Flowers and living flower arrangements add to any room or home. And if you have a spare plant on hand they make a great gift for company or a birthday.

photo credit: >>>WonderMike<<<

At this time of year any plant adds beauty to a room and flowering bulbs are a fun, exciting and easy plant to start. The bulbs are often on sale at this time of year too.

Or you can take a bulb such as a daffodil an use his method of forcing a bulb to have a wonderful accent.

This you tube shows how easy it is to start a bulb. I like the glass vase that was used for this bulb. It add an artistic look to the arrangement.

I also enjoy tropical plants but they are a challenge in my home. I really do not have a lot of light in most rooms. Or the rooms with great lighting have a chill in the room.

This you tube has tips for growing tropical plants and how to work with them if they seem to be dying.

As this you tube points out, some plants need a resting period.Check the plants growing tag or look online or at the local library for more information on your plant variety.

House plants will also add color and even the look of additional space to apartments, patios and balcony gardens. Place plants outdoors in warmer weather and bring them indoors for the colder seasons

House plants add to any home and with a little care and knowledge you can have a lush garden.

Technorati Tags: balcony gardening, indoor plants, indoor plants for small spaces, patio plants, Small Space Garden

At this time of year, many people that are doing indoor gardening are using windowsill gardening methods or container gardening.

photo credit: striatic

For successful container gardening these 7 steps should be considered. These steps will work both indoors and outdoors.

1. Light
2. soil
3. humidity
4. temperature
5. water
6. the right container
7. feeding the plant

The following you tube will expand on the seven steps for container gardening and provide you will very useful information.

I have found over the last few years that container gardening is quickly becoming my favorite style of gardening. Its easy, the gardens can be moved and they can be covered during severe weather. I also bring many of my mini gardens in during the winter months.

Container gardening is also perfect for small space garden needs.

Technorati Tags: container gardening, gardening, indoor gardening, Small Space Garden, successful container gardening

Houseplants add life and character to your home, patio and balcony. They will also improve air quality. However, they can also take up valuable space on your floors and table tops, which is an important factor if space is limited.

photo credit: lostash

The best solution when adding plants indoors or out is to look for space you might not be using or would normally overlook.

If you have a free corner in your space, you can add hanging plants and floor plants. Avoid plants that produce a lot of lateral growth. Palms and the corn plant (which is tolerant of low light) are great for small spaces because all their foliage is at the top. Consider trailing plants like the sweetheart vine for hanging planters.

By the bottom of the plant grouping you could add colorful plants or garden art.

You have just used a space that is often overlooked and you will find by softening the edges of a space you will create a larger feel.

Its easy and fast to adapt an existing floor screen or replace it out for one that can hold potted plants. Add a window box to a window or place glass shelves higher in the window to give a feeling of extended space.  You may want to replace the pillar candle in a candle sconce with a small potted plant.

Wall-pocket planters will add color in the tiniest of spaces. Hang them nice and high. I also place small mirrors near the plants to add more light and carry the color of the plants.

You’d be surprised by the impact of a single tendril of ivy running down the length of your wall. Baby tears and other creepers are another good choice.

photo credit: Avia Venefica

Wall pocket can often be picked up at garage sales or a thrift shop for pennies. And the vintage look will add character to you room, patio or balcony.

And my favorite addition to any room is a vertical garden, or “living wall”. Each garden wall has it own unique look.

If your plants are for patio and balcony areas you may wan to consider how hardy they are. Will they handle wind and cold? Should they be brought in during the winter or just protected from wind and the elements?

One final consideration in adding plants to a small area is to carefully select the plants. You will only have room for a few in a small space design so try and get a few plants with height, a few vines and plants with a little color. You may also have to consider plants for low light areas.

Tip: Remove plants from the wall for watering to avoid damage to floors, walls or rugs.

