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Indoor gardening is the practice of growing plants indoors, either in a house or in a greenhouse. Under it, plants are grown indoors. It keeps away the plants that are grown generally outside world. Indoor gardening is a great source of joy to all those who are unable to walk outside and be in association with nature in a traditional way. The density of population and the love of the individual for the materialistic pleasures has brought the modern man closer to indoor gardening and to develop it as a hobby. Containers, pots, waste plastic bottles and tin-material are used for the indoor gardening. The indoor gardening is now a wide term that includes a wide variety of plants, herbs, vegetables, flowers and succulents. Several factors are responsible for the Indoor gardening. Some of them are- having fresh produce on hand, improving indoor air quality, association with and love for nature. Indoor gardening requires a special care on the part of the individuals who go for it. Hydroponics and soil-based gardening are the techniques and methods that make indoor gardening possible and accessible to a common man. Additionally, indoor gardening can be done with a variety of different equipment and tools, such as grow lights, heating and cooling systems, and special fertilizers.It allows individuals to create green spaces and enjoy the benefits of gardening year-round, regardless of outdoor weather conditions. It often requires providing suitable lighting, temperature, humidity, and proper care to support plant growth and development in an indoor environment. Designed on the personal observation, personal-brooding over the issue, personal experience of having indoor garden as well as on the studies made previously on the theme in India and across the world, the study is initially qualitative that throws an ample light on the indoor gardening and on its growing significance across the world at the time when the natural spots are being exploited by the people in order to seek more and more benefits. The findings are that with the passage of time, the indoor gardening is becoming popular, and contributing tremendously to the enrichment of the environment which is passing through hard times.

1. Discussing the modern trends of living.

2. Presenting the disfigured picture of environment and nature.

3. Exploring the factors responsible for the deviation of man from nature and traditional gardening.

4. Producing the things that are responsible for man’s deviation from the traditional gardening.

5. Producing an overview of indoor gardening.

6. Teaching the importance of indoor gardening at present and in future.

7. Commenting on the positive and negative effects of indoor gardening.

Ke-Tsung Han, Li-Wen Ruan, and Li-Shih Liao (2022), in their research article ‘Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses’, observe that ‘indoor plants can significantly benefit participants’ diastolic blood pressure (−2.526, 95% CI −4.142, −0.909) and academic achievement (0.534, 95% CI 0.167, 0.901), whereas indoor plants also affected participants’ electroencephalography (EEG) α and β waves, attention, and response time, though not significantly.’

Raymond Odeh, Elizabeth R. M. Diehl, Sara Jo Nixon, C. Craig Tisher, Dylan Klempner, Jill K. Sonke, Thomas A. Colquhoun, QianLi,Maria Espinosa, DianelaPerdomo, Kaylee Rosario, Hannah Terzi, Charles L. Guy (2022), in their study ‘A pilot randomized controlled trial of group-based indoor gardening and art activities demonstrates therapeutic benefits to healthy women’, bring that ‘Engaging in both gardening and art-making activities resulted in apparent therapeutic improvements for self-reported total mood disturbance, depression symptomatology, and perceived stress with different effect sizes following eight one-hour treatment sessions. Gardening also resulted in improvements for indications of trait anxiety. Based on time-course evidence, dosage responses were observed for total mood disturbance, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology for both gardening and art-making. However, gardening or art-making did not have an apparent influence on heart rate or blood pressure or result in marked improvement for satisfaction with discretionary leisure activities’.

Catherine Phillips &Eily Schulz (2021), in their jointly-penned research study entitled ‘Greening home: caring for plants indoors’, mention that ‘indoor plants are valued in diverse ways that orient around instrumental contributions of plants, caring practices within people’s homes, and extended sensibilities relating to wider social and ecological dynamics. Indoor plants provide reprieve, focus, cheer, companionship, and a connection to nature’.

Sandra G. L. Persiani (2021), in‘Benefits of Using Plants in Indoor Environments: Exploring Common Research Gaps’, observes that ‘the introduction of green plants in indoor spaces has raised a great amount of interest motivated by the positive physiological and psychological benefits for humans. The psychological and physiological benefits of human–nature contact include a great number of therapeutic and restorative effects ranging from stress reduction to the development of cognitive and social skills.

