Get Your Hands Dirty Now

Get a jump on your gardening season

Die-hard Manitoba gardeners get a little impatient this time of year, pouring through seed catalogues and creating elaborate garden plans. No need to sit around waiting for spring though. One of these indoor gardening projects will satisfy your need to seed.

Get Tropical!

“Tropicals are a lot of fun!” says Bernie Whetter, owner of The Green Spot. Fiscus, bird of-paradise, palm trees or even small fruit bearing trees can really brighten up one’s home. Whetter says that although tropicals will typically have a shorter lifespan in Manitoba, it is very possible to enjoy these plants in our northern climate for a number of years.

• 

• 

Grow a Happy Herb Garden

All your favourite herbs—from cilantro to mint—can be grown indoors. To create your own happy herb garden, pick a spot with good light and a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 21 degrees Celsius). Herbs can be grown in any type of container with sufficient drainage. For best indoor-growing success, plant each variety of herb in its own pot, use an indoor potting mix and enrich the soil with a seaweed or fish based fertilizer. In no time, you’ll be enjoying summer-fresh herbs.

Harvest Veggies Year-Round

Does harvesting fresh kale in February sound too good to be true? It’s totally doable says Karin Griffin of Alternative Garden Centre. “Many vegetables grow well indoors,” she says. “Plus they improve the environment inside of your home.”

• 

• 

Veggies such as salad greens, celery, radishes, carrots and tomatoes can all thrive indoors. They can be grown in almost anything‑from flower pots to storage bins or even burlap bags—as long as containers provide drainage and adequate soil depth for the plant roots. Use an indoor potting mix and add gravel or rocks to the bottom of containers that don’t offer drainage. Griffin says that self-watering planters can also be a good option for growing veggies indoors, especially for those who are not always around to water. Using a self-watering planter, you can fill the reservoir and leave your harvest for up to three weeks.

Create a Charming Terrarium

To create a terrarium, use any see-through container, such as a fish bowl or even old glass food jars with the labels removed. Layer the base of your container with small pebbles for drainage, then place a thin layer of activated charcoal overtop. Add potting soil and small plants and—voilà—you’ve got yourself an enchanting garden. Premade terrariums are also available and make great gifts.