Beginner's Tips

Hey there, new gardeners! This one’s for all you kitchen garden enthusiasts that want to sow different varieties of indoor plants, both edible and the simply decorative ones too, who’d like to know simple, practical and home-grown wisdom regarding a garden that’s easy to maintain and provides for both body and soul nourishment.

While some people have all the luck and also large spaces to maintain kitchen gardens, others like those living in apartments, small spaces or those bereft of a backyard can still indulge in gardening as a hobby with making the best of growing potted vegetables, herbs, floral plants and indoor greens.

A good choice of flowering plants that do well even in limited areas of growth, like planter boxes and pots that have been prepped with potting soil are nasturtiums of the compact kinds such as Whirlybird and Copper Sunset.

Marigolds, Iceland poppies and smaller varieties of sunflowers are other options that are sure to happy up your indoor garden area. These are short, easy to care for and not likely to take over your walls like trailing plant varieties are prone to doing!

If choosing herbs for your indoor garden, even small tin-pot containers work well as long as you ensure the necessary sunlight (minimum 4 hours) and water nourishment is given them regularly; check a local nursery for pre-prepared soil-mixes as these contain the right balance of grub for indoor garden glories.

Do check for proper drainage (at the base) for your plant containers or punch holes if these are missing, so the excess moisture escapes and your plants get the necessary warmth too.

If planting herb seeds, try out an old home-gardener’s trick of pre-soaking them a couple of hours before planting in pots filled with potting soil; cover with a quarter inch more of soil after randomly scattering the seeds over the base soil and rosemary and thyme are sure to see you through the season with welcome aroma!