Let's talk about one of my upcoming DIY's! If you love plants but say "oh but I don't have a balcony/lots of light/a yard" this is for you.
The most important thing to note about this entire project is that you need to be intentional about what you're buying and doing. So ask yourself a couple questions:
What kind of plants am I going to grow? How big are they?
Do I need to automate things or will I be able to do everything on my own?
This helps you determine how big of a glass cabinet/greenhouse you need and if you're going to be using smart plugs or not.
Now you can absolutely just buy a damn greenhouse online and put it inside. Don't let no one tell you that you can't. But if you're a DIY hottie and like to do things yourself and learn, you could benefit from doing this yourself.
You'll need some tools, for assembly. Probably a circular hole saw to cut a hole in the bottom of your cabinet, some magnets or something to keep the lights up and basic skills. Also a bowl of water to help humidity can be put at the bottom.
"What kind of plants can I grow?" Basically anything that can fit. Plants that need heat and lots of sunlight should be placed towards the top, plants that are okay with a tiny bit less heat and sun should be at the bottom.
"I don't know what to grow!" Cool, Here's some ideas:
Basil
Parsley
Tomatoes
Green onions
Lettuce
Peppers
Lavender
Rosemary
Chamomile
Dandelion
Garlic
Carrots
Marigold
Generally the more space, the better. So if you can get a really tall cabinet and just use a big step stool to reach the plants, do it! You can also buy acrylic shelves to place inside to promote airflow.
Plants can get big, don't be afraid to cut them down a little if your greenhouse becomes more of a jungle than you're okay with.
You can automate this whole thing (save for the watering, kind of) using smart plugs to turn off the fan and lights. For watering, you can buy self watering plant spikes for some of them (unless you want to water them, then that's fine)!
You'll want fertilizer (you can DIY it, or you can buy something like fish fertilizer), soil, and some pots of some sort.
Groceries have been god awfully expensive and this can help save money over time. Less trips to the grocery store and most importantly- you're not riding on someone else to make the prices for you. You pay for the electricity to run it, the water, the materials, and seeds. That's all you need.
example :
good luck and remember: DIY with caution and care!