Sustainability has become essential in numerous facets of your life. You may implement eco-friendliness with the miles per gallon in your car or the brands you buy from. But how can you be sustainable at home? Here are seven reasons you should try apartment gardening.
1. Fresh Food
Having fresh food at home can encourage you to cook more and get takeout less frequently. How can an apartment garden help? With a small greenhouse, you can access fruits and vegetables whenever you desire. Imagine not having to go to the grocery store to get produce for your next dinner. Growing foods on your patio or balcony could do wonders for your home.
When considering your garden, pick plants that can grow in your climate. Artichokes are an excellent plant for cooler climates, as they can handle light frost, grow in your apartment garden and their seeds require about 21 days to germinate. Other examples include potatoes, carrots, and broccoli.
2. Sustainable Living
Growing fruits and vegetables in your apartment garden doesn’t just benefit you — it helps the whole planet. When you develop these foods, you encourage eating plant-based foods and consuming less from outside resources. Your mini greenhouse could be a reason to eat less meat and encourage more vegetables in your diet.
Meat production has risen worldwide, and it requires a lot of water and energy. By relying more on your garden, you can reduce emissions and land demand. Plant-based foods generally require less water, thus conserving this critical resource and reducing the risk of shortages. With locally grown produce, you also shorten the supply chain for these foods.
3. Air Quality
While some plants must be outdoors, others can grow inside your apartment. Then, you must determine how much sunlight each one needs. Regardless, flora benefits your apartment by improving the air quality and your psychology. The sight and smell of your plants make your living space more inviting and connecting to nature.
Plants improve air quality by filtering the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint and other household products. This indoor air pollution can make your apartment counterintuitive to your health and the well-being of your guests. Your indoor plants can absorb these VOCs and leave your apartment more comfortable than before.
4. Exercise
While you can grow low-maintenance plants, others require more daily attention. Constant garden work is ultimately excellent for exercise and getting time outdoors. Research has found that community gardens increase physical activity in kids and adults, so the same can occur in your apartment. It’s not the same as an hour in the gym, but you may feel tired afterward.
Apartment gardening differs from traditional planting, though you can still get solid exercise. Tasks contributing to your fitness include carrying heavy water cans, lifting potted plants, or bending down to pick up fertilizer bags. While each chore seems routine, it gets your body moving. Prioritize getting your steps in and maximizing your activity while gardening.
5. Healthier Mindset
An apartment garden is a fantastic start if you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Access to fruits and vegetables can improve your fiber intake and provide plenty of other nutrients. While produce is attractive to grow, you can also benefit from fresh herbs directly from your patio or balcony. For example, the myricetin in fresh parsley combats skin cancer and other illnesses.
Gardens in multifamily complexes are also beneficial because they connect you to nature. When you live in the city, getting fresh air and the smells of plants can be challenging. Therefore, it’s essential to give yourself access to plants and emulate Mother Nature as much as possible.
6. Enhancing Community
If you live alone, you can tend to your apartment garden and grow the plants you want. However, it doesn’t have to be a solo adventure. These green spaces increase community resilience and encourage localized food production. Make your local greenery more communal by offering produce and herbs to your local friends and neighbors.
A successful apartment garden could become more significant and beneficial to the community. For instance, you may feel inspired to contribute to a community garden. Alternatively, you could start your own initiative and donate your crops to local organizations. With an apartment garden, the options are endless for boosting positivity.
7. Feeling Accomplished
Gardens benefit your physical health through labor and healthy eating. What about your mental health? Your apartment greenery could provide the life satisfaction you need. Watching your seeds grow into beautiful plants boosts confidence and makes you feel accomplished. Then, imagine using the same plants for hosting dinner parties with your friends.
Apartment gardens can boost mental health in many ways, even those you might not expect. For example, a 2022 meta-analysis found that gardening may reduce depression symptoms in adults. With physical labor and sunlight, you can improve your mood and earn gratification when it’s time to harvest. Apartment gardening can also increase mindfulness and take your mind off the negativity.
Starting Your Apartment Garden
Most people can create greeneries in their living space, whether indoors or outdoors. Start your journey by getting soil, pots, and seeds for your first plants. Then, choose a suitable spot with plenty of sunlight and protection from the elements. Once you have the basics, you’re ready to begin your apartment gardening journey.
Mia Barnes is a health and lifestyle writer with a passion for sustainable wellness and eco-friendly living. Mia is the Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind magazine with over 5 years of experience in freelance writing.
Image by Jill Wellington
