Tag: small space

Forcing Bulbs: Your Guide to Growing Bulbs Indoors

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Gardeners, rejoice! If you’re ready for spring, start the season early by forcing bulbs to grow indoors. Not only will you get to bring some beauty into your home, but you’ll be a step ahead when it comes to your spring garden, too. Here’s everything you need to know about growing bulbs indoors.

Photo courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

Do you ever find yourself wishing that spring could come earlier? Well, my friend, you can bring a bit of spring indoors this fall and winter with blooming spring bulbs! With a few simple techniques, you can force bulbs to grow early and create a spring garden right in your own home well before they are ready to flower outdoors.

You can make gorgeous, varied arrangements to display on your dining table or other surfaces, and you’ll be feeling sunnier in no time. Grab some bulbs and get ready to welcome spring!

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Bulbs can make for wonderful gifts, alongside growing instructions.

Sponsored Content: This article on forcing spring bulbs is proudly sponsored by Flowerbulb.eu (who also provided some of the gorgeous photos in this post). We partnered on this article to help remind you that fall is the best time of year to buy spring bulbs. There are a ton of great bulbs available at online retailers and in garden centres, so you certainly will have plenty of options in your area. Get your bulbs now so you can chill them in time for an early spring indoors when you need the cheery blooms the most!

Forcing Bulbs for Spring

I’m rather lucky living in the Pacific Northwest, where spring arrives earlier for me compared to other northern counterparts. Oftentimes, I am posting my spring bulbs on social media, and my friends are commenting that they’re still deep in snow!

Snow in May and June is a reality for some, making the true gardening season a few short months. However, you can still enjoy the wonders of spring even if it doesn’t feel like the season outdoors. Forcing spring bulbs is my favourite way to add some much-needed colour inside while you sit and wait to garden outside.

Tulipa Bright Sight, Orange Princess, Queensland, and Varinas, courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

The Best Bulbs to Grow Indoors

While you could theoretically use most bulbs indoors, some will be more challenging than others. For successful and easy flowers, it’s important to pick bulbs that take well to forcing. These ones are easy to force indoors and produce gorgeous spring flowers that will brighten up your home.

I also like to grow bulbs indoors that aren’t hardy in my area. Some bulbs will only be hardy in warmer zones and won’t naturalize for the following year. Growing bulbs indoors allows you to still experience these more tender bulbs, even if you live in a colder area.

Grow some specialty varieties to really make your flowers shine indoors. Photo courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

Choose Your Container

Bulbs can be forced in a wide variety of containers, so pick something decorative that will complement the flowers that you’ve chosen. Shallow dishes and pots make good containers for many bulbs, as do simple Mason jars.

You can find containers specifically made for bulb forcing, too—they have a wide dish at the top that narrows before widening out below again into a vase shape, so that the bulb will sit in the top above the water in the vase part.

You can easily use some of your outdoor pots for your indoor bulbs. Photo courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

Prepare Your Bulbs

Forcing bulbs and other plants is a way of tricking them into thinking it’s time to flower earlier than they naturally would. In order to do this, you have to put the bulbs through a false “winter.”

Spring bulbs naturally go through a period of dormancy over winter, and in the spring, when the soil is warmed enough by the sun, the bulb knows that it is time to come up and bloom. What we’re doing is recreating this effect indoors and on our own time, so that we can have beautiful spring flowers blooming early.

To do this, you need to mimic the bulb’s natural life cycle by chilling it at 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit (or 2-7 degrees Celsius) for about 8-15 weeks. This creates an artificial winter.

You can chill bulbs in a cool, dark spot like a root cellar or unheated garage.

You can also put the bulbs in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator as long as you give them their own drawer away from fruits and vegetables that release ethylene gas.

If you don’t have the time to do this, you can buy bulbs that have already been chilled for you.

Muscari flowers.

Planting Bulbs Indoors

Once the bulbs have gone through their cold period, you can plant them indoors, and the transition from cold to warm will signal to them that it is time to grow and bloom.

