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The smallest garden that comes to mind is probably a money plant growing in a water bottle. You don’t need to pay a lot of attention to it - change the water every week, get rid of damaged leaves before the fungus can get to it. Maybe add a spoonful of fertiliser once a month and place it at a sunny window. That’s all the tending it demands. Do-it-yourself small garden ideas are aplenty for your outdoors and indoors alike. There’s one that suits every home design. A tiny herb garden mounted on a window sill, or on a repurposed old and small, yet still graceful, Walnut finish table, or a small selection of potted plants mounted on pallets in the roofless inner courtyard.

The idea of hanging trailing succulent plants from wall hooks in your interiors is not new, but it still remains as popular as ever as a space-saving “small garden” idea. Again, there’s nothing stopping you from making your garden an extension of your indoor space, complete with some light-weight seating. Come to think of it, why settle for anything less than a full-fledged garden? With vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and small trees set out in neat layers to evoke a sense of abundance even with less foliage. No matter the size - small or medium, every modern home should certainly have one.

There are plenty of reasons why, but here are the top 5:

Plants are natural air-conditioners

Vehicles, factories, fuel burning, dense population, and heat emission by buildings and other structures are making cities hotter than nearby rural areas. Urban landscapes tend to have limited greenery, and this is gradually turning them into “heat islands.” Position trees and vegetation at the right spots around buildings and you’ll actively cool your home. Trees can serve to shade your rooftops and windows. Green roofs covered with plants also keep your indoor temperature fairly low. So, you don’t need to run fans and ACs continuously, which means you save money on electric bills.

They are cleaning agents

This might sound a bit like school-grade biology revisited but it’s probably worth the reminder. Plants rid the ambient air of many toxic compounds and harmful bacteria. The collection of CO2 and other pollutants around the earth causes the planet to get hotter and threatens to alter weather patterns. Green plants can help by drawing CO2, a leading pollutant, from the air to synthesise their food. Besides, microorganisms around plant roots help break down contaminants in the soil to improve both soil health and clean groundwater.

Plants and trees help conserve soil fertility

The outermost layers of soil, which are rich in fertile and organic matter, are most likely to be washed away by rain and wind, and this adversely affects crop growth. It is estimated that at least one half of the earth’s topsoil has already been lost to the forces of erosion in the last 150 years. The above-ground portion of your garden plants and trees - blooming flowers, soft fruits, and fresh green leaves, give you happiness and pleasure. At the same time, unseen and without your knowledge, the roots of these flora are also toiling hard. They hold the soil layers together and prevent it from being washed away.

A vegetable garden will help reduce carbon footprint

Fruits, vegetables, and herbs you grow not only look good but have a more pleasant and distinct flavour than supermarket produce, since they are plucked at peak ripeness, never prematurely. Farm produce needs to cover a lot of ground before reaching your table, and this diminishes their taste and nutritional value. Many commercial farms use chemicals to control pests and boost crop yield. Some of these have adverse health effects on humans in the long run, apart from degrading soil and groundwater. So, kick off your home garden with a few easy vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Each time you savour them, you have reason to pat yourself on the back.

There is more to a garden than just plants and trees

This is just as important as everything else discussed so far. On a broader view, a garden can be a lot more than just flora. If you can turn it into a very inviting space, you will soon find small warbling birds, floating butterflies, and various beneficial insects (e.g., mantises, ladybugs, soldier beetles) settling in. Many of these birds and insects act as organic pest controllers by devouring mosquitos, roaches, bugs, and beetle larvae. They are also superefficient pollinators, meaning they are natural ‘midwives’ who assist plants to reproduce.

You can fit a garden of any magnitude neatly into your home design plans with assistance from experts at JSW One Homes. You can do that and lots more with no hassles and at any stage of construction. With JSW One Homes, you work with experts who are with you every step of the way, managing timelines, contractors, and, most notably, within your budget. To learn more about how we can help you with your new home design, request a meeting with our team. We’d love to hear from you.