Good Questions: Incorporating Grow Lights?

Natalie has a question: Living in Minnesota, I desperately need green, and since it snows about 8 months out of the year, I'm thinking of buying some grow lights and starting a little herb garden. My question to you is: Do you have any pictures, or does anyone out there, have any great ideas on how incorporate grow lights in your apartment (they're not very pretty) and without looking like a drug grower?

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

I'm thinking something along these lines (photo shown here).

Any ideas for Natalie? Please share them in the comments below - thanks!

Top Photo: Fresh Lettuce Sprouts by Doug Oster/Post Gazette

Comments (11)

The Hydro Farm light seems like a great idea...would it be possible to paint it a bright red or something that goes along with her decor?

posted by annerosenbaum on October 22nd 2008 at 10:18am
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i'm thinking the show weeds :)

posted by elinka189 on October 22nd 2008 at 10:36am
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we had the same issue in our dark apartment...we hid the grow light (very similar to yours) by hanging it in a window in front of a shade and then hiding it with a fabric valance to match the room. From the outside you see the shade pulled just low enough to hide the light and from the inside you see the valance and the plants on a shelf we have at window sill height

posted by JSR on October 22nd 2008 at 10:44am
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Try This - available on line and at places like Linen N' Things

http://www.aerogrow.com/

posted by Bailey2702 on October 22nd 2008 at 10:45am
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I have an incandescent grow bulb in one of my track light cans; you would never know it was any different from the halogens in the rest of them unless you look into it. This may or may not work for your herb garden but, I find it has been sufficient for supplementing the limited sunlight my lemon tree receives.

posted by rmarcus on October 22nd 2008 at 11:40am
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I'm a recent transplant to MN and thinking about the same thing. I may end up just putting the contraption in my basement. It won't beautify my living space, but I'll be able to grow herbs and start my garden well in advance of spring planting.

posted by Molly Margarita on October 22nd 2008 at 11:45am
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I was thinking the aerogrow too Baliey2702. I just saw it at Costco yesterday.

posted by LilyC on October 22nd 2008 at 2:06pm
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Install them into a bookshelf, that's what I did and it works well as long as you can move the shelf up and down.

photo here

posted by Amber in Norfolk on October 23rd 2008 at 3:31am
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Neat idea Amber. I would love to do something similar with some sort of valance like JSR suggested... I'd like to make it almost more of a display.

In the basement, I'd definitely wonder what herbs you were growing ;) but I know I know, the humidity down there is so good for plants.

posted by whytephoenix on October 23rd 2008 at 5:53am
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thanks guys! any ideas are more than welcome. . .

posted by ivegots on October 23rd 2008 at 6:14am
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someone in my apartment complex has lights aiding their plants.. it looks like they are using some of those "full spectrum" lights that are usually for home/office use. sort of desk-lampy. Less "GROW LAMP" looking, they definitely aren't slangin' jane.

posted by antimatt on October 23rd 2008 at 7:12am
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