| Plants add a wonderful touch to any décor, | | | | attractive is to plant them in beautiful pots. These |
| be it Colonial American, or Modern Minimalistic. With | | | | don't have to be expensive and there are a wide |
| your indoor garden, you are adding a touch of | | | | variety of materials used to make these pots; many |
| whimsy or a living work of art. And any grade school | | | | of which are made to look as if they are made from |
| student can tell you that plants offer a health benefit | | | | a more expensive materials. If you are reusing a pot, |
| too by breathing in the carbon dioxide that we | | | | make sure you clean it well before potting a new |
| exhale, and exhaling oxygen which we need. Here are | | | | plant so to ensure that you are not transmitting any |
| some helpful tips for beginners on making your indoor | | | | bugs or infections to your new plant. |
| garden flourish. | | | | When you repot a plant because it has outgrown its |
| Lighting requirements: | | | | old one, make the new pot only 2" in diameter larger |
| All plants need some amount of light. But you have | | | | than the old one. You want you plant to continue to |
| to be careful how much and what kind of light your | | | | grow, but you don't want to freak the roots out by |
| indoor garden gets. Before you buy plants, keep | | | | having too much space. Roots don't want to be pot |
| track of what kind of light and how much each room | | | | bound, but then again, they need to be able to firmly |
| gets. Then you can go to your local nursery and | | | | anchor the plant and a pot that is too big will weaken |
| check the labels on plants you are interested in. A | | | | the roots by making them work too hard to reach |
| plant you thought might be best for your bright living | | | | the boundaries of their pot. |
| room may be better off in your dimly lit den. You | | | | Humidity: |
| may also be surprised to find a plant for your indoor | | | | Winter air can be harmful to your indoor garden |
| garden that you had never even thought of before | | | | because it is so very dry. To counter this effect, use |
| you had to take into account the lighting in a specific | | | | a plant mister in the morning to simulate natural dew |
| room. | | | | and help keep your indoor garden well hydrated. The |
| Some typical indoor garden plants that require low to | | | | same approach applies in summer weather if you live |
| medium light are Philodendrons, Cyclamens, African | | | | in an area that requires air conditioning. Air conditioned |
| violets, Boston ferns, and Creeping Fig. Along with | | | | air can be very dry and your plants need a little help. |
| the Boston fern, there are many types of ferns that | | | | Also make sure to dust your plants periodically with a |
| require low to medium light levels and are a beautiful | | | | damp, soft cloth to ensure your plant is able to |
| addition to an indoor garden. A helpful tip is that | | | | breathe well. |
| darker leaved plants typically need less light that their | | | | Fertilizing: |
| lighter leaved cousins. | | | | Just as people tend to over water their indoor |
| Watering Needs: | | | | gardens, they also tend to over fertilize them. Each |
| The easiest way to kill a plant is to over water it. | | | | plant has specific fertilizing needs, so do some |
| And that is a common mistake people make with | | | | research to determine what kind and how much |
| their indoor gardens. A plant I the wild has a vast | | | | fertilizer your indoor garden needs. Basic indoor plant |
| drainage system in which to get rid of excess water. | | | | fertilizer can be bought at your local nursery and |
| Your indoor plants do not. Research your plant to | | | | even at your local grocery store during the spring |
| find out their exact watering needs. Most nurseries | | | | and summer months. If you are brave enough to |
| sell hydrometers that can help you gauge the | | | | grow orchids, you will have to buy a special fertilizer |
| moisture content of the soil so you can prevent over | | | | for them. |
| watering. | | | | With a little research, you can have a wide variety of |
| Potting Choices: | | | | beautiful plants in your indoor garden and enjoy them |
| One way to make your indoor garden even more | | | | for years to come. |