Building An Indoor Garden

I remember one year when my mom planted almost three hundred tulip bulbs in my grandmother’s yard and some in her yard.  She loved to be outside, with her hands in the dirt.  It was something that she got honestly.  My grandmother definitely had a “green thumb.”  It seemed like anything that she touched would grow.

I imagine that there are many of you that are used to being outside, working in the yard and planting gardens.  For some, having COPD has changed that part of your life that you love so much, keeping you inside instead of enjoying the great outdoors.  Nothing can compare to having a day outside with the wind moving the trees, and unfortunately the pollen and dust.  However, if you really love taking care of plants and flowers, why not try to bring them inside?

Here are a few things to consider while creating your indoor garden:

1. Stay away from plants and flowers that you know are triggers for shortness of breath.  Generally speaking, if you walk past a flower outside that causes you to struggle with your breathing, it would not be a good idea to bring that one inside.  It doesn’t matter how beautiful or useful it is.  If it causes you problems, it is not welcome inside.

2. Determine an area that can become your gardening space.  Just like being outside was your time to be with nature, this should be a place that you can pour your passion into and get your hands dirty. This is one thing that I wish we could have provided for mom.  However, space was limited at her home, so an indoor garden was hard to do for her.  She would still get a small bag of dirt in the Spring and re-pot a few flowers, just to get her hands dirty.

3. Keep in mind that the further along that you get into this disease, the more difficult it may become to lift your arms.  A vertical garden may be easy to work with now, but may become more difficult to take care of in the future.  I am not saying that you shouldn't use a vertical unit for your plants.  I am only saying this so you are thinking ahead about how to rearrange things, if this becomes an issue for you.

4. Search on the internet for ways to create your garden.  There are so many variations and space saving ideas now.  If you only have a single window, there are different ways to help you make the most of your space.

I hope that your indoor garden can become your happy place - a space where you can find a peaceful moment and get lost in that hobby you love so much.  I know that there is no way to replace the loss of being able to do the things you have loved to do, but by being a little creative, you can find a way to modify things so that it is not gone entirely.

We would love to hear from you.  Please share photos of your indoor garden on our Facebook page and tell us why it is so special for you.