Indoor Gardening
Why?
For those of us who live in cooler climates and long for fresh flavours in the winter or need a little colour in their houses during those dark dreary winter days gardening inside is a great solution. Also, if you live in an apartment and do not have the option of access to the ground, you can easily grow plants in pots on the balcony or in sunny windows.
Lighting
For the winter gardener, there are a few factors which seem to work against you. The first being sunlight. If you li
ve very north or very south, where the days get significantly shorter in your respective winters, sunlight may be hard to
come by in the deep winter. Also, if your house or apartment tends to be pretty dark, there are a couple of solutions.
Plant choice is very important. Some plants can survive dark periods but may go dormant. Dormancy is the plant’s way of
conserving energy until times get better but this is not what you want for herbs and fruit or vegetable producing plants.
The best solution is to get a grow light. These are often fluorescent tubes that can be purchased at garden centres or
through catalogue garden suppliers. With the added help of controlled light, plants can be tricked into producing some
very healthy and delicious foods.
Apartment gardening may seem tricky, but as long as you find a sunny spot, and water regularly you can be quite successful.
Plants that grow well in pots include herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley and chives and fruits/vegetables including tomatoes and peppers to name a few.
Non-Edible Plants
In my opinion ornamental houseplants are essential to a comfy house. There are hundreds of plant possibilities that can add colour
to your space. For those dark winter days, plants that flower specifically in the winter are perfect. Orchids, African violets, cyclamens
and Christmas cacti flower in December and January in the Northern hemispheres. Non-flowering plants that are particularly nice include ivy,
baby’s tear, succulent plants and cacti.
Keeping plants doesn’t have to be expensive. A thriftier alternative to purchasing live plants is to order seeds. It will take longer to
see results, but for many it’s worth it! Get your hands dirty and experiment. If something doesn’t make it, try another variety or move
onto a different kind of plant.
Nothing ventured nothing gained!
Brendan
