Innovative Indoor Garden Ideas

You’ve finally snagged your coveted Upper East Side apartment for rent, now, what are you going to do with it? No doubt it looks fabulous as is, especially if you’ve set up shop in a place as lovely as Renoir House. There are a few improvements you can make, however, that require little in the way of effort and will go a long way in making your space that much more appealing.

Specifically, we’re talking about setting up a fabulous indoor garden. It’s a simple enough task that even a raw beginner can accomplish a suitable DIY solution, and there’s a wealth of information out there to get you started down the right path.

Which is exactly what we’re bringing to you today. Read on, because we’re about to explore how you can nail that indoor garden on your first try, and provide a few ideas to help you experiment with various permutations of your indoor paradise once you become more experienced.

Why Try Indoor Gardening?

You might be wondering, “what’s the point in even doing this?” A fair question, and if the prospect of making your apartment appear more beautiful and the fact that indoor gardens are currently one of the hottest apartment trends on the block right now isn’t enough, then perhaps this passionate defense of the hobby from Brit + Co will be enough to get you in the mood:

“It makes nothing but sense that more and more people are making plants part of their decor. Not only are they beneficial for air quality, but there’s nothing like a little greenery to lift your spirits and remind you that spring is right around the corner.”

If nothing else, trying your hand at a bit of gardening will bring some joy into your life. That’s more than enough reason to give it a shot, and there are just a few steps you’ll have to complete to make it a reality.

Step One: Building a Basic Garden

It’s obvious that your plants can’t just grow anywhere in your apartment space, and since you’re indoors, you can’t just set up some pots on the patio and call it a day. You’ll need to think strategically. You’ll have to dedicate a space in your home that gets plenty of sunlight (near a window, naturally), and set your plants up in a way that makes optimal use of your available space.

There are plenty of ways to go about it, but one of the best collection of indoor planting arrangements we’ve seen comes by way of Apartment Therapy and their guide: 15 Indoor Garden Ideas for Wannabe Gardeners in Small Spaces.

Among the many varieties of planting ideas, you’ll see a common theme — maximizing vertical space. Whether you bolt your plants to the wall, use a rolling planter with multiple levels, or set up a pallet or wire structure from which to hang your pots, the idea is to get as many plants in as possible without clogging up a bunch of floor space. Once you’ve identified the look that appeals to you most, grab your materials, assemble your planting arrangement, and proceed to our next step.

Step Two: Select Your Plants and Start Growing

This step is almost as easy as finding some seeds, planting them, and caring for them as they grow. We need to stress the word “almost,” though, because you still need to select what plants will work for your indoor space.

Thankfully, there are plenty of “beginner plants” available that are hardy, forgiving, and easy to care for if you’re a newbie. Five such options come to us by way of Life Storage Blog, and include:

The Snake Plant: a waxy, sharp-leafed plant that absorbs carbon dioxide during the day and releases oxygen at night — the opposite of many other plant species.

The Aloe Vera Plant: the instantly-recognizable succulent whose gel is used as medicine for cuts, burns, rashes, and abrasions.

The Spider Plant: a common houseplant whose leaves can be cut, re-planted, and grown into new Spider Plants.

The English Ivy: known for improving air quality by filtering benzene and formaldehyde from the air (a must have if you know any smokers).

The Chinese Evergreen: which thrives even in low light conditions and requires very little attention to remain healthy.

In addition to those five strong offerings, you can take a look at 10 others recommended by HuffPost, which are specifically suited for growing in a vertical-style apartment garden:

Pothos

Lipstick Plant

Sword Fern

Rabbit’s Foot Fern

Cretan Brake Fern

Wedding Vine

Peace Lily

Dracaena

Crotons

Philodendron

Once you’ve got the plants you like picked out, you’ll have to locate your seeds, plant them, and care for them as they grow. This might seem intimidating if you’ve never grown anything before, but The Old Farmer’s Almanac has some helpful Tips and Tricks for Starting Seeds Successfully that you should review:

Be seed savvy.

Make a list of what you’d like to grow.

Prepare for some losses.

Team up with a neighbor.

Don’t start your seeds to early.

You may have to soak, scratch, or chill seeds before planting.

Use clean containers.

Label your containers now.

In general, you should try to get familiar with the types of plants you want to grow, which means doing some research about what kind of soil they like, how much water/sunlight they need, etc. With just a bit of knowledge, you can create a beautiful indoor garden that will be the envy of all your friends and neighbors.

That Upper East Side Apartment for Rent Is Probably Looking Much More Attractive Now

Not that it wasn’t attractive before, mind you. Places like Renoir House are hailed for their inimitable beauty. Take one look at some of the amazing interiors and you’ll likely see why. Spacious studios, one bedrooms, and two-bedroom apartments with interiors that are designed in a manner quite unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s the perfect recipe for luxury living, right here on the beautiful Upper East Side of Manhattan.