If you are using a Mason jar or other deep vessel, fill the container up with small pebbles or marbles. Nestle the bulb into the pebbles or marbles with the pointy end facing up. About half of the bulb should be buried while the top half remains exposed. Add enough water to the container so that the bottom quarter of the bulb is submerged, but the rest of the bulb is above the water.

Make sure not to fully submerge the bulb in water so it doesn’t rot.

If you are using a shallow dish or pot, add a few pebbles to the bottom for drainage and add potting soil to the container. Plant the bulbs in the soil (again, pointy sides up) and add a little more soil on top so that they are just covered. Water thoroughly. Check the soil often and keep it moist with frequent watering.

Keep your soil moist, but make sure it’s not soggy. Drainage is important!

Sometimes you don’t even need soil to grow your bulbs. All you need is a bulb, water, and the right vase. A forcing vase is one that has a narrow top and a wide bottom. This allows the bulb to be only partly submerged in water.

If you have a forcing vase, simply fill the bottom part with water and rest the bulb inside the wide dish at the top. If you haven’t chilled your bulbs yet, place your vase in a dark, cool place and wait. After a few weeks, the roots will grow down into the water. When the flower begins to appear, bring it out for display. If your vase is clear, you even get to watch the roots grow in addition to seeing the beautiful flower bloom.

Hyacinths smell wonderful, making them a true treat indoors. Photo courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

Decorate!

Growing bulbs indoors is all about bringing some colour and beauty to your home. Beyond the flower variety and colour, you can add a lot of elements to stylize your indoor bulb.

Give your arrangements a little something extra by adding reindeer moss, polished pebbles, or flat glass marbles around the base of the plants, and consider including some delicate deciduous branches for added structure. If you are forcing your bulbs in soil and not just water, you can plant a few pretty annuals, such as violas or primulas, in the same container for some variety.

You can also play around to make your bulbs and container match the season. Opt for pastel hues and cheery containers to create an Easter themed piece. As long as you time it right, you can have bulbs indoors year-round.

Force bulbs indoors any time of year. Photo courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

Plant Again

After the bulbs have finished flowering and you have enjoyed your indoor display to the fullest, you can plant the bulbs out in the garden and watch them flower again for years to come. If they are hardy in your zone, you can plant them in the ground and wait for them to sping up next winter. Alternatively, you can also store them to grow them indoors again.

To do this, remove old flowers and leaves as they slowly fade away. Once the plant is finished flowering and the foliage has turned yellow, cut the stems to two inches above the bulb. Remove the bulb from the soil and gently clean off any dirt. Store in a cool, dry place until you’re ready to use it again next winter.

Tulipa Dynasty and Hyacinthus China Pink, courtesy of Flowerbulb.eu

More Spring Flower Fun!

A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.

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Stephanie Rose

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October 16, 2025
Indoor Plant Care: How to Grow Tropical Plants in Geometric Terrariums – Garden Therapy

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I love the look of these geometric terrariums. They make me think of nineteenth-century conservatories or vintage apothecaries, yet the geometric shape feels fresh and modern at the same time. With a few small houseplants, some reindeer moss, and a little know-how, you can transform simple glass containers into lush, thriving terrariums in no time!

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Tropical Plants Indoors

Tropical indoor plants like pothos are used as houseplants because they tolerate the lower light and warm, temperate conditions usually present indoors. Tropicals often really love humidity, which is why they are such good candidates for closed-top terrariums or glass bell jars.

Soil and plants naturally release water vapor, and when they are inside an enclosed space like a glass terrarium, the vapor collects on the roof and sides of the container and creates a humid environment.

Succulents and cacti are wonderful houseplants as well, but with a terrarium that has a closed lid like these ones, tropicals are the way to go. Even though there is an opening in the front of this geometric terrarium, the covered roof still creates a more humid microclimate perfect for tropicals.

