When there’s a bite in the air, the earth is frozen solid and you just can’t get the heat to spread all the way to your toes, there’s no need to go outside to benefit from the joys of gardening. Instead, easy maintenance indoor plants make it simple to cultivate botanicals in the warmth and comfort of your home. So, banish the winter blues, improve your air quality and exercise those green fingers, with these easy winter indoor gardening ideas.
Create a Herb Garden in Your Kitchen
Fresh herbs will bring a zing to your culinary creations, and they’re easy indoor house plants that anyone can grow. Find a sunny spot (a windowsill is ideal) and pot up some basil, coriander, mint or parsley, to instantly enliven your cooking. You can grow these herbs from seed from February onwards, or buy potted versions from your local supermarket or garden centre. Woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme, take longer to grow, so if you’re looking for quick results it’s better to buy these as plants.
Why not add more edibles to your culinary garden? Growing mushrooms is one of those indoor winter gardening ideas that matches the crop to the conditions: mushrooms prefer it when it’s cool, dark, and humid and are easy to maintain with minimal input.You can buy mushroom packs that are ‘ready-to-grow’ and are such fun for kids to see them develop.
Make Your Own Terrarium
There’s something endlessly fascinating about a miniature ecosystem enclosed under glass. And as a bonus, the slow-growing plants in a terrarium are some of the most easy maintenance indoor plants you can get. For ease of maintenance choose plants that are happy together as if in the wild so succulents and cacti are happy bedfellows as are ferns and other shade loving ‘jungle’ plants. Arrange them by first adding a layer of fine stones or gravel for drainage then add houseplant soil mixed with a few bits of charcoal to keep things fresh and small stones to complete a unique creation you’ll love. Once you’ve set up your terrarium, it just needs a spray with water every fortnight or so depending how warm or light your room is, in order to thrive.
Utilise your vertical space, with hanging plants
There isn’t always enough surface space for indoor plants. That’s where hanging baskets come into their own! Suspended from a hook on a ceiling or shelf, hanging plants can add visual interest to forgotten areas, and you’re often able to accommodate greater height, width and spread than with a conventional pot plant. While this is one of our more ambitious winter indoor garden ideas, it’s worth noting that plants suspended from tricky-to-reach areas can be more difficult to water and take care of with plant feed, so for easy maintenance hanging plants, choose a variety that doesn’t require too much TLC such as my firm favourite, The Spider Plant (chlorophytum).
Go Big!
To make an instant impact, why not splash out on a specimen plant like a Swiss Cheese Plant (monstera) or Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica or benjamina) if you have the space of course. They really make an impression and are a great talking point in a room and end up like part of the furniture.
Start Your Seeds Indoors
Indoor gardening is sometimes just a starting point. By sowing seeds indoors initially, then transferring them outside once the weather is warm enough, you can get a head start on the season and ensure that your crops have the best chance to thrive. There are many plants, including kale, beetroot, chillies, French beans, aubergines and sweet peppers, that can be started off as early as February, although some may need a heated propagator at this stage.