Many Israelis took advantage of their stay at home and began to bring green into the living room, garden and balconies • From growing vegetables to plants that need minimal care • All the tips for a green home
Put the green in the house
Photography:
Aviv Kurt.
Design: Liat Hadas Paniv Design
Since the outbreak of the corona, the length of stay at home has lengthened significantly, and many have found themselves developing a new hobby to reduce stress.
So growing herbs, cultivating the garden or the sun terrace has become an integral part of a new daily routine for some Israelis.
Nursery owners report that unlike the first closure that came as a surprise, prior to the second closure there has been a significant increase in demand for indoor and outdoor vegetation.
"People work from home, they have more free time and they want to sit in a flower garden or on a well-kept terrace," says Gal Levy from Yodfat Nursery.
"Plant care has filled many of the free time there is, and in a sense it has saved the nursery market. People have come back to care and invest more in plants, people come to buy one or two plants and after a few days come to buy again, become interested and learn more about the field."
Photo: Gil Kramer
Boaz Sheffer, owner of Sheffer Nursery, which specializes in growing home vegetation, adds that "recently there is a demand for hanging plants that do not take up space and require almost no fuss, so if you forget to water they will survive. So there is a return to plants that have not been in demand for years. That no effort is required in raising them. "
"You don't need a jungle to enjoy greenery at home, even in an apartment without a balcony, or a garden, one pot is enough with a presence that gives the whole atmosphere. Plants soften in their organic contours the absolute lines of furniture in the house and touch the natural exterior inside," says Liat Hadas is an architect and interior designer.
Abigail Heller and Aviv Levy, from the Ministry of Agriculture's training and profession service, point out that although the conditions at home are not easy for growing plants due to the varying intensities of light, it is possible with proper planning and assistance of dedicated bulbs for plants.
Asked which flowers and plants can be grown indoors even for those who do not have a balcony or garden, Heller answers that "there are a variety of tropical plants, the most popular of which is the anthurium plant with a beautiful red inflorescence or the septifilium with white inflorescence, both of which are considered "Place them in the bedroom. There are also inflorescences without inflorescences such as rubilini palm, succulent succulents, cyclamen in winter, daffodils and begonias."
Flowers are planted in winter
And how do you deal with vegetation in winter?
Nimrod Horef, an expert in urban gardens, answers that "on days of storms or strong winds, the pots should be brought into the house as much as possible until the storm passes, and if plants are left outside on the balcony, make sure they are protected so that they do not tip over."
"Winter is the right time to plant seasonal flowers to give them a beautiful bloom in the spring. Cyclamen, dandelions, silver baskets, pansies and dates can be planted," he said.
How will you know you are watering the pots enough?
According to hinterland, "keep in mind that plants wither or die from excess water, so make sure there are holes in the pots to drain excess water and that the soil is airy (you can add a perlite mixture or tuff stones). The correct measure for watering pots is little watering that does not reach the bottom. "Water so that the water flows out of the drainage holes. Also, bury two fingers in the soil to a depth of about two centimeters, and only when you feel that the soil is dry water again."
Herbs and vegetables
Even for those who have always dreamed of picking mint from the pot straight into the tea cup, chopping fresh basil throughout the year and garnishing the salad with cherry tomatoes from the garden, it is possible to do this easily thanks to the technology.
The Beitili chain markets a smart planter from the "Click and Grow" company, which allows you to grow a vegetable garden indoors.
"Most of us live in an urban environment that does not allow vegetables to be grown, and this is what has led in recent years to the acceleration and development of various technologies," says Or Eitani, business development director of the Beitili chain.
"The smart planter allows you to plant edible plants easily. It is a planter in which three capsules are assembled in dedicated cells, fill with water in the container built into the planter, connect to electricity and only take care of filling water occasionally. The kit has built-in lighting that turns on above the planters. In a week buds will grow, and in two or three weeks the mint or basil leaves can be pruned for food. "
Eitani notes that the capsule itself contains engineered seeds inside with compacted peat soil that contains all the ingredients needed for the plant.
The result is an insect-free organic crop, which frees from unnecessary preoccupation with the growing conditions.
The plants in the planter grow for three to five months, and when the plant no longer yields, all that is left is to purchase new capsules and reposition the planter with new plants to choose from.
The brand has already conquered the world, and among the offered capsules there is a huge variety of spices like mint, parsley, basil, hot pepper, cherry tomatoes and even strawberries or edible flowers.
Around the world, the patent is already common in offices, schools and kindergartens, and in many places it is even possible to use the product to produce entire gardens by combining several planters together.
The smart planter is marketed in Israel in two sizes with room for three seedlings and costs about NIS 349.
Growing herbs
Sharon Kotzer, clinical herbalist and director of research and development at Bra Herbs, notes that "there are quite a few plants that you can easily grow at home and incorporate into your food menu such as Echinacea, which is known for strengthening the body's immune system and helping fight viruses. The house, and from the root you can brew tea and enjoy the virtues of the plant. "
He said, "The triple sage plant is intended for treating digestive problems, disinfecting the mouth and throat, for colds, ear infections and also for balancing sugar levels and regulating cholesterol levels. The sage is recommended to be planted in a location with partial sun. Melissa can also be grown alone. "Relieves stress, and improves the mood on gloomy days. You can combine the leaves of the plant in a fresh salad or make a soothing infusion from them."
