Bring a little green to your apartment scene

Ever considered adding a touch of nature to your home? Well, it’s about time! While we cannot totally control what’s happening in the outside world, we can definitely arrange our own space according to “green” principles – but remember…Farmville does not count!

If you live in an apartment or a condominium you’re probably tight on space. No fear, you don’t necessarily need a backyard to grow veggies! Your balcony will do just fine! Vegetable gardens can be created in pots or containers that can be easily found in various shapes and sizes in big-box stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot. Then you need some top notch soil (it is all about the soil) and quality seeds for best results. And make sure your garden gets plenty of light; it’s the key element of gardening! Tomatoes for instance like to get at least six hours a day of direct sunlight.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/gardening/modern-diy-outdoor-planter-093540

A simple project is to use cinder blocks to create a Tetris-like garden wall. This project, which we found over at Apartment Therapy, is fairly easy to implement. Using succulents is low maintenance and is ALL the rage right now. Not since turquoise has a dessert trend been so popular.

If you are feeling more adventurous try a living wall! This will require a lot of research on the type of plants to mix, their growth habit, size and behavior; you also have to take into account the surrounding context, the local and micro-climate, and the amount and type of light they’ll be getting. But the result can be astounding, not to mention the fact that it’s totally beneficial for your health. Everybody knows that plants improve the quality of the air we’re breathing. They clean the air of toxins and carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen.

We don’t recommend trying this indoors (although it has been done). An exterior living wall can reduce energy consumption due to its thermic isolation effect. During winter it protects the building from the cold and in summer it provides a natural cooling system, and all this while conveying and image of freshness and beauty.  If you’re looking for inspiration, learn from the master, Patrick Blanc who has created Vertical Gardens across the world.