If you place cacti and succulents in the same terrarium, they need much brighter light, and that will also dramatically increase the temperature inside the glass. If you want to make a succulent or cactus terrarium, then use an open bowl and save these beautiful geometric terrariums for tropicals to thrive. They will grow and morph over the years and show so much personality!

Terrariums create humid microclimates, which are desirable for tropical plants.

Tips for Working With Glass Terrariums

Look for glass containers in interesting geometric shapes. I like the metal detailing on the terrariums I found—it gives the shape a dramatic outline and the slightly weathered look of the finish lends a vintage feel.

If you can find a terrarium with a plastic liner inside, that is ideal, as you can use it to keep the soil and plants in place, but if your container doesn’t have one, you can make your own out of a plastic tray from the recycling bin. It won’t look as attractive, but you can easily disguise your makeshift liner with a little strategically placed reindeer moss.

Keep in mind that glass terrariums are not going to have holes for drainage. If you are used to caring for houseplants and terrariums and are confident that you will not overwater the plants, don’t worry about the lack of drainage, and just be mindful of how often you are watering.

However, if you are concerned about overwatering, you can create drainage inside the terrarium by spreading out some pebbles at the bottom of your plastic liner. You could also add charcoal to the soil to help prevent damage caused by overwatering. Charcoal works to absorb and remove odour and toxins produced by pooling water.

You can also repurpose lanterns and candle vessels into terrariums.

How to Make a Glass Geometric Terrarium

Now for the fun part! Once you’ve gathered the materials, it doesn’t take long to put your terrarium together. It can take a little finesse and handiwork, but it always turns out so whimsical.

Materials

Make It!

Before planting in the soil, play with positioning your plants in different configurations to get a pleasing design. Place taller plants in the back and shorter ones in the front so that none of them will be obscured. Try to choose plants with different colours, textures, and shapes to get the most interesting display.

Play around with your display before potting.

If you are going to add drainage pebbles to the bottom of your plastic liner, do that first. Next, fill the plastic tray with soil and add your plants. Water the plants well and allow them to sit for half an hour, then pour off any excess water that they didn’t drink up. Place the planted tray inside the terrarium.

After planting, water your plants thoroughly and then drain the excess.

Now add your decorative elements. Try placing pretty stones, moss in different colours, and bark with interesting textures into the terrarium. Move them around until you get a design that you like.

Forage for some elements from your backyard for a cost-effective but personal touch.

One of my favourite decorations for terrariums is DIY clay mushrooms. I made the ones pictured, and posted a tutorial on how you can make them for yourself as well!

I also like to add some magic with waterproof LED fairy lights. These are battery-operated and made to go inside terrariums. They add just that little bit of magic that makes a terrarium its own special little world.

The clay mushrooms and the fairy lights are the perfect final touch.

How to Care for a Terrarium

Terrariums don’t take much care other than watering properly and replanting every so often. When your terrarium starts to look a bit overgrown or sad, follow these steps on how to refresh a terrarium. For regular care and maintenance, here is what you need to know:

For the most part, terrariums don’t require fertilizing because you actually don’t want the plants to grow large very fast and outgrow their small environment. However, if plants are looking weak, you can add a diluted indoor plant food formula to give them a little boost.

In a covered terrarium like this that produces a ton of humidity, you don’t need to water much at all. Simply water lightly every few months and otherwise let the terrarium do the work for you.

Enjoy!

More Fun Terrarium Projects

A city girl who learned to garden and it changed everything. Author, artist, Master Gardener. Better living through plants.

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Stephanie Rose

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October 13, 2025
Vertical Garden Bed: a Unique Raised Garden You’ve Got to See

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Often, budding gardeners will think they need the perfect piece of land to start growing, but that isn’t the case at all. I know this because my own vegetable garden is contained to a small, rather odd piece of land. I had to get a bit creative with how I built it. As I couldn’t move out, I had to grow it up. Here’s my unique vertical garden and tips for creating your own. You’ll never believe how much food can be grown in a small space until you see my unique raised garden bed!

