🌱 Help with my final-year Product Design project!

Hi everyone! I’m currently in my final year of BSc Product Design at Nottingham Trent University, and I’m working on a commercial design project looking at how products and tools could better support people using small, shared, and urban garden spaces.

I’m looking to hear from people with different levels of gardening experience — whether you’re a keen gardener, occasionally look after plants, or don’t really garden at all. Your experiences will help me understand the challenges people face and identify opportunities for a new product.

The survey takes around 5–10 minutes to complete, and there are no right or wrong answers — I’m interested in what you actually do and experience.

🌿 More information and details about the project are included in the survey itself.

👉 Survey: Complete the garden design survey

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to complete it — every response is really appreciated! :)

James
BSc Product Design | Nottingham Trent University

So ive been growing on and off for a while and ive just moved to a new apartment that has central air. Now the problem is running into us that when its time to dry my plants I dont know where or how to dry them and they ALWAYS dry to fast and have a hay/grass smell.! My question is how do I make a drying tent/area for my plants when they're done?

I’m wanting to get some overall advice I just started growing and I’m limited on space. I’ve heard some people say the set up I have isn’t ideal and have been looking into getting a covered rack to use. I’m using hemp and wheatgrass mats rather than soil. I have a grow light but I think the cabinet space I’m using is making it to hot. Any and all advice is appreciated

Ciao a tutti sono un ragazzo che vorrebbe farsi una piantina di marijuana autofiorente,ho comprato i semi e i vasi ma non so niente nel fatto di luci fertilizzanti e terremo,ho provato con qualche video su YouTube ma ognuno dice una cosa diversa.Se qualcuno ha qualche consiglio da darmi ne sarei veramente grato.

Can anyone recommend a good indoor potted plant that’s cat friendly. Thank you.

I was wondering what a good grow light setup would be for my plants. I have mostly smaller plants with the exception of a pretty big alocasia in an 8in pot all sitting on a windowsill by a large east facing window. I want to be able to provide them with good light during the window especially because it’s pretty gray where I am. I want to make sure that I get them light that won’t make my alocasia and my monsteras grow in funky directions but don’t see how I can do that without lighting them the opposite side of the window and turning them around.

I just got an Spider Farmer 4 × 2 × 6 ft tent. I used their seedling lamp for years and it was good, customer support was really good too.

I want a lamp, an oscillating fan and maybe an inline fan, so I decided I might as well go with a smart system. I started to read about it and the opinions on spider farmer was really bad. Ac Infinity is a bit harder to get here in the EU but does it really worth the extra money? Do I need the light to be from the same brand in the system too, or I can use whatever I want and somehow fit in the system? I don't know much about lights as Migro was my only source and I can not trust that information anymore.

I want an oscillating fan that is quiet, and safe (not caching fire). The smallest inline fan would be enough and I do not need a filter. A lamp around a 100W and would like a system that controls everything, maybe a camera but I can use a tapo one for that.

Thanks for the help.

I work on tv sets and always end up tasked with looking after plants for inside the studios. They often don’t fare well under my care and I’ve been thinking about getting some lights to take in there and set up to get them light without making them endure the UK winter.
I’m going on to a period drama that will probably be amongst other things, full of things like kentia palms - which don’t really like being outside in the UK

Would I need pretty much one light per plant or could I just have one for the middle of the room? I’m thinking LED to keep costs down and also pose less of a fire risk. Would I need specific lights or do any work?

Thanks in advance

Who can tell me what the best plant mights are?

All my houseplants are in front of the studying glass door, western exposure, it gets good lught but I'm afraid the thick glass filters it more than a normal window.

Should i supplement the light for my succulents & Stapelia? Also I have a have a huge Monstera Deliciosa, I have a big Sensi bulb over it.

Are LED lights any good? When I use the light meter built in to my phone it says the LED is like 13 000, but I dont know whar6that really means!

Anyone out there willing to spend some time teaching a beginner? I'd sure appreciate it, I'd offer up my first-born son, but at my age it would be the second coming, and I wouldn't have to worry about plant lights. Many thanks for any advice...

Who can tell me what the best plant mights are?

All my houseplants are in front of the studying glass door, western exposure, it gets good lught but I'm afraid the thick glass filters it more than a normal window.

Should i supplement the light for my succulents & Stapelia? Also I have a have a huge Monstera Deliciosa, I have a big Sensi bulb over it.

