5 Small Home Improvements That Can Help Cultivate a Green Thumb

Change your gardening status from hobby to lifestyle with these quick, easy, inexpensive projects.

By Mark Wolfe | Published Mar 18, 2021 11:35 AM

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When the gardening bug bites, it doesn’t easily let go. Sometimes it starts with houseplants, others begin with veggies and fruits. Once someone commits to growing plants as a hobby, it becomes apparent that there is a lot to learn. Finding good sources of information and inspiration is important, but the best way to cultivate a green thumb is by gardening more.

We are all more likely to do things that are accessible and convenient. Gardening is not inherently so: It requires specialized tools and supplies, gets messy, and may require going “somewhere else.” Apartment and house dwellers alike can make their home surroundings better suited for gardening with just a few simple additions. Read on to learn about five small home improvements that can help cultivate a green thumb.

Start Composting

One of the easiest, least expensive ways to support a gardening habit is by composting—it’s also a great way to reduce household waste. Composting involves depositing vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and shredded cardboard into a pile or container, and then letting millions of microbes naturally convert them into a nutrient rich soil amendment you can use wherever you have plants, including houseplants. Regardless the size of your home, there’s a composting system scaled to meet your needs, indoors or out.

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RELATED: 12 DIY Vegetable Garden Ideas

Build a Garden Shed

All gardeners need a place to conveniently store their stuff out of the elements. Why not store it in a structure right in the garden? A new garden shed can be as simple or elaborate as you like, from a simple storage locker to a landscape focal point. The most useful garden shed designs incorporate work space, such as a potting bench and plant propagation space, in addition to tool storage.

Create a Germination Station

When you first get into gardening, it’s no big deal to move a tray of starter plants around the house for a month before planting them. But as the number of seedlings increases, the effort becomes cumbersome. Every serious gardener needs a dedicated space to start new plants. Design and build your own germination station with an overhead light, bottom heat, and a humidity dome, or try one of these countertop units.

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RELATED: All You Need to Know About Starting Seeds Indoors

Plant a Patio Garden

It’s amazing how much a gardener can grow in a relatively small space. One of the best ways to improve your horticulture skill is with intensive container gardening. Whether you love veggies and herbs, flowers, bonsai, or a combination of different plant types, you will learn more by keeping them close and spending lots of time with them. You can’t get much closer than a patio or balcony.

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Add Outdoor Seating

If you don’t already have an outdoor oasis, creating one will change your lifestyle. As a gardener you already spend plenty of time working to cultivate a beautiful landscape. Add a space to relax within the fruits of your labor. The time spent just sitting and experiencing the sounds, scents, and sights of the garden is some of the best therapy money cannot buy.