We’ve got cold, dark days ahead, so it’s time to put our energy into adding some green to our indoor spaces. Our magazine and blog can guide you throughout your growing ventures, but there are also plenty of interesting books that will help you hone your gardening skills. In our list of 5 Cool Ways to Master the Art of Growing Indoors, we’ve compiled some of our favourite reads perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!
Countertop Gardens
You may worry you don’t have enough space or natural light to grow food indoors, but Shelley Levis aims to bust those myths! In her book Countertop Gardens: Easily Grow Kitchen Edibles Indoors for Year-Round Enjoyment, Levis covers all the basics to help those new to indoor growing get off to a good start. Whether you’re interested in hydroponics, aquaponics, or growing in good old-fashioned dirt, this book simplifies setting up an indoor garden in compact spaces (think kitchen counters, windowsills, and even pantries!). Get help creating the optimum environment for various food crops, from mushrooms and lettuce greens to tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs. Levis offers tips for selecting the perfect countertop growing devices and several DIY projects for less tech-savvy people who want to keep it simple. Once your garden is up and running, a troubleshooting chapter will help things run smoothly. This book is an excellent read for novice gardeners, opening the world of indoor growing to a whole new group of people.
Home Hydroponics
Have you ever dreamed of having a lift-top coffee table with an integrated deep water culture (DWC) hydroponic system? In his book, Home Hydroponics: Small-Space DIY Growing Systems, Tyler Baras shows us that building your own isn’t totally out of reach. Full disclosure: the hydroponic coffee table isn’t for beginner builders with small budgets, but Baras offers many DIY projects to suit all capabilities and price points, such as suction cup plants (low), salad bowl and bar cart gardens (low to moderate), lettuce lockers (high), and more. This book is perfect for growers of all experience levels. It shows many possibilities for small-scale hydroponic systems in the kitchen, dining and living rooms, bedroom, and bath. The DIY projects offer complete material lists and step-by-step guides to getting the job done. Baras also covers all the fundamentals you need to know about hydroponic growing, from lighting and nutrients to the maintenance and plants best suited for these systems. Two birds, one stone: this book will make you a better grower and builder!
Happy Plants, Happy You
The benefits of gardening are plentiful, and in the dark days of winter, plants can help slow things down and boost your mood, among other things. In Happy Plants, Happy You: A Plant-Care & Self-Care Guide for the Modern Houseplant Parent, Kamili Bell Hill (@PlantBlerd) takes a unique approach to caring for houseplants. In addition to offering tips on plant selection and how to care for them, this book connects spending quality time in an indoor garden with self-care. Rather than mindlessly tending to houseplants, Bell Hill encourages us to take the opportunity to press pause and check in with ourselves as we go about watering, feeding, and pruning. She believes houseplants can teach many lessons on relationships and the importance of give and take. For example, much like getting rid of a dead leaf, sometimes the things bringing you down also have to go! This book is affordable therapy, helping readers choose beautiful plants and avoid toxic relationships with plants and people. Bell Hill will give you a list of tools you need for thriving houseplants and help you let go of the things in your life that aren’t working, whether the suffering cactus or something (or someone) else.
Kitchen Gardening
Have you ever considered building a tabletop mushroom farm? All you have to do is innoculate a log with some shiitake spawn, and away you go! In her book Indoor Kitchen Gardening: Turn Your Home Into a Year-Round Vegetable Garden, Elizabeth Millard proves that gardening isn’t an activity only reserved for the great outdoors! From mushrooms, sprouts, and microgreens to tomatoes, peppers, and more, Millard has plenty of growing advice for those striving to be more self-sustainable. Her book covers everything from seed to harvest and the things in between. Learn how to tackle problems that might arise in your grow and properly store homegrown goods. For good measure, Millard provides delicious and nutritious recipes to make with your harvest. With chapters devoted to individual crops, this book is easy to follow and helps you tailor your indoor growing venture to specific plants. A must-read for anyone looking to avoid the grocery store!
She Sheds Style
If you have a gardener mom, girlfriend, wife, or BFF who also loves to read, She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own is the perfect addition to their library. Written by Erika Kotite, this book is spectacular from A to Z and offers readers a glimpse at the She Shed revolution. Learn how to build or turn an existing outbuilding into a gorgeous recluse from our fast-paced world. The She Shed can be a place for storing, growing, and potting plants. But why not make it multi-purpose and create space for snoozing, painting, reading or welcoming friends and family? With fantastic photos that inspire, this book brings a new meaning to indoor growing. It’s about making a peaceful and beautiful space for you and your plants to thrive! An excellent gift idea for a wonderful woman in your life, this book offers a dreamy escape from the cold winter days ahead.
All of the above books are published by Cool Springs Press. Check out quartoknows.com/Cool-Springs-Press for their incredible collection of gardening reads.