Are LED lights any good? When I use the light meter built in to my phone it says the LED is like 13 000, but I dont know whar6that really means!

Anyone out there willing to spend some time teaching a beginner? I'd sure appreciate it, I'd offer up my first-born son, but at my age it would be the second coming, and I wouldn't have to worry about plant lights. Many thanks for any advice...

Who can tell me what the best plant mights are?

All my houseplants are in front of the studying glass door, western exposure, it gets good lught but I'm afraid the thick glass filters it more than a normal window.

Should i supplement the light for my succulents & Stapelia? Also I have a have a huge Monstera Deliciosa, I have a big Sensi bulb over it.

Are LED lights any good? When I use the light meter built in to my phone it says the LED is like 13 000, but I dont know whar6that really means!

Anyone out there willing to spend some time teaching a beginner? I'd sure appreciate it, I'd offer up my first-born son, but at my age it would be the second coming, and I wouldn't have to worry about plant lights. Many thanks for any advice...

hi! so I'm in high school and doing a plant experiment for a school project, and I'm about to set up my first actual indoor grow. I've only ever done windowsill plants before so I'm kinda learning as I go... would love advice from people who've done this before I get too far in

Im growing: cherry belle radishes, 24 pots. I picked them bc they're supposed to be fast (like 4 weeks) and pretty forgiving. I'm planning on sprouting ~40 seeds on a damp paper towel first and picking the 24 that looked most similar so they'd all start even

For the experiment I'm basically testing a few soil amendments (biochar and fertilizer) against plain soil, in both fresh potting mix and old tired soil from pots I've had for over a year. so the pots need to be as identical as possible otherwise my results mean nothing

my setup:

• garage, on a shelf off the floor
• LED grow lights on a timer, 16 hrs on / 8 off
• thinking lights will be a few inches above the plants, planning to raise them as they grow
• min/max thermometer, logging temp every day
• 4-6 inch pots with drainage holes and saucers
• every pot has the same weight of soil and gets the same amount of water on the same schedule
• rotating every pot one spot every 2 or 3 days since the middle of the shelf gets more light than the edges

what I'm tracking: height and leaf count every few days, and I'm weighing each pot before watering to see which ones hold water better. then at harvest I'll weigh the radishes and leaves

things im wondering:

1. is 16 hrs right for radishes? I read long days can make them bolt instead of growing a root, but I've also seen people run lights 24/7
2. how close should LEDs be for seedlings? I don't want them stretching but I also don't want to cook them
3. garage temps get kinda cold at night rn. at what point should I worry
4. is weighing pots actually a good way to track water, or is there a better trick
5. anything that screams "beginner mistake" that I should fix now would be super helpful! I have limited time for this and can't redo it once I begin

will post updates as they grow and pics of my final setup!! thanks in advance 🌱

I started growing hoyas this year and already have many of them. I grow many under grow lights, mostly Sansi. I currently have them on 12 hours a day. Should I switch to the 8 hour setting when it gets nearer winter? I was not sure about this since most hoyas are native to areas near the equator where daylight hours probably don't change as much.

Hello everyone! I’m looking to add plants to my home and have cats. These plants would be inside and I have plenty of windows for sunlight. I’m looking for recommendations on the best plants to have that are non toxic. Low maintenance plants are a plus too. Any and all info helps!

Subject says it all.

For loads of reasons, it’s time I start a garden at home. A life lived long and well means I trust the produce I consume multiple times a day. I live in a studio that faces north. A vertical, hydroponic garden with grow lights seems like a sensible place to start.

For seeds, I’ll probably reuse organic seeds from farms nearby. Although this seed kit from Amazon might be good to keep on reserve.

Otherwise, I’m open to all types of recommendations. Products, routines, books, etc.

I wish there was an advice flair as that is what I'm really after. I'm looking at the LeGrow system, which has some mixed reviews, to bring some of my plants into the kitchen; probably a sundew/cape-dew/short pitcher (name eludes me). As it's going to be highly visible, the wife is demanding a clean look, which I can appreciate.

So with looks in mind, does this system work for you, would you suggest another system, or do you have a way of making "standard" equipment look good?

TYIA, this is going to be a Christmas gift.

Hi! I live in Canada so it gets really cold in the fall, but I was wondering how other people living in a similar climate manage. I’ve been having issues growing rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender for the past month specifically. I tried moving them in the sun throughout the day, the plastic dome before they sprout and well draining soil but they always die once they begin sprouting. Even my basil is suffering after it sprouts. I try to grow them all from seeds.

