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May be your apartment doesn't even have a tiny balcony and the luxury of having at least an inch of nature in your house in the "Garden City" seems like a distant dream.
But don't worry. Have a few potted plants inside your house. Place them strategically and add charm to your interiors. Don't fret about maintaining them because they can survive the harshest of conditions and need little care. They are tailor-made for our fast-paced, apartment-cramped lifestyles.
Plants that will settle for intermittent watering include Spider plants, Bromeliads, phoenix palms, crotons, cabbage palms etc.
If the names sound complicated to you, visit the Brac Nursery at Gulshan, Krishibid Institutions Nursery at Farmgate or the nurseries near Highcourt and pick up some pretty ferns and palms as these are suited to indoor conditions. These plants, in fact, can't stand direct sunlight. They cost anything between Tk. 100 to Tk. 150.
If you are looking for more, you may pick up hanging ferns and climbers. With a little monitoring, these can be converted into screens or room dividers. They can even disguise dirty parts of walls.
Flowering plants such as chrysanthemum, carnations and marigold can also be grown in pots placed in mild sunlight. While these plants need more frequent watering and care, flowering plants have an unmatched beauty.
Seeds and potted plants are available at the nurseries. Beautiful flowering plants in pots are priced from Tk. 50 upwards. Speak to the nurserymen there on what plants will be best suited for you. How to go about it Plants can be grown in anything from conventional earthenware pots to old bottles. Get creative. Old sinks, cracked jugs, plastic, stone, cement and polystyrene containers can be used provided they have a drainage hole.
Hanging baskets look appealing as well. Wire baskets don't need any potshards as a base. Coir fibres, dry mosses or used tea leaves can be used to prevent the soil from falling out. The ideal container is, of course, the regular clay pot because it is porous.
To prepare a pot, place some pebbles at the bottom so as to allow for drainage. The drainage hole must be covered with a crock with the concave side facing downwards. Cover the shards with dry moss or some granular sand.
The soil mixture can be added now. Ready-made potting mixtures are available these days in nurseries and supermarkets. Use three-inch pots for seedlings and 8-inch pots for saplings. Pots larger than these can be harmful as the soil may become unhealthy. When roots come up to the surface or reach the drainage hole, they are ready for re-potting. Plants in plastic pots need less water.
The right place You have now lined up some plants in very innovative containers and almost have an indoor garden amidst this oppressive concrete jungle. Give some thought to what would look good in different spaces.
Make sure the plants are in harmony with rest of the surroundings. A rubber plant, for example, will look good against a plain wall but may not look as appealing against an elaborately painted wall.
Place the plants aesthetically so that they enhance the interiors. If you prefer subtlety and understated elegance, choose delicate flowering plans or ferns. If you like the brighter, dramatic look, choose large beautiful palms. Do not compromise on their needs, as even the hardiest of plants will wilt and die if placed in a dark, ignored corner and rarely watered. Make sure all plants get a little sunlight at all times.
Soon enough, you'll be an expert gardener and your small apartment can be transformed into a thriving green space. .Too busy for an indoor garden? Opt for plants that survive the harshest of conditions.
* Bromeliads, phoenix palms, crotons and cabbage palms do not need daily watering.
* Pick up pretty ferns and palms from nurseries.
* Hanging ferns and climbers can act as room dividers.
* Seeds are available at cheap rates.
* Grow plants in old sinks, cracked jugs and plastic, stone, cement and polystyrene containers.
* When roots come up to the surface or reach the drainage hole, it is time to re-pot.
* Plants in plastic pots need watering once in three days.
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