Syed MahaboobAkram& Others (2021), in their research work ‘Indoor gardening for aesthetic and healthy life style’, conclude that ‘for outdoor air pollution, most of the efforts have been done to control but now much attention is needed to control indoor air pollution as contaminants are usually high in indoor places. Public health is a major issue due to indoor air pollution and indoor environment because most of the people in urban area spend more time inside as compared to outside. So, indoor plants and indoor gardening would be a better way to eradicate the emission of pollutants inside as well to make the indoor environment more lively and aesthetic.’

AhuAydogan Ryan Cerone (2020), in their joint study ‘Review of the effects of plants on indoor environments’, point out that ‘although well-established technologies can remove certain toxins from indoor environments, methods capable of eliminating all of them do not yet exist. Biological methods, however, which are based on plants and their associated microorganisms, could hold significant promise. To achieve high toxic remediation, utilization of the soil microorganisms in the root zone of the plant is vital. Moreover, evidence suggests that in addition to cleaning the air, plants in indoor environments offer psychological, physiological and cognitive benefits’.

Ke-Tsung Han (2019), in the research work ‘Effects of Indoor Plants on the Physical Environment with Respect to Distance and Green Coverage Ratio’, revealed that ‘(1) regardless of number of plants, the closer the plant, the higher the CO2 level; (2) more indoor plants resulted in higher CO2 and humidity and lower PM2.5, PM10, and temperature; and (3) the lower the levels of fine and suspended particles in the air were, the stronger were the feelings of preference, naturalness of the environment, and pleasure in participants. Indoor plants that can regulate indoor air quality and microclimates without consuming energy warrant greater attention and wider application’.

Virginia I. Lohr (2010), in‘What Are the Benefits of Plants Indoors and Why Do We RespondPositively to Them?’ explores that ‘plants are essential for our survival. They provide food, fiber, building material, fuel, and pharmaceuticals. Plants also produce intangible benefits for people, such as improving our health. These benefits occur with plants outdoors and indoors. People have been bringing plants into their homes for thousands of years. We increasingly work indoors, and we are making ample use of plants in these spaces as well. Plants indoors have many benefits. Physically, they contribute to cleaner, healthier air for us to breathe, thus improving our well-being and comfort.’

1. Specific research design 2. Use of both the primary data and the secondary data 3. Personal observation 4. Personal experience 5. Casual visits to the indoor gardens in the city 6. Debate with the people who make indoor gardening 7. Going through the articles published in the national and international research journals 8. Keeping in mind the research process and all the steps of research suggested by the eminent scientists, botanists and environmentalists.

Things to Keep in Mind While Making Indoor Gardening

1. Brooding considerably before starting with indoor gardening

2. Exploring the places in the various parts of the housethat are best for growing the plants selected for the indoor gardening and that are good in terms of beauty, fragrance, growth etc.

3. Selection of growing plants using soil or hydroponics

4. Maintaining the right amount of light and regular removal of dead parts of the plants

5. Checking the nature and quality of the soil

6. Giving timely the proper nutrients to the plants

7. Ensuring enough space for the growth of the plants

Important Facts about Indoor Plants and Indoor Gardening

1. Interior plants do not need much water in winter. Therefore, over-watering of the plants in the indoor gardens should be avoided. Moreover, overwatering of the plants cause choking of the soil with water.

2. Plant roots need air as much as they need water and nutrients.

3. Plants are dormant in the winter and do not need an artificial boost of growing power.

4. To accommodate low light levels, leafy plants should be kept clean.

5. Dust cuts down on the light necessary for photosynthesis, which feeds the plant.

6. In order to remove pests, such as, aphids, mealy bugs and spider mites, we should use a rag and clean warm water, or put the whole plant in the shower.

7. In order to keep the plants in indoor gardens safe from the diseases, we should remove brown and dead leaves.

8. The windows with the plants at, on or nearby, should be kept clean enough to allow in light, sunshine, and heat.

9. The plants should be allowed to receive maximum light and warmth.

10. In order to keep the indoor gardens and plants free from dry indoor air, we should put rocks or pebbles in saucers, and fill them with water.

11. February brings new growth to the houseplants. Hence, the indoor garden needs more water and some organic fertilizer.

12. Late winter requires pruning of the plants in the indoor gardens.

13. If the removal of a plant in indoor garden is essential, the plant should be removed from its pot, and should be put it in a clean pot of the same size with new potting soil.

14. Growing plants indoors can be difficult especially if one has a small apartment or home but it is one of the best lifestyle decisions one can make as plants remove toxins and purify home’s air.