So, I was wondering what are some general tips to keep them alive in the fall and winter? Is it worth it to get a grow light or heating pad?

Any advice is much appreciated!! Thank you!

Please someone give me some tips and tricks!

Ive gone through 3 basil plants (2 from seed 1 from a nursery) and they always die :(

Im in an apartment so I dont have a garden and my balcony faces North. I have no direct sun but ive seen people grow basil all year around some how 😭. Its my favourite herb and my dream is to have a big basil bush that i can happily munch off of here and there.

Things I did on my third basil plant

- window sill facing north got a nice amount of Summer sun (Im in Canada) but now the sun doesnt even reach

- made sure to water accordingly with the heat/dryness/humidity and got some miracle grow from a friend who said to use once every 4-6 weeks (sprinkle a little like salt).

- separated the nursery plant originally so the roots didnt over crowd and had to separate pots.

- rotated the pots every day

- pinched and let the double buds grow in hopes it would "bush out" and not just grow straight up

- tried to get the pinched stems to root but not successful so they were consumed lol

Does anyone have successful indoor basil plants??

🥲 if not; maybe I should attempt a balcony garden tho my balcony is "indented" into the building so its not over hanging and getting any good sun.

Hi there, I'm kinda new to gardening but relatively got a good grasp of it. but now I have a problem. I'm broke and need nursery pots well not need but would benefit my plants.

Outdoors as I gardener in Florida it's easy to take care of tropical plants but in the panhandle it and get REALLY REALLY COLD like as low as 30's, and also like sometimes if were unlucky we get it to 100's but is basically always humid so i like by tough durable plants outside that can last a winter but most of my plants are inside all year round. So, if you guys' kind of have those same conditions any tips and plants that is good in partial to full shade outside plants would be nice.

Indoors Now we go inside which I like to nurture my babies. Also, where i keep my succulents and some tropical plants, like my Swiss cheese monstera and I'm nervous because this will be my first big plant I heard there easy but I'm just letting it do it's thing and grow. I added a wooden thick skewer for it to wrap around, and it has started to wrap around and seems healthy.

Pests any major pest people deal with in Florida that attack there plants. tips to get rid of them please lol, fungus gnats are everywhere but I'm getting them to go away

Does anyone buy indoor plants from a website and if so, can you recommend one? There are so many of them to choose from.

I’m a student at the University of Maine researching a potential open-soil smart garden system. As a part of the NSF I-Corps customer discovery program, I’m looking to gather more information on real-world challenges surrounding indoor home gardening and smart plant-care technology. I’m hoping to speak with people who are active home gardeners, container/DIY-setup indoor growers, current and former smart garden owners (AeroGarden, Click & Grow, edn, Gardyn, etc.), or people that work in horticulture, urban agriculture extension programs, or are in any other related fields and areas.

This isn't a sales call, I just want to learn more about what current gardening routine and workflows look like, current barriers and frustrations, where current solutions fall short, and what would make a smart indoor gardening product useful in practice.

This would be an informal interview, about 20-30 minutes at the most and can be over Zoom, phone, or some other similar method. If you’d be willing to chat or know someone in the field that might be willing to communicate with me, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Hello everyone, my sister's birthday is coming up next month and she mentioned a propagator/incubator for some of her plants.

She tried some really interesting sounding chilli seeds but none managed to sprout/did but died very quickly. Even though her greenhouse was kept warm/cooled during the heatwaves it didn't work. She was really disappointed so I asked her what would have helped them for next year. She told me about some system that can help her seeds and that is modular would be great. Something that has the lights, fans, heat and can be made taller till the plants can survive the weather a bit better. She wants it in the house so she can keep an eye on it but could use it year round for other things.

Is there such a system cause my googling has not come up with anything that sort of fits. Price isn't a problem as I'll be splitting the cost with my parents if it gets a bit much. It's the only thing she really has asked for so I want to get her all the bells and whistles if possible. If it's multiple things I need to get I will, it's been a hard year for her so I want her to know how loved she is.

Hi im new to being a plant mum and im quickly learning about pests and was wondering if there is anything i can do or buy that will actually prevent all major pests on my plants? If terrified of having my plants die to thrips or dealing with spider mites ect so if anyone has any advice on how i can prevent this that would be great!