Indoor gardens are a wonderful distraction from winter’s cold and colorless landscape. Lush green plants can be so cheerful and welcome at this time of year.
Recently I found myself very interested in a collection of colorful Ikea planters. Days later, at a local indoor Farmer’s Market, I was immediately drawn to a vendor selling small plants. At this time of year, I crave greenery around the house.
I’ve pulled together a few items to share for indoor gardening inspiration or simply visual perusing on a snowy day.
You can find pots and plants at your local nurseries, but I’ve included links if you are interested. I haven’t purchased from many of these sellers. I tried to find resources that seem reliable. You’ll want to do a little research on them.
If you have any friends who have indoor gardens, you might be able to get cuttings from them and have the pleasure of growing small plants into larger ones.
Plants
Here are a few plants that I’ve personally enjoyed and found to grow well, although there is one addition that I have no experience with.
Cardamom
I’ve had a potted cardamom plant for two years, moving it outside in the summer and keeping it warm indoors during the cold weather months. The lead photo in the post features my cardamom plant. I love this plant! I rub the leaves and the delicious scent of cardamom is released. It smells divine! There’s a good chance that I’ll never get seed pods, but I don’t care. The leaves are pretty and it is a wonderful plant to have in the house.
I bought my plant from a local farm stand. You might get lucky and find some at a local nursery. You can start cardamom from seed (Southern Seeds) or order plants online (Etsy).
Here’s an article on growing cardamom from The Spruce: How to Grow and Care for Cardamom.
Monstera
Monstera Deliciosa, also called the Swiss Cheese plant, is a lush tropical plant that will reward your watering efforts by growing and growing (like a beanstalk). I had to give mine away eventually, because it took up too much space. I have no regrets. It didn’t cost a lot and gave me a great deal of pleasure while I had it. Now it is giving my sister-in-law pleasure.
My plant was an impulse buy at Home Depot and it looked just like the one pictured above. You can find them everywhere.
Zig Zag Plant
The Zig Zag plant, also called Fishbone Cactus, is easy to care for and an interesting addition to an indoor garden. The dark green stems are an unusual shape. Some grow straight up toward the ceiling, while others elegantly drape over the side of the pot. With some especially long stems, I’ve dipped them back into the soil and they’ll start another shoot from that spot.
I bought my plant as part of a three-pack from Costco and replanted it into a larger pot, which seemed to make the plant very happy. I’ve found it online at Rooted, which sells a few sizes.
Pink Tradescantia Nanouk
Here’s a plant that adds beautiful color to a green indoor garden. The underside of the leaves is pink to purple. It grows like a weed and you’ll be giving away baby plants to all of your friends. Cuttings look beautiful displayed in a vase of water. If you look carefully at the top photo in this post, you’ll see my plant in the background.
If you have a very sunny spot, you’ll be rewarded with pretty little flowers like those in the photo. I don’t have a lot of sun, but I love the plant even without the flowers. This Etsy shop sells plants and cuttings.
Coffee Plant
I don’t have this plant, so I cannot attest to how well it grows, but I’d like to give one a try. It looks shiny and lush in this Rooted customer photo. If you have a lot of sun, you might even get coffee beans! Rooted’s reviews seem very positive.
I also like the pot and the plant stand.
Planters
Pots, saucers, hangers, and plant stands help pull an indoor garden together. Here are some suggestions for housing and displaying your plants. I’m covering pots and saucers in this post. I’ll save plant stands and hangers for another time.
I like a mix of ceramic and clay planters. The colors and textures can complement each other and come together to make a beautiful display.
Terracotta Planters
Consider starting with clay pots, which provide a neutral base that balances well with colorful ceramic pots. They are earthy and naturally beautiful. They come in a variety of colors, such as off white, gray, ochre, brown, rust, and black. Some are poured into molds and uniform looking, while others are made by hand and are whimsically unique.
Simple clay pots like the one shown above are a staple in my outdoor and indoor gardens. They are inexpensive and garden workhorses. This one is from Bedford Fields. I purchase mine at local garden centers and places like Home Depot.
A hand thrown pot can be the centerpiece of a plant collection, such as the one above by Etsy seller Carl Mankert. The shape is attractive, as is the texture of the pot. Pots like this are an investment and very special.
This fluted terracotta planter from Terrain is another beauty. The color is very different than the other clay pots I’ve included and it would look great in a plant collection.
Ceramic Planters
Now, let’s get to color. Adding some beautiful colors and patterns to the neutral clay pots will brighten a garden.
This blue Moroccan pot from Etsy seller Mediterranean Imports is gorgeous! Imagine it filled with a lush green plant, clustered with red clay pots.
The floral and leaf patterns on these white ceramic pots from Terrain provide a softer look to combine with clay or bolder glazes.
Earthenware Planters
I like these colorful Ikea pot sets and the texture of the ridged surfaces. Ikea gives the measurements as width: 7 “, height: 6 ¾ “, and length: 7 ¼ “, which seems like a good size to house small plants and give them room to grow for a while.
Here are links to the blue planters, green planters, and brown planters shown above.
Ikea also has a matching 4-pot set (about 2 1/2″ high and wide) for miniature plants, which would be perfect for small succulents or cacti.
Saucers
Pot saucers complete the plant arrangement and protect surfaces where plants rest. Be sure that the saucers provide that protection. Unglazed terracotta saucers are beautiful, but porous and will allow dampness to leach out. You’ll need more protection under the saucer to protect your furniture. Another option is to purchase clay saucers that are glazed inside (sometimes called top-glazed) and leakproof.
Top-Glazed Terracotta Saucers
I’ve found glazed saucers at most local nurseries in the Boston area. The saucers and pot above give you an example of what the inner glazed saucers look like.
Glazed Saucers
I love this green saucer from an Etsy seller (Esencia Arts and Crafts), who creates saucers and pots in a wide range of primary colors and designs.
Metal Saucers
Metal saucers tend to be more expensive, but are very beautiful. Use just one or two of them to add a special touch to a plant arrangement. I like the shimmer of metal in the midst of my brown terracotta pots.
The copper saucers shown above are from Terrain. They have a variety of metal saucers in different sizes and shapes and at different price points. They are all beautiful. Some are shiny and others are matte metals. Options include brass or zinc tart trays with ridged edges or circular galvanized steel trays in gold or black colors.
Now, pick up some good planting soil from a garden center and get to work! I hope that you find some plants and pots to create an indoor garden that brightens your home and brings you joy. Happy winter gardening!
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