A new generation of people who garden in cities has grown up and brought their ideas to living in apartments. Apartment gardening has never been more popular or easy, whether you want to grow low-maintenance succulents or a full crop of vegetables. These 26 tips help new gardeners grow their green. ### Why Should I Grow a Garden in My Apartment? The benefit of traditional gardening is getting back in touch with nature and making your space look better. But apartment gardening is also important in its own way. **Improve your health.** Studies show that being around plants can make you feel better, lower your stress, make you more productive, and improve the air quality in your apartment. Aside from the fact that having plants in your home can be therapeutic, the act of gardening itself can help you feel better and lessen bad feelings. **Clean the Air** Some indoor plants clean the air and get rid of harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene. Large, leafy plants and pots with English Ivy, Spider Plants, and pretty as a picture Peace Lilies are good places to start. **Get in touch with nature** If you live in an apartment, it can be hard to connect with nature without going to a park or driving to the country. But if you grow plants in your apartment, nature comes to you. We already know that gardening and plants are good for our health, but being in nature also lowers blood pressure, reduces the amount of stress hormones in the body, and boosts the immune system. **Don't throw away food.** Studies show that up to half of the fruits and vegetables we buy end up in the trash. Even though indoor gardening may not be able to take care of all of your produce, it can help you waste a lot less food. ### How to Plant a Garden in an Apartment Here's what to plant in your indoor garden if you want to bring nature into your apartment or grow food to stock your kitchen. **Herbs** Herbs are one of the easiest things to grow in an apartment garden, and they can be used in the kitchen. You can use basil to make pesto, chives in salads and main dishes, mint in cocktails in the evening, and oregano in your favorite pasta dish. **Vegetables** It's not hard to grow tasty vegetables in your apartment for a side dish or salad. Small spaces can be used to grow carrots, scallions, radishes, tomatoes, and even potatoes. **Fruits** Getting fruit to grow in an apartment takes a little more work, but it's not impossible. You can grow dwarf lemon or lime trees in your apartment, but it will take them years to bear fruit. Some people buy plants that already have fruit on them and then keep up with their growth and care for the following year. If you have a window with a lot of light, you can put a garden box on the windowsill and grow fresh strawberries for a summer salad or mixed drinks. You can also grow an avocado from its pit, but it will take years for it to grow and bear fruit. **Microgreens** Microgreens are small green vegetables that are picked after the cotyledon, which is part of the embryo inside the seed, starts to grow. Microgreens can be picked within a few weeks, unlike most vegetables and herbs. These tiny greens are full of good things for your body, like potassium, magnesium, copper, and antioxidants. Some enterprising renters even run small microgreen businesses from their apartments. ### 26 Tips and Tricks for Gardening in an Apartment Here are some things to think about before you put on your gardening gloves and try to grow plants, vegetables, and fruit in your apartment. **1. Make a map of your area** For apartment gardening to work, we need to make a plan of our space. Figure out where you can put or hang things like bookcases to help your plants grow. You'll also need a place to drain your garden after watering it, so make sure your sink is big enough or that you have enough lids and plates to put under your pots and planters. **2. Start with small plants like succulents** No matter where you live, succulents are plants that don't need much care and can grow inside an apartment if they get enough light. Aloe vera is a good choice and can help heal kitchen burns. Or, if you're a beginner, try growing a Zebra or Panda Plant. **3. Take a look at your schedule** Even the simplest plants can take time to take care of the right way. Choose plants that can grow quickly based on how much time you can spend on your new garden. If you have a lot going on at work and in your social life, choose plants that don't need much care. Growing species that need a lot of care can be hard, but it can be very rewarding for homebodies and freelancers who work from home. **4. Think about the layout of your apartment** Choose your first plants based on where your windows are and how much light you have in the room. Some apartment garden plants need only a little light to grow well, while others need direct sunlight for many hours a day. **5. No Windows, No Problem** Even if your apartment has no windows, that doesn't mean you can't garden inside. If your apartment doesn't get much natural light, choose plants that do well in low-light areas. You can start with weeping figs, peace lilies, ivy, money plants, and fittonias. **6. Use the light you have** All of you lucky apartment owners with multiple windows and a lot of direct sunlight will be able to grow a wide range of house plants like cacti, succulents, and tropical flowers. **7. Improve your cooking skills** Indoor kitchen gardens are great for people who like to cook at home and care about their health. There are almost too many tasty plants to grow, from artisanal lettuce to mini tomatoes. Don't forget to add some flavor to your next meal now that you have herbs close by. Use the window in your kitchen to grow small herbs with all the flavors you like to add to your food. **8. Add flowers to make things look better** Flowers can give your space more color and life. Choose annuals and wildflowers like pansies, geraniums, petunias, and begonias that will bloom beautifully without taking up a lot of space. **9. Think up and down** The key to indoor gardening in a studio or efficiency apartment