Gardening is a hobby with growing popularity. It has taken over most hobbies as the most widely practised and is even considered therapeutic. Gardening not only enables us to grow our food, but it also allows us to beautify our surroundings and relieve stress all at the same time.
You might feel envious when you live in an apartment without an outdoor space and your friends have a garden bursting with an abundance of life and fresh greenery.
Don’t be too worried though; with these five budget steps, you can transform even a little corner into your slice of paradise.
1. Think big
The bigger you go, the more settled and mature your garden will feel. Settle only for the biggest tree or shrub you can afford (Nurseries often offer a warranty). If you have access to a wholesale nursery, you may get a large shrub in full flower for a bargain.
2. Use LED Grow Light
The lack of stability offered by natural light means that the LED grow light often becomes a close friend. LED glow lights will let you extend your growing season into winter.
Artificial grow lights for indoor plants can allow your plants to survive even in the shadiest corners of the apartment.
The era of relying on a sunny window for growing plants indoors has long since passed. These LED lights mean that you can plant your shrubs and crops year-round, and at any location, you may desire.
They give you a certain degree of freedom to position your garden within the apartment since you no longer need to watch out for sun availability. So you can decorate your indoor garden however you wish.
3. Add structure
Plan out which plants should occupy your garden. You can start with the evergreens (plants that don’t shed their leaves as the season changes), they will act as the backbone by giving your garden structure throughout the year. You can repeat the same plant in particular patterns (box balls or yew columns) to make a pleasing framework. Some evergreens also look beautiful, like the plate-like glossy leaves of Paper-plant, the blooms of camellias, or the glittering silver spears of Maori flax among others, and may occupy different parts of your garden as they please the eye. Numerous plants are available for various color palettes like gold, creamy, or silver cheese-woods.
4. Create a focal point
Adding a strong feature serves to draw the eye away from other less-than-perfect areas of your garden. Especially in a small garden, plant a container dramatically to attract eyes to it, and as a positive side, the larger the container, the less often you need to water it.
You can also group numerous containers but, keep in mind that less is more. The containers should preferably be of similar size and shape and made of the same materials (a colored resin for a modern look, weathered terracotta for a traditional look, or galvanized steel for an urban look).
5. Penny-pinch with plants
For a budget garden, you may need to grow your plants from cuttings or seeds, swap plants with your neighbours and friends, and even make your compost. Be smart about purchases, like buying bulbs in autumn while they are very cheap and make sure you purchase herbaceous and perennials rather than annuals that last only a year.
Bare root plants are reasonably cheap in autumn or winter, so you can purchase them in the stead of container-grown ones in spring and summer. Don’t get discouraged by the slow pace of growth for shrubs you want. You should exercise some patience, and your shrubs will eventually get as big as you want them.
You can make a bold statement by getting three identical containers and rooting the same plants in them (you can change the plants as the season changes). It is a common trick in show gardens and works well for indoor gardens too.
Final Thoughts
Ensure you plan what you want to do with your garden carefully before attempting to establish it.
These steps let you make a fantastic garden in a tiny amount of time and still be within your budget. Take up small ideas that you can add together, and use them to transform your indoor garden into a state-of-the-art beauty.
Forget that envy for outdoor gardens. With these few steps, you can match them in elegance with your indoor garden without having to reach above your budget.