Living amid an urban jungle generally means little to no green spaces. At the same time, the concrete-bound dwellings we live and thrive in leave little time for us to connect with our green side. While there may be enough foliage around your building or street, inside apartment blocks you may find next to nothing.
Plants make us feel good, and keep us happy and healthy. Then why not let them inside our homes too? How do we ensure we stay in touch with nature whilst living in an urban, concrete jungle?
Whether you are an avid gardening enthusiast or not, don’t let the limited space of your apartment block hold you back from nurturing your green thumb. And if you are still new to the concept of growing plants, fret not, we’re here to guide you from the ground up.
You don’t need a grand garden or wide-open space to start. A window sill, a few pots or a corner of a balcony is enough to build a flourishing garden.
In this blog, discover the 4 benefits and joys of nurturing a garden in your apartment block.
1. Reconnect with Nature
Given your choc-a-bloc schedule, you may not get the time to take a casual stroll in the park that you love. You may long for the calming and relaxing feeling walking on the green grass gives but that hasn’t happened in quite some time.
Why not ‘green’ your living space to bring nature closer to your doorstep?
A garden in your apartment block can reacquaint you with nature and bring in a feeling of calmness without needing to travel far.
A green nook also has positive and calming effects on your well-being. A study has shown flowers to improve mood and induce positive emotions, especially in the elderly. Plus, flowering plants invite bees, butterflies and other pollinators. By nurturing flowers and other ornamental plants you contribute towards conserving biodiversity.
And how do you make your apartment blocks more biophilic? By hiring garden design landscaping professionals, of course! Bank on some of the sought-after landscaping professionals in the UK for garden design in East London, North London, or wherever you reside to build your block’s very own green nook.
2. Boost Health and Productivity
Many studies point to the immense health benefits plants offer. Certain indoor plants potentially work as air purifiers by removing pollutants in and around our living spaces. This helps enhance the overall air quality in confined apartment spaces. You must be aware that pollutants are not only present in the outdoors but are also emitted from furniture and cleaning products. Thanks to your garden, you can breathe cleaner air.
Many of us stay indoors for a major part of the day. With the remote working trend gaining momentum, many of us are working from the comforts of our homes. A few studies have demonstrated that indoor garden plants also give a boost to productivity and may potentially lower stress levels in remote working individuals.
So while you work from home, design a little nook with ornamental and herbal plants of your choice and see how it uplifts your mood.
3.Enjoy Fresh Produce with In Apartment Gardening
Wouldn’t having fresh veggies from your own little edible garden be great? Imagine cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, basil leaves, and lettuce heads growing at arm’s length for your salads and sandwiches!
Many herbs, roots and vegetables are easy to grow. All it takes is a small flowerbed with the seeds of your choice.
This way, not only do you get to eat freshly-grown produce but also support the urban farming movement. Consider this as your contribution towards reducing food production waste and take a step towards building a sustainable food system.
Gather more like-minded residents and build a more communal green space around your block like a community vegetable garden. Over time, you enjoy surplus produce and nurture a cohesive community. Once the garden is built, you can bank on a block property management company to take good care of it.
Through them, your RMC director or managing agent can hire a gardening contractor for the upkeep and regular maintenance of your block garden.
4. Eco-Friendly Waste Disposal with In Apartment Composting
One of the most effective ways of curbing your carbon footprint is by controlling the waste you generate. By collecting all the organic waste and creating compost from it you prevent it from going into landfills. This compost can be used in your apartment block garden as a natural fertiliser.
You just need an indoor compost bin where you can deposit all your kitchen scraps and other organic waste. Natural composters like earthworms get into action and break down the organic deposits into an organic fertiliser that is as good as gold.
Natural vermicomposters like earthworms help keep the whole soil ecosystem thriving and flourishing.
In Conclusion
If you’ve read so far you know that growing your very own apartment block garden has a host of benefits in store for you. You not only create your very own green ecosystem and contribute to reducing carbon emissions but also invoke a sense of responsibility towards the environment whilst building a community.
Remember, the key to building a garden indoors is understanding your space, the needs of the vegetation you want, and giving it a suitable environment to thrive and flourish.
