Living in a big city has some awesome perks: culture, entertainment, career opportunities and, of course, the people make urban life great.
However, unless you own a huge plot of land in the middle of the urban jungle, you most likely have zero green space.While you may not have any outside space to grow your dream garden, you do have a windowsill! Windowsill gardens are a staple for urban gardeners who lack space but still want to enjoy fresh herbs, spiky succulents and leafy vines. Keeping plants inside your home can clean and freshen the air, brighten your mood and add style to any urban space. We have some tips to make your windowsill gardens the talk of your apartment building.
The aromatherapy gardener
Nothing’s better than a fresh-smelling home. Ditch the air fresheners and infuse your apartment with natural scents by planting notably fragrant plants and herbs. Orchids are a great choice as they are not only beautiful but give off amazing scents as well. Some orchids give off a citrus scent, making them perfect for kitchen windowsills. Jasmine Polyanthum is also a fragrant plant that does well indoors.
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Put a small Jasmine plant on your bedroom windowsill to enjoy the sweet scent that the tiny star-shaped flowers produce all night long. However, the scent of a Jasmine plant can be overpowering. So if you’re going for a powerful scented plant, make sure it’s a scent that you won’t get tired of! Also, try not to mix too many scents together on one windowsill. Shoot for one strongly scented plant and fill the rest of the windowsill space with unscented greenery.
The lazy (and often forgetful) gardener
If you love the look of greenery in your house but tend to be a little forgetful when it comes to watering your plants, then you need plants that won’t mind a couple days of neglect. Various forms of cacti and waxy leaved plants are durable, yet beautiful additions to your windowsill that require very little water.
The Golden Barrel Cactus and Hawthoria are classic windowsill plants that both tend to stay small and also require very little water. A small Aloe Vera plant is also a great windowsill addition for the lazy gardener as it is super low maintenance and also produces fresh aloe that can be used to soothe skin irritations, treat sunburn and even heal cold sores. In terms of herbs, sage is perfect for those who often forget to water, as the perennial plant is known for being drought-resistant.
Photo Credit: Pinterest via facilisimo.com
The Top Chef gardener
Photo credit: Pinterest via DIY Network
Whether it’s winter in downtown Chicago or summer in downtown Miami, as long as you have enough light coming through your window, you can grow great-tasting herbs to spice up your recipes, right on your windowsill! Basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme, parsley and more can all be grown on your windowsill, all you need is a sunny (preferably south-facing) window.
A great organizational technique is to separate herbs into individual small terra-cotta pots and to use white or colored chalk to write the name of the herb on it. It’s a simple way to distinguish between them and also add some style to your herb display. With patience and proper watering, you’ll be cooking with fresh hand-picked herbs in no time. Herbs not only taste amazing, but have great health benefits as well. Basil and rosemary are both loaded with anti-oxidants, thyme is known to fight help stop stomach aches, coughing and even bronchitis and oregano has been known to help smooth skin and reduce acne, just to name a few.
The picture perfect gardener
There’s no shame in wanting a windowsill garden so aesthetically pleasing that it practically begs to have its picture taken. If you want an urban garden space that’s unique, harmonious and makes you smile just looking at it, succulents are a great option. Not only are these plants pretty, but also the options for organizing them are limitless.
From beautiful pots to hanging glass orbs, you can create a windowsill display that wows your guests. Also for a plant that beautifully cascades down your windowsill, try a rosary vine, as the heart shaped leaves are beautiful and the vines can grow to more than ten feet in length. Having a mix of short and tall plants, potted and hanging baskets and dark and light leaved plants can give a picture perfect look to your windowsill garden.
Photo Credit: Pinterest via littlepieceofme.com
*While succulents are one of the easiest plants to maintain, they still aren’t indestructible. Follow the link here to learn specifics on keeping your succulents alive and well.
http://simplicityrelished.com/avoid-killing-your-succulents/
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