15. Spider plant, palms, bamboo, African violet, Boston Fern, Burros Tail Succulent, Cast Iron Plant, Bromeliads, Christmas Cactus, Haworthia Succulents etc. are some of the popular plants that are and that can be grown in indoor gardens with least care and maintenance. 

Indoor gardening can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but it requires some specific techniques to keep your plants healthy and thriving. On the part of the individuals who want to have indoor gardens, it is required that they should grow only the right plants because all the plants cannot be grown indoors nor are they appropriate. Only such plants should be chosen as are known to do well indoors, such as spider plants, pothos, snake plants, and peace lilies. Indoor gardens need proper lighting because most of the indoor plants need bright, indirect light to thrive. The plants to be added to the indoor garden need to be placed near a window having plenty of sunlight during the day time. Appropriate water should be sprinkled on the plants that there are in the indoor gardens. Generally, due to ignorance, most of the people make overwatering to the plants in the indoor gardens that results into slow growth or no growth of the plants. Most plants need to dry out between watering, so the soil moisture level should be checked well with the finger before watering. The soil of the place where the indoor gardening is to be made, should be right enough to help the plants to grow properly.A high-quality potting mix that is specifically designed for indoor plants should be used, and the use of the garden soil should be avoided, as it can be too heavy and may contain pests or diseases. Indoor gardening requires regular fertilization for the plants to stay healthy and to meet full growth. For it, we should use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every two to four weeks during the growing season. The beauty of the indoor gardening lies in the regular pruning and trimming of the plants that are placed and grown in pots, tins or bottles. One should be careful enough to remove dead or yellowing leaves, and trim back overgrown stems as needed.We should keep eye out for pests because the indoor plants are susceptible to pests like spider mites, and scale insects. To conclude- Indoor gardening is the demand of the day because it is only through indoor gardening that the people across the world can have the glimpses of nature and can enjoy greenery around them. At the point of time when the people are forced to live in skycrapers, it is essential to develop a hobby of having and maintaining indoor gardening. However, it cannot be denied that all the plants are not suitable for indoor gardening. Indoor gardening is very common in urban sphere, and it is helpful in bringing the urban people in close association with nature and in enriching the environment. However, indoor gardening and the plants that are placed under the category of indoor plants need a special care on the part of the people who have indoor gardens and who have a passion to maintain them and to see the full-growth of the indoor plants. Watering, pruning, fertilizing, cleaning etc. are some of the steps that can make the indoor gardens beautiful with several beautiful and fragrant plants and flowers together.

1. AhuAydogan Ryan Cerone. ‘Review of the effects of plants on indoor environments’, Sage Journals, Indoor and Built Environment, 2020, Volume 30, Issue 4

2. Catherine Phillips &Eily Schulz. ‘Greening home: caring for plants indoors’, Australian Geographer, Volume 52, 2021 - Issue 4

3. Ke-Tsung Han, Li-Wen Ruan, and Li-Shih Liao. ‘Effects of Indoor Plants on Human Functions: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses’, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun; 19(12): 7454.

4. Ke-Tsung Han (2019). ‘Effects of Indoor Plants on the Physical Environment with Respect to Distance and Green Coverage Ratio’, Sustainability, 2019, 11(13):3679

5. Raymond Odeh, Elizabeth R. M. Diehl, Sara Jo Nixon, C. Craig Tisher, Dylan Klempner, Jill K. Sonke, Thomas A. Colquhoun, QianLi,Maria Espinosa, DianelaPerdomo, Kaylee Rosario, Hannah Terzi, Charles L. Guy. ‘A pilot randomized controlled trial of group-based indoor gardening and art activities demonstrates therapeutic benefits to healthy women’, PLOS ONE, July 6, 2022

6. Sandra G. L. Persiani.‘Benefits of Using Plants in Indoor Environments: Exploring Common Research Gaps’, Architecture 2021, 1(2), 83-98

7. Syed MahaboobAkram& Others. ‘Indoor gardening for aesthetic and healthy life style’, PharmaceuticaAnalyticaActa, May 2021, 10(5S):382-389

8. Virginia I. Lohr. ‘What Are the Benefits of Plants Indoors and Why Do We Respond Positively to Them?’,Lohr, V.I. 2010. What are the benefits of plants indoors and why do we respond positively to them? ActaHorticulturae 881(2):675-682