is to grow things up instead of out. Try putting up vertical planters that give plants more room to grow. Choosing plants that are thin and tall will also free up space. **10. Make use of your window sills** Window ledges are prime real estate in your apartment and can be used to make a window garden with long, rectangular planters and small pots. It's important to choose plants that do well in full sun, but make sure to turn them so they don't grow against the glass in the direction of the sun. **11. Let the Air Breathe** Plants can clean the air, so putting them in the rooms you use the most could be good for your health. Bring some fresh air and new life into your bathroom, laundry room, or other small spaces. Play around with macramé Macramé planters are useful and also look nice in an apartment. You can hang them even in the smallest spots. Start with ivy and other vines that cascade down the sides of the planter to make it look interesting. **13. Splash on some color** You can add fun pops of color with the plants you grow and the pots you choose. Look for planters with bright colors and different shapes and textures. Mix and match them to make a lively display that you and your plants will love. **14. Do something different with planters** There are so many different and creative planters out there that you can show off your quirky side. The Chia Pet and all of its different versions have always been a favorite, but you can also find a lot of other fun planters in stores and online. Yes, you can even get a Baby Yoda Chia Pet to make sure you always have the force with you. **15. Stick to a plan for watering** Each plant has its own needs and how much water it needs. No matter what kinds of plants you choose for your indoor garden, it's important to water them according to their needs. If you water all of your plants at the same time, no matter what kind they are, you may end up giving them too much water. **16. Use Your Resources** Even experienced gardeners look at the care instructions that come with their plants to make sure they meet the plants' needs for water, soil, and light. Also, the Internet has a lot of information about how to take care of your plants based on their species and where you live. **17. Don't forget about the dirt** Plant health and growth depend on the type of soil. Many plants like soil that is more acidic or neutral, with a pH level of 7.0 or above. Fertilize plants in pots, but don't add too much regular potting soil to keep the balance. You can keep water from getting stuck in the planter because of compacted soil by putting a single layer of rocks at the bottom. Most plants need drainage holes in the bottom of a pot or planter to stay healthy, but you can still use them for Oleander and Snake Plants if your favorite doesn't have any. **18. Spend money on new tools** The gardening tools of today are too useful, effective, and stylish to pass up for cheap ones. Choose your gardening tools based on how much you know about gardening, from nothing to a lot. At the very least, you'll need gloves, a garden fork or hand cultivator, a trowel, pruning shears, a utility bucket, and planters that fit the space in your apartment. **19. Think about how humid it is** Greenhouses that can be moved around aren't just for balconies and roof terraces. They can also be used to help plants grow in an apartment that has low humidity. Some plants, like dracaena, begonias, and ferns, do better in high to medium humidity. **20. Make a wall of plants** Make your whole wall look like a green oasis! Green walls, also called "living walls," are gardens that grow up the side of a wall. To grow a living wall, you'll need a place to get water, a place for water to drain, and a lot of sunlight. Make sure your landlord is okay with the addition and that the walls are properly treated before you start. Here, you can find out how to make a living wall. **21. Add plants to your home decor** Unique apartment decor can be made with the right plants, pots, and leaves. You can start by hanging plants near your windows or putting colorful pots in a row on your mantel or shelf. If you hang your plants on the wall and put an old frame around them, you can make a living piece of art and a topic of conversation for your apartment. **22. Change the use of an old pharmacy table** In the past, doctors and pharmacists kept medicines on apothecary tables. Today, these tables can be used as a place to store socks and underwear, makeup and bathroom items, hats, gloves, and other small things. You can also use an old apothecary table to grow plants inside. Put small bins or planters in the drawers to protect them even more. Then, arrange succulents and other small, light plants in a creative way to make a garden for your apartment. On an oak table, there is an arrangement of fake spring flowers in painted canning jars. **23. Put things in Mason jars** Mason jars are a cheap way to show off your green thumb in a stylish way. Usually, mason jars work best for herbs like parsley, lavender, thyme, and basil. Keep them in the kitchen, and when you're cooking, grab a few sprigs of parsley. For a creative touch, you could also put a cactus, a Watch Chain Plant, or a House Holly Fern in a painted or colored mason jar. **24. Put a ladder against the wall** You can put a leaning ladder bookcase or plant ladder stand just about anywhere in your apartment to show off your plants. Keep your garden in place by putting the lighter pots on top and the heavier items on the lower shelves. **25. Try a towel rack.** A towel bar isn't just for the bathroom. Attach it to a wall in your apartment's kitchen, living room, entryway, or anywhere else to make a neat garden area. Towel hooks can be used to hang small plant pots and make sure they stay in place. **26. Use a pegboard in the kitchen** Usually, things like oven mitts and spatulas are hung on a pegboard in the kitchen. Try using a few rods or hooks to turn your pegboard into a makeshift vertical garden. Just hang your plants near a window, and from your favourite room in the apartment, you can watch them grow.