How Even Apartment Dwellers Can Landscape

Long time, no post, eh? I pulled a muscle in my side which made anything involving bending over, reaching, lifting, etc. hurt. So, that pretty much ruled out most garden tasks. Luckily, the weather (and rain) have been pretty kind over the past week so things look OK outside. But that is another post.

I am admittedly obsessed with all things miniature. Those tiny little Le Crueset dutch ovens meant for melting butter? Totally tempted to buy one even though it's $20 & I don't have the need for melted butter. Also? Little spoons. I love eating pudding or yogurt with a tiny silver spoon (should be used for adding sugar to hot tea). And, finally, little landscapes. Whether it's a terrarium, bonsai, hypertufa, or just your basic pot filled with dwarf plants, I'm in love!

While on my "no outside because of allergies" and "no strenuous work because everything hurts" phase, I decided to create a simple mini-landscape for inside my house. Just like any landscaping you need to determine the right plant for the right place. With indoor gardening you thankfully have more control over the environment, however.

Thus, for me, the plants needed to love low light conditions and tolerate dry soil. (The latter condition is necessary because I am lazy with plant watering. If you tend to over-water your plants, look for something that loves moist soil.) These are perfect little pieces of dirt that even apartment dwellers with the lowest of light and smallest of available space can get their hands dirty with.

The result:
Yes, these pictures were taken on my stove! LOL! The larger plant is a dwarf philodendron, the upright green plant with pink flowers next to it is centeriaum soliloides (this admittedly likes things a bit more moist than the other plants), and the cascading plants are Pilea glauca/blue creeping pilea. I have no idea yet what I'll put in the other parts of the "strawberry" pot. I just used regular potting soil.

So, there you have it: An easy, peasy way to brighten a corner of your home. If you really want to go crazy, there are little houses, people, animals and other things you can find (I've seen on Etsy and Merrifield Garden Center had some things as well) to make your creation look more realistic.