Enjoy Your Expat Garden

It’s spring time in the northern hemisphere and what better way to spruce up your home than with a few plants! As an expat you might think it is too hard to maintain a garden with your space restrictions, travel commitments or busy schedules. However if you have a bit of a green thumb or just want something to brighten up your home, there are some great ways to get around the challenges of expat life.

Source: http://www.rareseeds.com/store/flowers/cactus/

Now not everyone is lucky enough to have a large outdoor garden, but that does not mean you can’t have something green around the house. Houseplants are a great way to liven up your home and you don’t need a lot of space for them. You can place them on tabletops, empty corners and shelves, or even hang them from the ceiling, basically anywhere there is a small space, but keep in mind the needs of the plant, such as: will it get enough light or will it be exposed to direct heat.

However being an expat also means you might travel quite a bit, so you won’t want to have anything that requires a lot of attention. Succulents and cacti are great because not only are they easy to look after, they come in various shapes, sizes and colours to suit any household.

If you still think gardening is not for you and you really don’t have the time, you can always try virtual gardens. Here are a few of apps you might have fun with:

Inner Garden – This Android app lets your creativity flow, where you can create your own unique gardens without actually having to do any manual labour.

Flower Garden – Is available for free for your iPhone or iPad and is an easy way to grow different types of plants and have a bit of fun.

Eden Garden Designer – Design and share your virtual gardens with this iOS app so you can get creative in the backyard without getting out your garden tools.

Sweet Garden – For fans of pet simulation games, Sweet Garden offers a fun twist to growing plants. This is a cute little widget for Android devices where you can care for your pet plant from your home screen.