Adding a few plants makes any space feel more lively, colorful and inviting, but smaller spaces like apartments can be a challenge to adorn with greenery. You have to consider factors including light, humidity and space -- not to mention design considerations to help your home look great.
The good news is that you can garden in your apartment, whether you live in a sunlit studio or a railroad walk-up. Here are six expert tips for growing houseplants, flowers, veggies and more in your apartment.
Choose the right plants
Succulents and other slow-growing plants will be easier to maintain in a smaller space.
When space is tight, it's important to think through which houseplants to bring home. You'll want to consider not only light needs, but also a plant's mature height and width to ensure it will be a good fit for your space.
"Some of the faster-growing house plants, like Monstera adansonii, are so cute in that little 6-inch pot when you buy them at the store. But if you're providing a good environment, it could be triple the size in six months," says Justin Hancock, horticulturist with houseplant nursery Costa Farms. "If you don't want to have to prune it back and deal with that maintenance, then that may not be the best choice for you."
If you're really tight on space, Hancock recommends compact houseplants like fittonia, also known as a nerve plant due to its contrasting white, pink or red veining on green leaves. Other compact houseplants for small apartments include polka dot plant, African violet and low-growing succulents like echeveria.
Take advantage of vertical space
If your desk, counter, windowsill or shelf space is at a minimum, you can still add lots of green to your apartment by using the vertical space you have to the fullest. Choose plants with a small footprint but a narrower, upright growth habit like snake plant, also called sansevieria.
"Sansevieria is a great one because it is almost infinitely customizable and almost no-fail," Hancock says. "There are dwarf varieties, medium varieties, tall varieties and variegated varieties. You can grow them right up against a window or on the opposite side of the room."
Take advantage of vertical space and watch your indoor garden grow.
Using vertical space can also mean hanging trailing plants from ceiling hooks or positioning them atop a high bookcase or shelf so their vines can grow downward. Trailing varieties like pothos, philodendron and tradescantia are easy-growing, low-maintenance plants that can adapt to a variety of light conditions — just don't put them in direct sunlight.
Hancock also recommends hoyas, another vining plant that's known for being relatively drought tolerant and for blooming with fragrant clusters of pink flowers in the proper conditions.
"Hoyas are remarkably trendy right now, and they give you that ease of maintenance," he says. "If you put them in a really bright spot, they'll bloom. Flowering houseplants are relatively hard to find, because most of them need more light that you can give them inside."
Group plants together
As you consider which houseplants to buy for your apartment, think about where you'll put them -- and how you'll take care of them. Clustering specimens together in one room or area of your space can provide multiple benefits.
"Grouping plants can be really helpful in a small space, because it looks more natural to the eye and it keeps your care contained in one spot, rather than having to go all over the place when you need to water," Hancock says.
Hoya flowers are typically white and pink.
Clustering plants can also help create a slightly more humid microclimate, as plants are constantly releasing moisture out of small pores in their leaves in a process called transpiration. This can be beneficial during the winter, when indoor humidity tends to be low in many parts of the country, and keeps plants from developing brown tips or crispy edges on their leaves. Leave enough room between plants to allow for adequate air flow, which can help prevent the spread of plant diseases.
Use mirrors to boost light
One of Hancock's tips for apartment gardening is a classic interior design hack for small spaces that also happens to benefit plants in lower-light areas.
"Putting a mirror behind the plant on a wall can help give it a little bit extra light," he says. "It gives your apartment the extra depth that makes it feel a little larger."
If you're unable to paint your apartment's walls anything other than "landlord special" white, take comfort in the fact that white walls can also help reflect light in your growing area.
Try hydroponic gardening
Smart gardens often include growing lights and a watering mechanism for easy indoor care.
Many of the houseplants available in the US are tropicals accustomed to growing in dappled shade near the forest floor, meaning they can adapt to indoor light conditions. But what if you're craving your own little kitchen garden in your small apartment? Plants like herbs, lettuce and tomatoes require full sun to thrive, which can be difficult to replicate without indoors.
That's where indoor gardening kits come in. Also called hydroponic gardens or smart gardens, these products come with everything you need to grow greens, veggies and even fruits indoors with a tiny footprint. Devices like Aerogarden, Click & Grow, Ingarden and Smart Growhouse provide the seeds, growing media, nutrients and bright light your plants need. All you have to do is set them up, add water and fertilizer according to the instructions and enjoy your tabletop harvest in as little as a few weeks.
Make the most outdoor space
Hanging plants give you more gardening options.
If you're lucky enough to have a bit of outdoor space, you can almost certainly find a way to garden there. Stoops, balconies, patios, rooftops and courtyards can accommodate small containers or, in some cases, even raised beds or larger planters (check with your landlord before setting up anything you can't easily move). Even an apartment with no outdoor space can often accommodate a window box planted with flowers or herbs.
Container gardening is a great option for renters and folks who live in small spaces like apartments, as pots are easy to move and won't cause any permanent alterations to your space. Plus, you can grow just about anything from tomatoes to kale to beautiful flowers in pots and planters.
Go for lightweight pots and potting mix to make them easier to move when the time comes, and be sure to check the light exposure before you decide on what to plant. South-facing and west-facing spaces will give you the most light. Don't forget to consider how you'll water your plants, especially if you won't have easy access to a hose.