When I started A lazy Girl Goes Green a few months back, I said that you really don’t need to be a green fingered, creative up-cycling goddess to live a greener lifestyle. There really are hundreds of ways to green up your life, which don’t involve sowing seeds, or sewing machines. I mainly said this because I am neither crafty or green fingered; therefore I whole-heartedly stick by that statement! That said…I did make a promise on World Environment Day to appreciate my surrounding; pledging to attempt a little indoor Cornish garden at home. I am a queen procrastinator, but I never break a promise…

I took a two pronged approach to my lazy indoor garden; choosing not to put all my eggs/tofu in one basket, by planting seeds AND buying plants already started off for me. That way, if the seeds amounted to nothing (yes, that has actually happened to me before!) then I had some ready made ones which I just had to keep alive. A week in, and not only have they survived but I’m started to see my first seedlings – maybe this is easier than I thought!

So here are my 5 lazy tips to starting an indoor garden:

1. Don’t skip the essentials

It may seem like common sense, but every once in a while us lazy people need reminding to water our plants! Make sure that what ever you attempt to grow has air, water and light; there are no short cuts for these essential life givers.

2. Source your seeds for free

We are all guilty of buying a packet of seeds, planting a couple, and leaving the rest to rot in the corner of the shed, or spilling them over the floor to be eventually hoovered up. So before you shoot off to the local garden centre ask you friends, family or neighbours what spare seeds they already have lying around; you’ll be surprised what you can nab for free! They may even have spare pots and compost too.

3. Make your own pots

I happened to have plant pots lying around by previous (failed) attempts of growing veg, but you really can recycle absolutely anything to make a plant pot. As long as the pot had drainage, compost and room for the roots to grow; you can plant in takeaway containers, cups and even old shoes!

Or you can even make your own plant pots using old newspaper.

4. Grow something useful

Growing herbs or veggies that you enjoy will make all the effort seem worthwhile; especially when you start to see (& taste) the benefits of your hard work. If you are a hopeless gardener (like me…) start off with easy grow salad leaves, cress or basil which can be picked again and again.

5. Let someone else start them off

My herbs had a head start thanks to my local supermarket, I just bought them ready seeded and re potted them to give them space to grow. You can do this with a lots of plants if you take cuttings from your friends hard work and keep them growing when you get home!