As the colder weather creeps in, you’d be forgiven for yearning for the simple pleasures of spring: vases brimming with flowers, the smell of thawing earth, and the relief of a cool breeze. The garden may be off limits for the foreseeable future, so here’s some unique ways to bring the outdoors into your home.

Create a living room Zen garden

A Zen garden (also known as Karesansui in Japanese) is the perfect living room decoration for anyone wanting to inject a little greenery. Create yours using a mixture of stones, sand and gravel, alongside your plants. The most commonly used plants are succulents, but you can also use mosses or air plants. For a final touch, rake the sand or gravel in curving strokes to create a calming ripple effect.

Over the waterfall and into your home

For something a little more luxurious, try installing a waterfall with a small pond at its base, which can be surrounded by plants or water lilies. There are some fairly affordable solutions for adding a water element to your home – perfect for houses with large hallways or living rooms with big open spaces. Waterfall gardens are also popular in the bathroom, though we prefer this little piece of paradise to take pride of place where it can be enjoyed by all. 

Grow a vertical wall garden

Although it may appear to be one of the easier suggestions on our list, the vertical wall garden requires careful planning and a great deal of care. Include flowery plants for colour, as well as a selection of herbs, which you can also use for cooking. For a more elegant assembly, try oakleaf ivy (a beautiful vine with deep green leaves) or philodendron (a classic indoor plant with heart-shaped greenery. Keep an eye on your ivies though; if they grow too much they could climb onto any nearby structures and invade your home.

Tiny gardens for small apartments

There’s no rule that says small spaces are off-limits for those wanting to bring the outside in. Although wall gardens and water features may not be practical in an apartment, there’s nothing to stop you creating a miniature garden which could sit on a desk or coffee table. All you need is some type of smaller container such as a box or a basket, then fill with soil, smaller stones in different colours, and a selection of succulents. The best part is a miniature garden requires very little in the way of attention and care, but will refresh your space and create a more natural, healthy look.

About the author: Our guest blogger Hannah Thomas is a gardening and home décor enthusiast with a passion for interior design. She says the garden is the place where she feels most comfortable and is happiest learning, exploring and smiling.