We wrote about herbs, hydroponic planting, and why you should start a garden. But, I get if one day perhaps you would like something that raises the level of difficulty. You want to up the challenge a notch to plant a small adorable tree or bigger plants that not only will look good around the house but can provide you with healthy fruits. Fret not, because we have the suggestions just for you.
Mini Cucumber
I have planted Cucumis sativus in my small-sized dorm room in college. They are easy to maintain. I put them by the window for constant sunlight during the summer and use my plant light during wintertime. The vines only grow 2-3 inches tall, and these babies love the sun. Even the germination period is not too long or requires too much observation. As someone who often forgets, to my luck, mini cucumbers do not require a copious amount of water. And the best part, once they are ripe, they would be great for pickles!
Oranges
Another one of my favorite fruit plants I like to share. Some vegetable plants attract ticks or ants. However, rest assured if you plant oranges, in my experience, pests would stay away from your orange plants. If you are not interested in growing them to their full measure, you can keep them in a small pot, and they would retain their mini size. Plus, imagine the harvest at the end of maturity! You can enjoy your fruit in your leisure time without having to purchase some at the market.
Kaffir Lime
This plant is quite a special one. Not only can we harvest the lime for food or to zest up our drink, some parts of the world, particularly Southeast Asian cuisines, use their leaves for cooking as well. I can attest they make food smells fresh and zesty! Like for instance, Tom Kha Gai and Thai Coconut Lime Chicken. Additionally, they make great essential oil - but hey! Have I mentioned kaffir limes make a mean mojito ingredient?!
I never knew that these babies could grow in a pot! It turns out that the University of Michigan created a variant called 'Top Hat,' a dwarf blueberry bush that will only grow up to 1.5 inches tall. While commonly blueberry grows in big bushes, this small plant does not differ much in maintenance, except it can be potted. This way, you can create a controlled environment for your little blueberry bush. There is no need to share water with the trees nearby, but also, you can always rearrange your pot to where the sun shines! This baby would be a perfect addition to your patio.
Tomato Cherry
This little vine-type plant will not grow as tall as regular-sized tomatoes, but they are great for salad. As a meat-lover, to me, a perfect salad consists of small cut filet chicken, some greens, cheese, and the star of the salad – the tomato cherries, along with balsamic vinegar dressing. Tomato cherry plants could grow as tall as 4 feet tall. Hence, you might need some support for the growing vines like stakes, metal panels, or a fence.
Chilli Peppers
If you wonder if chili is a fruit or vegetable, I solved the riddle for you. It is officially a fruit, much like its reddish companion that often gets mistaken for vegetables above. As an avid spicy hot dish connoisseur, for me, planting this fruit plant around the house is a must. I just harvested my first batch of a rather large variant of green chili peppers. Mine grows in a homemade hydroponic-styled pot. Its' pot utilized a gallon-sized, single-used plastic bottle. Cut them in half, and use the bottom half as a water reservoir as the top performs as a place to let my wick rest and for the soil to chill. Chilli peppers plant is low maintenance at best, especially when one plants it using a method where water is readily available. I get the seeds from non-GMO chilies that I purchased and set them aside when I cut them up for cooking. Then, I let them sunbathe under the sun for a day and plant them the next day. They do not take much space at all. Albeit I have seen some that grow up to almost a meter tall, chilies only grow according to their pot size. I recommend a 5L pot with a diameter of 22.5 cm allows your chili plant at least 40 cm tall growth.
With that said, get started! Go to your local garden house and start selecting your favorite seeds to plant. Maybe purchase some eco-friendly pots. Oppositely, if you are looking to get creative, make your planters. Trust me, the satisfaction of channeling ones' inner creativity boosts the feeling of accomplishment, pride, and joy.
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