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, small balcony design, small patio design, small space design

More people are returning to gardening and urban gardens are popping up anywhere a small unused space with adequate lighting can be found. Many suburbs and apartments have limited land or space, but urban gardens can be successfully planted using creative gardening techniques.
photo credit: briannaorg

First determine what plants you want to grow. Many flowers are edible and herbs also have culinary uses and add beauty to a garden. In small space gardening, a fundamental idea in urban gardening, it’s best to choose plants with multiple uses.

Herbs add color to the home but also have medicinal, crafting and culinary uses. And many flowers are edible.

Next decide on whether you will plants seeds or transplants. Seeds germinate quickly, will be a cheaper alternative in the long run and offer you a larger selection of varieties. Transplants will get your garden area going quicker and add a lush garden look to your living space instantly. And if you live in a shorter growing climate transplants will help you achieve a crop of produce quicker. But transplants are more expensive.

After selecting your crops you want to grow its time to tackle the urban gardeners biggest problem, space. Hanging planters, window boxes, container gardening and vertical gardening ideas will help with limited space issues. These topics should help with limited growing space.

Small Garden Design

Container Gardens and Hanging Baskets

A Very Berry Theme Garden
Vegetables can easily be grown in the urban garden. Tomato plants grow well in hanging baskets, as do strawberries. When selecting seeds or transplants for vegetables look for the small vegetable varieties, Mini pumpkins, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes are a few ideas.

And vining plants grown up a trellis will add more vegetables, flowers and privacy to your small urban garden setting. I like to mix vegetables and vining flowers on the same trellis for color and use. For example the scarlet runner bean has a beautiful flower and an excellent taste.

Fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, vine peach, miniature melons and even potted fruit trees will also grow in containers. A small space fruit garden will add an oasis feel to your home.

One other consideration for the urban gardener is adequate light or shade. Research your plant and garden selections to determine the light they need.

Plants that need more shade may do well on a porch area or balcony. Containers gardens have the option of being moved if the plants are receiving too much light and can be moved on a porch or behind a trellis or screen.

For plants that need abundant light, like tomatoes and peppers, locations with 8 hours of light are a look choice; porches, sun rooms and window boxes will also work well.

Urban gardens that get the right amount of light, proper soil and water will produce large crops and add color and fragrance to you small space garden area. You will also get a feel of more space with the lush rich look these plants will add to your home.

Technorati Tags: small space gardening, Urban gardening

Many people have limited garden space or want their garden as near to the house as possible. The perfect solution is to create a garden porch.
photo credit: hortulus

Your produce will be within walking distance, watering will be easy and you will have the added benefit of creating a garden oasis on your porch that will be enjoyed by family and friends.

The first step to a successful porch garden is to check the sunlight that your plants will receive. For a vegetable garden you will need 6 to 8 hours or sunlight. Flowers and herbs can live with less light but really prefer sunlight.

If sunlight is a problem and you really want the garden you can add fluorescent lighting to help your plants out.

Next it’s time to select containers. A mix of hanging baskets, window boxes, and larger containers for the floor will add a layering of plants which creates a full lush feeling in your garden area. You can choose plastic wood or ceramic containers. For retaining moisture, ceramic and terra cotta are the best.

My porch garden has two upside down hanging tomato plants, two hanging strawberry plants, two window boxes that have been placed on the porch railing, and 4 floor containers for the porch corner that will add height in planting to the garden.

It’s best to keep your plant containers about 16 inches or more in diameter so that the plants will not dry out as fast. It’s also beneficial to have mulch on the soil to keep the soil cool so it will not need as much water.
photo credit: Hotash

A trellis will work well for vining flowers and vegetables. Mixing a flowering vine with a vegetable will add color and interest to your porch garden.

It’s amazing what you can grow in a small space garden area. With proper planning you can grow enough produce on your porch to save $500 to $1000 on your grocery bill.

And by adding herbs and flowers you will also be able to grow you own spices for the kitchen and flower bouquets for the house and garden oasis area.

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis, container gardening, garden design, garden oasis, gardening, home and garden, porch garden, Small Space Garden