Urban Wasteland or Tropical Wonderland?

Have you always wanted to have lush green vegetation around you but thought that it was impossible in the city? Do buzz topics like "Urban Heat Cloud" and "Indoor Air Pollutants" make you worry that the city will kill any tender plants you cultivate? Is your 8th floor walk up darker than a bear cave? Fear not city dwellers! The NY Times recently released an excellent article will all of your worries and concerns in mind.

Survivors In the City

By ROBIN FINN

Published: March 28, 2010

PHOTOS (PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY CENICOLA/THE NEW YORK TIMES)

THE calendar says spring has sprung. But inside the typical city apartment, one that lacks skylights and glassy southern exposures and unlimited views of blue sky, spring does not arrive on autopilot. Many New Yorkers must actively invest in spring by adding a few hardy houseplants that can make it anywhere, like a dim walk-up in Hell's Kitchen or a tiny railroad apartment in the Bronx.

Harriet Beecher Stowe contended that caring for houseplants was a way of girding one's moral fiber, but the plants can gird one's morale as well. Try a blooming lily (perhaps a clivia) or a mini-cyclamen, which will blossom for months if the room temperature stays below 70 degrees.

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This is a great article with a list of plants that are perfect for the city. They even went so far as to speak with the president of the local chapter of the Indoor Gardeners Society. I've had the good fortune to meet with these fine folks, and let me tell you, they take indoor gardening to a level I have never seen before. You can find out more about them here: http://indoorgarden.bizland.com/index.html

And as a quick aside, we have all the plants mentioned in the Times article at great prices and various sizes. Come check them out for yourself and breath some life into that tiny living space of yours!