Starting and Maintaining Indoor Gardens

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If you’re yearning to boost new life into a stale-looking apartment, a few trendy pieces of art or new furniture can spruce things up. But there’s an even more economical solution that truly will breathe life…plants.

If you’re not the greatest gardener, don’t fear, with the right guidance, you can develop a green thumb, or at least a green pinky. It will take a valiant commitment to watering and feeding but you’ll be rewarded with cleaner air and reduced dust and allergens.

Here’s how to get started:

• Be creative with your planters! Tons of common household items, from old buckets to funky coffee mugs, can be turned into plant homes.
• For the best air-cleansing results, plan on two to three full-sized plants for each 100- to 150-square-foot-room.
• Also try to purchase enough plants so that you have one in each sleeping area or in any other areas where a significant amount of time is spent.

Choose your plants based on your experience level, as well as the amount of time you plan to dedicate to the maintenance of your indoor garden.

• Beginners/Low Maintenance - pothos (green leafy), spider plant (hanging plant), snake plant (tall, compact foliage), cattleya orchid (pretty exotic-looking plant)
• Moderate Care - dragon trees, sword fern, jade plant (small treelike plants)
• Almost-Qualifies-as-Pets Plants - bonsai (manicured little trees), orchids (beautiful, exotic-looking plants)

You can always ask an expert in the gardening section to help you out. Most importantly, read the labels! Plants are not all the same: temperature, water, and light needs vary widely. So read the labels and be honest with yourself. Don’t buy a plant that needs to have its moisture level checked daily if you’re a fair-weather friend to living things.

You’ve done your shopping, packed and unpacked your trunk, and now your living room could be confused for a tropical jungle. Don’t be too hard on yourself—it’s natural for first-time plant-owners to go a little overboard.

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