So, you’ve moved to Pune hoping to kickstart your adult life on a high note. You did your research, found a 1BHK flat for rent near Magarpatta City and you’re all set to move in. But as you unpack your stuff and look around the simple apartment, you find yourself wishing it had a little bit more personality. Something to bring life to the blank walls. But investing in decor items doesn’t seem worth the effort or money. Luckily, there’s a simple and affordable way to give your space an upgrade. All you need to do is set up an indoor garden for yourself. And we’ve got the easiest three step process for you to do it.
Hold on a minute though. Perhaps you’re a little worried about setting up a garden. Maybe you’ve never had to look after a plant or you’re worried you don’t have a green thumb. Perhaps you’d rather know the pros and cons before you set up a garden in your space. Well, lucky for you, there are basically no cons at all when it comes to creating an indoor garden. Because having some plants in your space won’t just brighten up your flat, it’ll cool down your space and improve the air quality too. Plus, there’s an endless variety of plants that you can grow indoors, so you could even opt to grow a DIY herb garden and save yourself some money in the kitchen. If that’s not all, research shows that having plants around can have a positive impact on your mood and make you feel less stressed. So, 3…2…1, let’s garden!
Step 1: Finding the perfect spot
Before you dash out the door to your nearest nursery to find some green babies, it’s important for you to find a place for them to grow. You probably remember this from school, but plants require sunlight to grow. So, the first thing you need to do is identify the parts of your flat that receive a lot of natural light. These will be ideal for your plants to thrive in. You probably won’t have much trouble getting your plants to grow in the summer and south-facing windowsills and balconies are the perfect spots for tropical plants in the winter. But even if your flat isn’t too well lit, you needn’t fear. There are some hardy herbs and succulents that don’t need much light to grow and prefer shady spots, so you can find a place for them on your shelf or desk too.
Step 2: Choosing the plants and seeds
Once you’ve found the perfect spot for your indoor garden, it’s time to populate it with your plant babies. Now it’s no secret that gardening is a fruit of labour and patience. But that doesn’t mean that you need to wait ages to witness success. If you’re dying for a spot of colour for your flat, go ahead and buy a flowering plant from your local nursery and place them in cute planters. But if you want to experience the joy of watching your plants grow from scratch, simply invest in some seeds. (You could even use some seeds from your kitchen for this purpose). Plant your seeds in some damp soil or a small cotton lined plastic container and wait for the roots to grow. Once they grow to a couple of inches in length, transplant them into a well-potted container to grow to adulthood. You’ll feel super proud of yourself as they grow.
Step 3: Feeding and maintenance
All plants have different needs when it comes to hydration. Some require a daily sprinkling while others can go weeks without being hydrated. Make sure that you find out what your plant babies require. It’s best to err on the side of caution and not drown your plants in water. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that the soil is moist rather than soaking wet or bone dry. Keep a spray bottle handy so that you can give your garden a good misting if it seems too dry. At the same time, your plants will require a bit of maintenance as they grow. You might need to transplant them to a bigger pot, add fertiliser to the soil after a few months, or trim off any dead leaves or brown spots. But with a little TLC, they’re sure to grow healthy and strong and be the touch of life that your flat really needs.
Of course, if you choose to live in a professionally managed accommodation like Stanza Living, your room is going to be a vibrant and well-decorated space that reflects your personality already. But a few desktop plants can level up even that impeccable aesthetic. So, no matter where you live in Pune, an indoor garden can be yours in just three easy steps.