Creative Indoor Gardening
by Pamela Kock

Even if your house is filled with lush greenery and bountiful blooms, are you really gardening? Re-potting, grooming, watering and propagating houseplants are important, but it’s the creative expression involved with arranging your interior landscape that really makes you a gardener. Plant a garden inside your house!

A simple arrangement of individually potted plants that complement each other is one option. But to really get the feel of gardening, try planting compatible varieties together in a large container. Since space is limited and plants will eventually need to be re-potted, it’s best to keep them in individual containers and disguise the pots by adding soil above the rims or covering them with moss.

Planter Garden

The simplest indoor garden is the planter garden – usually a long trough, but any large container will do. Fill the bottom with a layer of gravel to promote adequate drainage, and fill the spaces between individual pots with moist peat. You may wish to turn the pots occasionally to prevent the plants from rooting in the gravel – this makes it less stressful for the plants when they need to be re-potted.

Hanging Garden

For impact, nothing beats a hanging pot filled with different varieties of trailing plants. Choose a waterproof container, and fill the spaces between the pots with moist peat. Always use a lightweight potting soil, and be sure that the ceiling hook can bear the weight of the pot even with added water. Rotate the basket occasionally to promote even growth.

Dish Gardens

Succulents and cacti can be arranged together in a shallow dish for an interesting display. Make sure the dish has drainage holes, and fill with a peat-based mixture. If you wish, add attractive rocks and pebbles for contrast. These plants are generally slow growing and the garden should last for years before re-potting is needed.

Fish Tank Garden

Do you have an unused aquarium gathering dust in the basement or attic? Similar to terrariums, the fish tank garden provides an excellent habitat for delicate plants that prefer high humidity. Begin by placing a layer of coarse gravel and charcoal at the bottom, then add a couple inches of potting soil – a seed starting mixture is ideal. Landscape the soil into hills and valleys, adding rocks and pebbles if desired. Depending on the plants, you may wish to leave the top open or cover it. Place the terrarium in a well-lit spot out of direct sunlight, and if condensation appears, open the top to vent.

Miniature Garden

Constructing a miniature version of an outdoor garden can be a fun hobby. Choose a large, shallow container lined with gravel and filled with a peat-based soil mixture, and incorporate dwarf varieties, plants with tiny leaves, mosses, and bonsai. Be creative; add a tiny house, a pond, a miniature stone pathway. Upkeep can be time consuming and these gardens are not for beginners, but the mini garden can be a terrific outlet for creative expression.

Whatever type of indoor garden you choose, the most important thing is to choose plants that are compatible with regard to light and water requirements and make sure the container has adequate drainage. Select varieties that complement each other with different shades and colors of foliage and flowers, and be prepared to re-pot and re-arrange your garden when the plants get too crowded. Don’t restrict yourself to the ideas mentioned here – use your creativity and these basic guidelines to invent an indoor garden of your own.

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