This post has been a long time in the making. It’s taken plenty of trial and error to come to this point, but I hope this information is helpful and inspiring to those of you with small spaces or uniquely shaped gardens.

For me, this raised bed planter is a unique solution that was born out of necessity. This area is an awkward small space, but now you wouldn’t believe how much food it produces!

Update! This vertical garden was left behind for the new homeowners in my previous garden, but it was one of my favourite creations.

Let me show you exactly how my vertical garden bed all came together!

This harvest all came from my vertical garden bed.

Why I Created This Unique Vertical Garden

Let me back up and explain how I got to this point with my vertical garden set up. Previously, the vegetable garden space was situated on a long strip of soil that is the only part of the garden that gets full sun.

The original set up only allowed for 20 sq ft of garden space which is not nearly enough for me. Now, the garden has more than doubled that square footage by using creative vertical raised beds!

The garden in my home was designed without much thought for the sun. A south-facing backyard has always been my dream garden, and yet, with this space, it has been an ongoing challenge.

Isn’t that always the case? You finally get that dream garden and it has its own set of unique issues.

The bottom beds of my planter are just above ground level.

Gardening in the Sun vs the Shade

I like to have the sun on my plants and shade on my fair, freckled skin. I get pretty warm in the summer months when it gets hot, and so I’m always seeking out the shade.

When I moved into this home I quickly realized that the existing design in the garden was the opposite of that. The sunny garden beds on the south side of the property were planted with trees. They didn’t do anything to shade the lawn and the upper deck which got hot blazing sun all day long through midsummer but created deep shade in the garden. UGH.

The actual square footage this planter takes up is very little.

Why I Made a Vertical Garden

The design in my backyard had a 20 foot by 5 foot section of the garden for growing vegetables. This would have been just fine except that the area is also elevated. This particular area is raised off the ground by 5 feet. There was no fencing around the edge of the garden and the previous owners had a raised plank in the middle of the bed to reach both sides of the vegetable garden.

Imagine you’re five feet up from the ground with no fence and you’re now raised an extra 6 inches up on a platform reaching down to get it the vegetables below.

It was not only a little bit nerve-wracking to garden in the space, but it didn’t take long for my back to ache like crazy.

So, I came up with a design that had two long raised beds along either side of the garden with a gravel walkway in between.

That still didn’t give enough space to plant vegetables. Each bed was 20 ft long and about 12 to 18 ft wide. In a square foot garden that means about 30-40 plants.

I couldn’t go out any further, so my only choice was to grow up, turning one bed into a three-level raised bed. This gave me an extra 40 square feet of vegetable garden, essentially doubling the space.

The “normal” bed, on the other side of the path, allows me to grow my vining vegetables such as peas.

How to Build a Vertical Garden

First, let me preface by saying building a three-tier raised bed that’s 20 feet long is not easy. I’ll admit it was not cheap either. However, the cost and effort were more than worth it for the finished product.

Each box is 12 in wide and 20 in long. To make installation as easy as possible, they were built in 10-foot-long sections that were then connected together.

To support the raised garden beds, I have mounted copper supports on the ends of each as well as in the middle where the two 10-foot-long beds are connected. The beds are also bolted to the fence behind, where my neighbour grows a grapevine—all this to say that the vertical garden beds are very sturdy.

Swiss chard is a favourite veggie of mine to grow fresh.

How to Care for a Vertical Garden

Let’s talk about how to care for the plants growing in a vertical garden like this one, because there are special considerations if you use this design. There are challenges with sunlight, water, and airflow that I have needed to overcome.

Snow peas in my vertical garden bed.

Sunlight Needs for a Vertical Garden

Just over half of the beds get full sun. The top of the three tiers gets full sun all summer long. The south-facing parts of the bottom two tiers also get full sun. And the single bed on the other side gets full sun.

The middle, back of the middle and bottom tiers, however, is a different story. These areas get mostly shade from the box above but also the grapevine that grows on the neighbour’s fence.

