Home Topics Decor
ByErica Young
Updated: Apr. 18, 2024
Grow edible food, flowers and more with these indoor gardening ideas that fit any home or apartment.
L FEDDES/GETTY IMAGES
An indoor garden might sound like a strange idea — but it’s a great option for those who don’t have an outdoor space (like apartment dwellers) or for those who live in cold climates where their outdoor gardening months are limited. To make an indoor garden, all you need is the right space, plenty of light (access to sunlight through a window or artificial light), and of course, the right care.
We spoke to gardening and agriculture expert Russell Taylor and indoor gardening expert Chantell Eichhorn for guidance on what makes a successful indoor garden, even if you have a black thumb!
Different Types of Indoor Gardens
You’ll be surprised by the number of plantlife varieties that can thrive indoors. Your indoor garden can be made of flowers, vegetables, herbs, succulents or a simple collection of indoor plants. “With proper care, an indoor garden can yield a diverse range of plants, transforming any indoor space into a lush, productive oasis,” says Taylor.
What’s the Best Indoor Garden for Beginners?
There are a number of different things you can successfully grow indoors, even for beginners. “Given enough light and space, some ideal indoor gardening options include herbs such as parsley, basil, parsley, rosemary, chives and oregano; as well as a wide array of plants, flowers and vegetables,” says Taylor.
According to Taylor, what you decide to grow isn’t nearly as important as the health of your soil. “To ensure that your garden receives the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive, I suggest enriching your soil or potting mix with humates,” says Taylor. “Humates [found in soil conditioner] help soil produce better yields, retain essential nutrients, and improve water conservation.”
What Vegetables Can Grow Indoors?
The best vegetables to grow indoors are varieties that “typically demand less space and accommodate the limited square footage inside homes,” says Taylor. “For instance, lettuce, a versatile and resilient leafy green, can flourish even in confined spaces with moderate light.”
Taylor also recommends radishes, beets, carrots, cilantro, green onions, and hot peppers as these plants “can adapt to indoor conditions, provided they are given sufficiently deep containers to accommodate their growth.”
Easiest Plants to Grow Indoors
“For those new to indoor gardening, I suggest exploring a variety of easy-to-maintain options,” says Taylor. His favorites include:
- Snake Plant
- Pothos
- Spider Plan
- Peace Lily
- ZZ Plant
- Aloe Vera
- Chinese Money Plant
- Cast Iron Plant
- African Violet
- Bamboo Palm
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Wall Garden
Transform a blank wall into an indoor herb garden like @ht_creative with wall-mounted rails and containers. Make sure the wall gets plenty of sunlight before installing your garden. What’s great about this herb garden is how it’s completely customizable. If you want a larger garden, keep stacking on more rails — the plants can be rearranged on the rails as needed.
What we like: “I love creating wall gardens and vertical growing setups as space-saving solutions,” says Eichhorn.
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Indoor Bulb Garden
A collection of pots is all you need to create an indoor flower garden like this one from @goodboneslondon. When it’s too cold outside to grow flowers, plant the bulbs indoors. The blooms will add color and cheer as you get through the gloomy months, and they’re super easy to care for. Simply water when the soil feels completely dry.
What we like: Terracotta pots are chic and affordable and can be moved around as needed to catch the best light.
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DIY Garden Tower
This indoor garden tower from @houseplusplant is actually a shower caddy that extends up to 10 feet tall. With full spectrum grow lights installed on each shelf, it transforms into a garden tower. This project can be placed in any corner of your home and help your plant babies thrive, even if you don’t get enough natural light.
What we like: “I usually go for full spectrum LED grow lights because I prefer something that can be used throughout all stages of life, from seedling to flower or fruiting,” says Eichhorn.
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DIY Coffee Table Garden
This garden and coffee table combo from @whoputalltheseplantshere functions as a coffee table, indoor greenhouse and piece of living art — all in one! She made it by lining the bottom tier of her coffee table with cardboard and plastic to make a watertight tray. Then she added soil and plants. The glass top traps in warmth and humidity to help the plants thrive.
What we like: “My favorite indoor garden option is creating DIY setups. This allows you to get creative with the style by creating something that suits your needs and is tailored to your living space,” says Eichhorn. “My goal is to create gardens that are functional, but would also look good in your living room.”
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Window Light Garden
Growing an indoor garden can be intimidating, but it’s good to remember that you don’t need a complicated system or advanced lighting knowledge. A simple set of shelves and tables near a window with good light can grow a lush and beautiful indoor garden. This example from @liz_is_outside shows just that, with flourishing plants and seedlings that are happy and healthy.
What we like: “The nice thing about using window light is it won’t add anything to your electric bill,” says Eichorn. “But keep in mind when relying on window light, a plant will curve towards the light source, so you will have to rotate the plants frequently to combat that.”
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@perkyplantparent Harvesting lettuce and greens from my lettucegrow farm stand tower! @lettucegrow #lettucegrowtogether #gardentips #indoorgardening #hydroponics ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
Lettuce Grow Tower
Watch as @perkyplantparent harvests fresh lettuce from her indoor grow tower to make a deliciously fresh salad. Grow towers like this one is another version of a smart garden. It’s a hydroponic system, which means it uses a water-based nutrient system instead of soil. The tower includes LED lights and is self-watering and self-fertilizing for guaranteed gardening success!
What we like: A tower like this one is practically fail-proof. You can even automate and remotely update the watering and lighting systems using an app on your phone.
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@ohtheplacesyoullgrow Full video of my setup is up on my Y ou Tübe 📺 Everything used to convert this IKEA Baggebo into a functioning greenhouse for plants is also Iinked on my BÏ 0 (custom acrylic shelves, grow lights, fans, cord covers, window sealing kit, etc…) I also made a multi-part series on building this DIY greenhouse and it’s in my TikTok playlist. This houses my hoyas, alocasias, and propagations. Would you try this DIY project? . . . . . #plantsoftiktok #planttok #ikea #ikeadiy #diy #diyinspiration #ikeagreenhousecabinet #greenhouse #plantcare #plantparenthood #plantmom #diyhomedecor #ikeagreenhouse #plantcaretips #ikeahack #ikeahacks ♬ End of Beginning – Djo
Indoor Greenhouse
A greenhouse creates the optimal growing atmosphere for your indoor garden. Follow along as @ohtheplacesyoullgrow converts a glass IKEA cabinet into a greenhouse using some weather stripping to hold in the humidity and an easy-to-use lighting system. The result is a home for happy plants and a pretty conversational piece for your home.
What we like: A greenhouse will help you grow healthy plants even if your home lacks the ideal gardening conditions.
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About the Experts
Russell Taylor is a soil, farming and gardening expert. He was honored as the Certified Crop Advisor Conservationist of the Year in 2023, is President of the Humic Products Trade Association and is Vice President of Live Earth Products, which mines and manufactures humic and fulvic acid-based products for use in agriculture, animal feeds, cosmetics, dietary supplements, organic gardening, and lawn care.
Chantell Eichhorn is a popular indoor gardening influencer who loves to share small-space gardening solutions on all her platforms. You can find her on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Originally Published: April 18, 2024
Author
Erica Young
Erica Young is a freelance writer specializing in home trends and lifestyle topics. Erica contributes regularly to Family Handyman and Taste of Home. Her byline has also appeared in POPSUGAR, The Belladonna, Your Tango, The Organized Mom, Reader's Digest and Curbly.
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