Not all people are afforded the privilege of having an extra lot at home for gardening and this presents an extra challenge for a garden enthusiast who loves plants. Indoor gardening is a great alternative and gives the green-thumb the opportunity to show off his or her skills in tending plants inside the home.

You may never realize that your home is a climate zone, but indeed it is, making it one of the best places to do gardening. The controlled temperatures provided by heating in cold months and cooling during summer time create a comfortable environment that is just right for houseplants. Because most houseplants are related to plants that grow naturally in warm climates, your home can allow jungle plants, and even desert plants. to grow and thrive yea-round no matter what the weather is outside.

You can buy houseplants in gardening stores, supermarkets, or discount stores. For the more adventurous, you could to the woods and pick out plants that are attractive and easily transplanted. Just make sure you are familiar with the plant. You don’t want to unwittingly bring in to your home a poisonous plant.

There are many exciting and unusual plants from which to choose some with interesting leaves, some with beautiful flowers or fruits, some that climb, some with unusual shapes. Sometimes plants can be found at sales by garden clubs or charitable groups. Picking out a plant that you like is just the beginning of the pleasures that indoor gardening can bring.

What You Need

Well-lit Space For plants to grow well, they need an area that receives bright natural light but usually not direct sunlight. All plants need light to make food, but most houseplants in their native habitats grow in shaded woodlands or jungles. Only desert plants, such as cacti, need plenty of bright sunlight.

A Pot, Soil and Fertilizer Unless you try to grow a plant form seed, which can be difficult, your plant will come with a small pot and some soil. (You eventually may need a larger pot to accommodate your growing plant.) Clay pots and plastic pots are both good choices for houseplants. The pot should have a hole in the bottom so water can drain out. Put a saucer under the pot to catch water.

Potting soil can be purchased already mixed, or you can mix it yourself. Use a half part garden soil, one fourth part peat moss or leaf mold, one fourth part clean, coarse sand, and add one teaspoon slow-acting fertilizer (such as bone meal) for each quart of soil. Mix it well.

You will also need some all-purpose fertilizer, which contains minerals that the plant needs to grow. There are many kinds of fertilizers. Some fertilizers are powders that you mix with water, others are already liquid, and still others are solid sticks or tablets. This last kind dissolves a little each time the plant is watered, giving a slow, steady feeding.