Grow from Home

If you live in the city and in an apartment, you may think that homegrown produce is out of the question. But that’s not true! There are many common and useful foods you can successfully grow indoors and in all seasons. All it takes is a few simple tools and some patience.

What You Need

You’ve decided to become the next great urban gardener and can’t wait to get started. But what exactly do you need? Here are a few tools to consider:

• Space - Find a space where you can keep your plants. This will preferably be near a window with some natural light or in an outdoor space when weather permits.
• Pots/Holders - Have some fun picking out the pots and shelves for your plants. There are many styles, colors, and shapes to choose from. If you choose a multi-tiered stand, you could make your plants a great decorative feature in your home.
• Light - You may be panicking a little about light. What about cold winter months? If you live at 82 Flats, many floor plans feature outdoor spaces for the warmer months, and all of our floor plans have plenty of windows for natural light. If you’re nervous, however, you can always invest in a small indoor grow light or grow kit.
• Plant Starters - Don’t let this step intimidate you! You don’t have to start every plant from seeds. You can always start with seedlings or more mature plants found at the store. If you want to get more creative, you can actually grow many foods from scraps.

What to Grow

This part is a little trickier. It’s not ideal to grow every plant indoors because they may need more precise temperatures or lighting or they may need to be pollinated to fruit. However, don’t get discouraged. There are still many plants that are excellent for indoor growing and are used in many common dishes.

• Herbs - One of the easiest plants to grow indoors is nearly any herb. This includes cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, and more. One of the best parts of growing herbs at home is avoiding a lot of waste. You don’t have to buy one giant bunch of parsley and then only use two tablespoons of it. You can take as you need, and herbs will just keep growing.
• Potatoes - Potatoes can be great fun to grow because you can start with an extra potato left over from another meal. There are also multiple potato varieties you can grow, so you can have plenty of choices in your garden and in your food.
• Tomatoes - This is another popular option because tomatoes are used in so many recipes and there are so many varieties. Worried about pollination? Just give your plant a little shake to get your plant to self-pollinate or make yourself into a pollinator by using a q-tip to cross-pollinate the blossoms on your plant.
• Carrots - You can eat them raw or cooked, and they won’t take up much width in your gardening space. You only have to be aware of height because they do need deeper soil than some other plants.
• Scallions (Green Onions) - This is another commonly used but often wasted ingredient. Your recipe calls for 3, and your bunch has 8. What do you do with the rest? Growing them yourself saves you from wasting them, and you can use the base part with the roots that you cut off anyway to keep regrowing more.

Where to Go for Help

If you’re finding indoor gardening a bit challenging, then you can always turn to an expert for some guidance or the right supplies to help your garden grow. Did you know that if you live in apartments on 82nd Street in Indianapolis you’re within 15 minutes of 3 local gardening stores? Take a short drive to Habig Garden Shop/The Cottage Shop, Andrea’s Garden Center, or Rosie’s Gardens.

No matter what you’re looking to grow, you can easily make your urban gardening dreams come true at 82 Flats at the Crossing. Our luxury apartments, spacious floor plans, and prime location keep you in comfort and close to the best that Indianapolis has to offer. Take advantage of our floor plans that feature patios for outdoor growing and the abundance of natural light from our expansive windows. We’re also near a lake and plenty of greenery. Ready to come home to our unique oasis? Gives us a call at (317)-661-2850.