There are many ways to add a green touch to your home. You can do it by selecting green decor like we showed in our St. Patrick’s Day commemorative post, entitled ‘Decorating with Green’. But seeing as it’s also the color we associate with nature, putting in some greenery maximizes the effect of giving a natural feel to your home.
One of the best ways to do it is by creating your own produce garden. And contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t have to be done outside. Fruit and vegetable gardening is becoming very popular, according to The Chronicle Journal, as it can be beneficial on so many levels. Among the many benefits include saving on groceries, contributing to the environment and adding some zen to your life.
However, when considering the idea of a produce garden, two key variables need to be considered. Read on to understand how and where you can kickstart your produce garden.
Where
It’s easy to turn your yard into your own source of produce. However, due to many urban communities lacking space, some houses don’t have backyards. The good news is that you can also cultivate an indoor garden.
All you need is to find a space that can fit planters. You can have them on top of a table, or on your display shelves. If that’s not feasible, you could also dedicate some parts of your walls where you can hang the plants.
As for an outdoor garden, plan a ‘grid type’ patch in your yard. In addition to the planting rows, be sure to allot spaces in between so you can walk around without trampling on your greenery.
Either way, the Insider suggests that certain additional factors should be considered. First off, pick a spot with adequate sunlight. Or more specifically, the area should get at least 8 hours of sunlight daily.
The space should also be well ventilated. Plants breathe, too. For indoor herb pots, you can place them near the window or on the center table so they’re not cramped.
The How
This is where a greater focus is required for your garden to thrive. You can get soil from your local gardening store, but 5280 Magazine suggests adding a low-salt, plant-based compost to it provided that it doesn’t already have it in the mixture. This is to ensure that it can drain water well. So as not to have your veggies rot from the roots.
If you have decided that your plants will be situated in your yard, constructing a greenhouse will help protect your plants from the natural elements and pests. There are numerous DIY greenhouse projects such as the plans featured in The Balance which will help you save money. Ready-made greenhouses minimize the amount of effort to building them from scratch. There are all sorts of sizes and types, some of which even have added features.
What’s evident from the array of greenhouses showcased on retailer Screwfix is that the recommended industry standard units all have automatic vent openers or enhanced durability. This comes from toughened glass and reinforced aluminum which help in the process of growing crops. Another convenience of prefabricated greenhouses is that you can have one custom-made to fit the measurements of your allotted area.
Indoor Gardening
As for indoor gardening, all you need is the soil as well as plant boxes or reused glass containers. You can have them planted individually in small vessels or place some plants together in a big container. Just be sure to group them based on their type, i.e. root crops, herbs, etc. Once you’ve chosen your containers, put a ‘faux soil layer’ on the bottom to act as the drainage, which will hold excess water until it dries out or evaporates from the sun’s heat. This can be in the form of pieces of broken glass or pebbles.
The last step is to select which plants to grow. Alternet listed some fruit and vegetables that are easy to cultivate indoors such as carrots and tomatoes. As for an outdoor garden, you can grow anything from root crops to fruit-bearing small trees.
About Author: Rick Whitley is a landscape artist who specializes on residential projects. In his spare time, he turns to gardening as a hobby due to its relaxing effect and functionality.
