Indoor gardens are an amazing way to bring texture and life inside, nevermind the health benefits of some greenery in a closed up space. And as Spring inches closer, it's a great time to tend to the one you have going on or to start a new one. From herb gardens to terrariums, orchids to succulents, there's a garden suitable for everyone. Jump below to see some inspiration to create your own indoor garden:
We love growing citrus and they'll be happy indoors near a window (the Victorians did this in winter months!).
It's not too late to plant some spring bulbs, just keep them near light and water them regularly.
Ben's Mid Century Mecca is am example of using plants as sculpture and privacy.
Our succulents do well indoors as long as their near a window or as long as we put them outside every couple of weeks to get an extra boost of sunlight.
Keep it simple with small terra cotta pots that are tiered on a cake stand or pedestal for a straightforward arrangement. Image via domino.
An indoor herb garden can be rewarding on many levels. Find a sunny spot and plant herbs like mint, basil, rosemary and thyme to help freshen the air and add some flavor to your cooking.
Gregory is our resident expert on terrariums and has had a lot of luck with both tropical and succelent arrangements. Image via domino.
Here's a simpler take on a traditional terrarium. Using glass bowls and one plant at a time you can set up a pretty tablescape. Just make sure not to overwater since the bowls don't have any drainage!
Dramatic, large scale indoor plants can bring texture and focus to a room that might need some oomph. Check out some indoor plant options on the bigger scale.
Orchids can be an economical choice (get 'em cheap at Trader Joe's) and the blooms last forever. Image from Dave on Long Island's Flickr.
One of our favorite set ups uses some tiny pots, a hanging one and some brilliant light in a beautiful window.
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Cover the bottom of those *glass bowls* with nice looking stones for water drainage!! Top with soil and your favourite succulent, cacti, or plant!
Can anyone identify that adorable orange pot used in the mini citrus tree towards the top? Or maybe even the yellow one on the windowsill of the bottom-most picture? I love them both!
These are beautiful shots, and I love all of the plants!
Unfortunately in my house, I think my cat would go right for the plants. He's always up for bit of mischief!
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Unfortunately in my house, I think my cat would go right for the plants. He's always up for bit of mischief!
Go for a terrarium, then. You can buy 'em premade, or make one yourself using any container you can seal. A wide cylindrical glass vase can work well. Have a piece of glass cut to fit the top (make sure the edges aren't left sharp - ouch!). Just place it atop the vase on a temporary basis, and once you're sure the moisture levels are correct inside, seal it up using silicone sealer designed for use with an aquarium (use a pretty thick bead - you can always break the seal later with a razor or other thin sharp blade if you need to get back inside).
Instructions for building a terrarium are available online - just Google.
For succulents you'll need an open terrarium, but that can still be reasonably pet-proof. Just choose a tall, heavy vase or other container - one that your pet can't get to the top of or knock over. The soil itself can become part of the terrarium's decorative element, especially with succulents where you can use different colored (natural!) sand and gravel. Choose heavy sand or rocks, at least for the bottom drainage layers, to help weight the vase down.
You can also use an aquarium - there are all kinds of modern designs, some in glass, some in acrylic, and many come with a lid that'll keep pets out. They may not provide a perfect seal, but that makes them perfectly suited for succulents. Even without a perfect seal, they can make a good home for other plants as well, since the humidity inside will be much higher and you should be able to go much longer between waterings (just be careful not to overwater).
what are the plants called in the hanging pots in the last photo? they're beautiful.
The orange tree is so cute in the orange pot! I love!
jick -
I just picked up a pot that looks just like that one at Target
Target and Michaels both have some great planters right now, if anybody is interested.
If you have cats, would they mess with cacti? Haha, as cruel as this may sound, my mom used to have a cactus right by the stairs in the living room so my little brother (about 11 months at the time) wouldn't try crawling up them when she was doing dishes. One touch and he stayed away forever. ;)
i *just* planted my first and second grass 'terrariums' last week!
i was meandering through Arhaus for the first time and there were a lot of tall, cylindrical vases around with grass growing in them. i love gardneing, but don't have a lot of time for houseplants, and this seemed so easy and fun. found two $5 vases at Salvation Army (one like a spherical volumetric flask, the other i saw something similar at Target the next day for $32!), dug some dirt from the yard, sprinkled the grass seed and keep them misted and covered. very cool and lovely.
i've subsequently learned that it's pretty easy to sprout wheat grass, which looks really lush and much thicker, so i'll be doing that for the next one.
I wish I were sitting in the room pictured at the end. So light, cheerful and warm!
I'm also dying to know what that (higher) hanging plant is in the last pic... stunning!
Off to Target I go...
Thanks!
oh yay. plants! but I'd really love it if each city gave some great resources for planters (hint, hint!). it just makes me sad to buy the cheap, mass produced, imported planters that most chain stores carry...
and regarding the cat problem, give it a try with an inexpensive, non toxic plant. my cat used to attack my plants (one in particular she liked to pull down and watch the stalk spring back up), but after a while she got bored with them and left them alone.
also, always be wary when using soil dug from the garden for indoor plants. for tougher varieties like succulents it's not usually a problem, but soil is full of little mites and fungi that could disease a more sensitive, tropical plant.
TheGoodBiGirl , et al.,
The top hanging plant in the last picture looks very much like a 'wandering jew' otherwise known as Tradescantia zebrina (I can come in silver stripe or purple stripe), although it is hard to tell in the photo.
I think the lower hanging plant is a 'string of pearls'.
Both are easy favorites to grow in sunny locations.
If you really want to identify and match them, take the photo to a plant store. They should be able to help you out.
the hanging plant in the last photo is not a wandering jew.
It's called String of Hearts.
It's got plump dark green heart shaped leaves, with dusky purple undersides.
one of my favorites.
Oops. There are two hanging plants in that last photo.
I forgot to include that I wasn't contradicting Lizzy C identification of the lower hanging plant. The lower one is a String of Pearls, the higher one is a String of Hearts.