So when I’m planning out my garden I’m sure to include my sun lovers in the sunny parts of the beds, and edible flowers, lettuces, and shade-tolerant herbs in the second and bottom level.

Again, this all took some trial and error to get right. I originally planted strawberries on the bottom level because it was a great height for my son to pick berries from when he was young. Sadly, the shaded berries were always bland and small without enough hot summer sun, so they had to be relocated. Now, they are thriving once again!

Strawberries didn’t grow well in this vertical bed on the bottom level.

How to Water a Vertical Garden

Watering is also a bit of a challenge with the second two tiers. Obviously they don’t get rainfall, which is something that I count on living in the Pacific Northwest when it rains much of the year.

Truthfully, I don’t do a lot of watering in my garden in general. Much of the gardens are established and drought-tolerant. Of course, vegetables and annuals need a lot of water through the growing season.

Use Rain

I tend to plan my vegetable garden planting so that I’m planting seeds and transplants right before it rains. This way, the spring rains really help to plump up and settle the new plants.

Since the second and third rows don’t get any of that rain. I have to care for those differently. If there’s enough rain, the second bed will get a little bit of overflow drip from the top raised garden bed.

When there’s a downpour, some of that overflow will even drip down from that second bed into the third. However, in general, I need to have supplemental water all year round for the second and third rows if I want to grow anything in the rainy season.

Watering Systems

I set up two different watering systems to support the beds.

The first was a solar-powered drip system attached to a rain barrel. This is a great system because when the weather is sunny and hot, it triggers the watering system to go on automatically with water collected in the rain barrels. The sunnier it is, the more it waters the garden. Pretty smart!

The only issue with this system was that it broke down after just a year. As it was quite expensive, it wasn’t something that I wanted to keep repairing and working on every year. Instead, I’ve run soaker hoses through the beds and just turn on the drip system.

I use timers in the summer so that they can go on automatically when they really need that extra water.

Yellow beans in the vertical garden bed.

Providing Airflow in Raised Garden Beds

This raised bed design was meant to be open enough so that there were 18 inches above the top of the soil for the plants to grow before they would hit the top of the next bed. This gives lots of room for small shorter plants such as violas and pansies, as well as edible flowers, baby lettuces, radishes, and low-growing greens.

However, you can never plan for (or control) what happens on the other side of your fence. My neighbour has some moss-covered windows blocking the garden beds.

In theory, I think this is to keep our cat out of her garden, but sadly, all it does is restrict the airflow to the bottom bed. So far, everything has grown okay, but it’s certainly something to consider.

Lettuce seedlings growing in the vertical garden bed.

What to Plant in a Stacked Vertical Garden

Harvesting food from this garden is so simple and fun! It’s easy on my back, for starters. I often get asked how I reach the upper beds, and the answer to that is simple. I climb up onto the bottom beds and can easily reach the plants at the top to harvest the food.

Some the middle tier, I can garden without bending down!

In the upper beds, I usually plant decorative and short-growing peppers, along with tumbling tomatoes or smaller-sized tomatoes. I also put other sun-lovers up there, like eggplant and garlic.

Because the beds are raised up, I don’t trellis peas and beans up. Instead, I let them grow down. I can then easily pick them from the garden below! This is one of my favourite ways to plant trellising veggies. You can do the same method in hanging baskets too.

Your vegetables can hang down, making them easy to access from the top tier.

My favourite vegetables to grow in the garden are:

I get a great harvest by planting all of these in the raised garden beds. This organic, homegrown food will feed us for most of the summer months.

Look at this full harvest from my vertical garden bed!

Vertical Garden: a Fun Way to Garden in Raised Garden Beds

The vegetable garden is always a show stopper when my garden is part of garden tours or when friends come over to visit. My friend Tara Nolan who wrote the best-selling book Raised Bed Revolution, got particularly excited when she saw it. She even took photos of it to share on her social media.

Truly, despite all the challenges and effort to set up, I love this space. I hope you did as well!

More Unique Vegetable Gardening Tips

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Stephanie Rose

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June 27, 2024