are several variables to consider when choosing the correct conditions for your apartment gardening. First, you must consider the amount of sunlight the flowers and vegetables will receive during the day. If you have a large apartment, or if the majority of your apartment is blocked with windows, you may need to supplement outdoor sunlight with indoor lights. The amount of sunlight and time of day that the plants are exposed to is also important. For instance, will your apartment block receive enough sunlight throughout the day to sustain the plant’s needs? Also, will your apartment building’s HVAC systems provide sufficient air circulation for your plants to thrive in?
If your apartment building has several balconies and is located in a temperate climate, it may benefit you to add outdoor planters. These planters can be used year-round, but some require that you remove them for a portion of the year. A nice feature to consider is adding a trellis system along one side of your garden. This will allow you to hang flowering and non-flowering plants from the trellis, while keeping small garden pests away.
When planning your apartment gardening design, think about the amount of sunlight and heat that you will receive. In the winter months, many of your outdoor spaces will receive direct sunlight throughout the day. However, during the summertime, this exposure to sunlight can be limited. Will you need to place shade tents or awnings over your outdoor space? If so, where will these areas be placed? How much heat will these areas exposed to?
When planning your apartment gardening design, it is important to consider what you will be growing and how many plants you would like to have in your outdoor space. Will you be using annual herbs such as basil, mint, oregano and sage? Will you be growing perennials such as the Chinese cabbage and dill? How many gardeners will you have working in your apartment? These factors will dictate the size of your container garden and the number of plants you will need.
The next thing to consider is how much water your garden will require. You will also want to consider if you would like to create your own irrigation system with a hose or use the existing plumbing in your building. Some apartment communities are quite smart to have a garden within walking distance to their building. If this is the case, you will need to find out if the building has a recycling program or not and make arrangements to have your new garden water-free once it is established.
Container gardening can be a great way to grow your favorite flowers in an apartment. As long as you follow the rules of the garden and make sure your plants get the proper amount of water and sunshine, they should thrive. Once established, you will notice that there is less maintenance needed to keep the plants healthy. Your neighbors will probably be happy to see you taking care of your new garden. The best part about container gardens is that you can grow all kinds of flowers, from the rarest blooms of spring through to the perennial favorites of fall.