You may have said to yourself, “I live in an apartment.. How could I possibly garden when I don’t have a backyard, deck, or balcony?” Though having a large space for a garden in the backyard is nice, it is not necessary. Below you’ll find some tips on how you can create an urban oasis of green inside your small space.

Before beginning your urban garden oasis, there are three “S’s” to consider:

1.)    Space: How much space do you have? (counter tops? One or two corners?)

2.)    Sunlight: How much window sunlight do you have? (measured in hours)

3.)    Seeds: Depending on how much space and sunlight you have, pick the appropriate plant seeds.

For example, you may have large amounts of space with little sunlight. In that case, you’ll want to pick plants that need very little sunlight.

Or, you may have a very small but bright, sunny apartment with full-sized windows. In that case, you might want vertically-growing plants, or a variety of small, full-sun and partial-sun plants.

If you have no sunlight and little space (maybe consider moving), your options are limited to only a few plants that require very little sunlight. Of course, you can always buy a grow light in such cases.

Picking What to Grow: Plants, Flowers, Herbs, or Vegetables

Non-Edible Plants: there at least 18 varieties that are super-suited for indoor growing (that also require minimal sun!).

My favorite plants:

Bromeliad, Chinese Evergreen, Cast Iron Plant, Dracaena, Dumb Cane, English Ivy, Maidenhair, Fern, Parlor Palm, Peace Lily, Pepperomia, Philodendron, ZZ Plant

Plants can be expensive, so if you’re on a budget, consider growing from seed. Plants can take between a few months to a year to grow to a mature level, but you’ll save hundreds of dollars by growing them from seed. In addition, growing from seed is a great experience – it’s like raising a kid that doesn’t talk back!

Flowers: they can add wonderful flair and color accents to your space. In fact, flowers have been found to increase well-being, mood, and overall happiness in people. They’re trickier and more fickle than plants as they do not live forever, so be sure to know the difference between perennials and annuals. Despite the delicate nature of flowers compared to other plants, the rewards are well worth it. There’s nothing better than the smell and sight of blooming flowers on a crisp Sunday morning.

My favorite indoor flowers: Peace lily, African violet, Marigold, Begonia, Cactus (yes, cactus is a flower!), and Orchids.

Herbs: these are the easiest to grow and my personal favorite. Not only do they look great on a kitchen counter, they also give a nice smell to the space. Additionally, there’s nothing more satisfying than having herbs on-hand when cooking. Just pluck and stir! Herbs do need some light, so you’ll need to put them near a kitchen window for full growth. You can grow them easily from seed, and if you choose to do so, stagger the growing times so you’ll always have fresh herbs ready to eat.

My favorite indoor herbs:

Basil, Parsley, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary

With these herbs, you’ll able to cook almost anything. Nothing is more special than fresh herbs in a soup or sauce, and you can impress your guests by using them as food garnish!

Herbs are also great for cocktail garnish! Fresh mint in a mojito… mmhmmm.

Vegetables: vegetables are entirely possible to grow in your apartment, but you need to pick the right ones. Most people think of vegetable plants as purely for eating, but you’ll be amazed at how beautiful these plants can be regardless if you actually eat them. In my opinion, they’re a much more interesting decorative item than a non-edible plant. They often stir conversation, especially when they begin to produce fruit. A common question you’ll receive: What is that?? Whoa, that’s so cool!

Not all vegetable plants are created equal. For a small, indoor space, stay away from plants that grow exceptionally big (e.g., broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussel sprout, artichoke). They’ll evolve into a plant that resembles the 80’s hit movie Little Shop of Horrors.

Medium-sized vegetable plants I consider to be tomatoes, peppers, and some varieties of squash. You’ll need space and full sunlight for these, so despite their relatively modest sizes, they’re not ideal for indoor growing.

What you’re looking for is small-sized crops that grow rapidly.

My favorite indoor vegetables to grow:

Carrot, Celery, Green Onion, Arugula, Beans, Microgreens

These vegetables are modest in size and would be ideal for a small apartment or kitchen counter top.

Enjoy your urban garden!