A small apartment at the heart of the concrete jungle shouldn’t stop you from growing your own. In fact, apartment gardening has been the refuge of many city dwellers throughout the years. With living spaces growing smaller while cities grow bigger, people have found ingenious ways to work on their green thumb.

Whether it’s filling your space with decorative plants or growing a herb pocket, here are apartment gardening tips we swear by.

Work with your Schedule

The first step is to consider your day to day schedule. If you spend most of your time at work, then low-maintenance plants are the best choice. If you work from home, you can select ones that would need more monitoring.

For example, jade, snake plant and rabbit’s ear are all very forgiving plants. Lettuce, hot peppers and herbs like thyme and rosemary are easy to grow and maintain. If you do spend most of your days indoors, then don’t be afraid to challenge yourself with plants that require more time and effort.

Consider your Space Layout

Another apartment gardening tip is to consider how your space is laid out. You wouldn’t want to get plants that need a hefty amount of sunlight everyday if you don’t get enough of it.

Amethyst flower, begonia, and copper plant do very well with shady balconies. Philodendron, snake plant and ivy are also great with low light.

Start Small

Growing your first garden is both exciting and taxing. One fail-proof way is to start small. The enthusiasm can quickly turn to anxiety and pressure. You want your garden to be your pocket of peace and quiet. So don’t overdo it.

Succulents are a top choice among newbie apartment gardeners. Forgiving herbs like basil hanging by the windowsill can also help you ease into becoming a bonafide condo grower.

Use it to Hide Unwanted Spots

Certain spots like railings, garbage disposals and propane tanks aren’t always aesthetically appealing. Plants can do the trick in making them disappear. If you enjoy hanging out in your balcony and desire more privacy, intentional growing is your best bet. Incorporate plants to create a green wall. Climbers like ivy, exotic vines and honeysuckle do the job well.

Grow Vertical

You may not have the luxury of space to place raised beds and line them up across a yard. Fortunately, growing vertical opens you up to so many opportunities to grow your very own apartment garden.

There are many options to start a vertical garden. From using railing planters to hanging baskets, you can grow ten times more. Examples of plants that adhere very well with vertical growing are ferns, begonias, succulents, herbs, vines and bromeliads.

Be Open to Challenges

Apartment gardening isn’t always going to be a walk in the park. You’ll wake up to find leaves going brown, roots rotting or plants that aren’t growing as quickly as you want them to be.

That’s okay. Gardening is and will always be an adventure. Being open to shortcomings and challenges is what will help you grow. Keep at it. The next thing you know, you’ll be filling up your space with lush greens in no time.