Winter doesn’t have to mean a pause in your growing season. With an indoor garden, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown food and herbs throughout the cold winter months and even into spring. You can also use indoor gardens to grow cool-weather crops that struggle outdoors during the summer, making this a strategy that can work year-round. Indoor gardens are beginner-friendly and space-saving, making them a great choice for gardeners of all levels.
Thoughtful Gifts for Gardeners
Gardeners are always looking for new seeds to try, and they will appreciate fresh packs of their reliable favorites, too. During the colder months, it’s easy to lose momentum and motivation to work on the garden, so help bridge the gap from winter to spring. A gift of winter-friendly varieties will reignite their passion and allow them to start growing immediately. Microgreens are quick crops that provide a fast reward when the winter doldrums set in. Other cool-weather crops like kale, chard, and lettuce thrive indoors and are easy to care for. They provide a steady harvest and keep anticipation high for spring planting.
Indoor Gardens Are Space Efficient
Even a small corner of the home can become a productive indoor garden. Space-saving crops like leafy greens and herbs that grow quickly and can be harvested repeatedly–ideal for gardeners without extra room. Good cut-and-come-again plants that are perfect for this setup include leaf lettuce and spinach. A space-efficient indoor herb garden can be stocked with many culinary and medicinal herbs like basil, cilantro, parsley, catnip, and mint. Bonus: This indoor herb garden is pet-friendly, too!
Easy Vegetables and Herbs to Grow Indoors
Certain vegetables and herbs are especially well-suited for indoor growing. Here are a few of our favorites and how to get started.
The Best Seeds for Your Hydroponic Garden: These leafy greens, herbs, and beginner-friendly veggies are great for that Aerogarden system or any DIY setup. To learn more, check out our guide for small indoor systems and low-maintenance hydroponics: Creating a Hydroponic Indoor Garden.
10 Essential Herbs for a Thriving Indoor Herb Garden: Easy to grow and so delicious, these are our must-haves for any indoor herb gardener.
Practical Tips for Indoor Growing
Any indoor garden requires a few basics that are simple and budget-friendly. For more information, visit Tips for Success with Indoor Vegetables and Herbs.
Lighting: Plants need plenty of light to thrive. Most sunny windows won’t be bright enough during the winter months, as the days are shorter. An expensive setup isn’t necessary, but do supply at least 8-10 hours of bright light daily.
Temperature: Indoor gardening temperatures are easy to meet since they match the human comfort zone. Most vegetables and herbs will thrive within a range of temperatures from 65°F to 75°F, so keep indoor plants in a room with steady warmth.
Watering & Fertilizing: Indoor plants often need more frequent watering and feeding than those in outdoor gardens, especially in-ground gardens. Pay attention to soil moisture and nutrient needs for thriving indoor gardens. Watch for signs of stress like legginess or stunted growth, and adjust as needed.
Anyone can enjoy growing, any time of year. Having a fresh food source right in the kitchen is incredibly rewarding–saving you money, keeping you connected to nature, nurturing your well-being, and keeping your gardening skills sharp. Start an indoor garden and bask in the satisfaction of homegrown flavor and nutrition at a fraction of supermarket prices–all year long.
