What I Learned About Making My Tiny Apartment Work for Whatever Climate Change Throws at Us

Okay so this is going to sound dramatic but bear with me – last February when that polar vortex hit Chicago and knocked out power for three days, I had a genuine panic attack about my plants. Not because they were particularly expensive or anything, but because they were basically the only thing keeping me sane in my tiny dark apartment.

I spent those three days huddled in my kitchen with all twelve plants crammed onto the one counter that gets any natural light, using every candle I owned to try and keep them from freezing. That’s when it hit me – I had created this whole little ecosystem in my apartment without thinking about what happens when things go sideways.

Like, I spent months researching grow lights and humidity levels and fertilizer schedules, but I never considered what would happen during a power outage or if the building’s heat failed or if we had one of those weird Chicago heat waves where it hits 100 degrees for a week straight.

 

After that whole ordeal, I started following some climate-focused plant accounts on Instagram and fell down this rabbit hole about how weather patterns are getting more unpredictable. Turns out a lot of plant people are dealing with this – houseplants that used to thrive suddenly struggling because indoor temperatures are swinging more wildly as buildings deal with extreme outdoor conditions.

One account I follow, @apartmentjungle, posted about how their usual routine got completely wrecked when their building’s HVAC system couldn’t handle a heat wave. All their tropical plants nearly died because the indoor humidity dropped so low. They ended up creating this whole “emergency protocol” system with backup humidifiers and portable fans.

That got me thinking about my own setup. I had been so focused on making my plants work in my specific apartment conditions that I didn’t think about making them resilient to changing conditions. So I started researching which houseplants can handle temperature swings and which ones need super stable environments.

Turns out most of my plants were pretty high-maintenance. My fiddle leaf fig alone requires consistent temperatures between 65-75 degrees, regular humidity levels, and no drafts. Great when everything’s working perfectly, but basically guaranteed to die if anything goes wrong with the building’s systems.

I started gradually switching to what I call “apocalypse plants” – stuff that can handle wide temperature ranges and irregular watering. Snake plants, ZZ plants, pothos, spider plants. Not as Instagram-worthy as some of the trendy tropical stuff, but way more likely to survive whatever chaos life throws at them.

The game-changer was creating different “zones” in my tiny studio based on microclimates. Near the radiator gets hot and dry in winter – perfect for succulents and cacti. The bathroom has higher humidity from showers – good for ferns and air plants. The area by the window gets the most light but also the most temperature fluctuation – I keep my most adaptable plants there.

Instead of trying to create perfect conditions everywhere, I started working with the natural variations in my space. When the weather gets weird, I can move plants between zones instead of trying to control the entire apartment’s environment.

I also started collecting containers that make plants easy to move around. Instead of heavy ceramic pots that look pretty but are impossible to relocate quickly, I use lightweight plastic nursery pots inside decorative cache pots. When I need to move plants for temperature or light reasons, I can just lift out the inner pot.

The rooftop garden taught me even more about this. The first year, we planted everything based on what was supposed to grow well in Chicago. Then we had that summer with weeks over 90 degrees and barely any rain, and half our vegetables died. The tomatoes basically gave up in July.

This year we’re trying what one of the other gardeners calls “climate migration” – planting varieties that do well in zones slightly south of us. So instead of Chicago-zone tomatoes, we’re growing varieties that thrive in St. Louis weather. The theory is that as the climate shifts, these plants will be better adapted to our new reality.

We also built in way more flexibility. Instead of permanent raised beds, we use large containers that can be moved to shadier spots during heat waves or covered during unexpected cold snaps. We installed a rainwater collection system that can store way more water than we’d normally need, because dry periods seem to be lasting longer.

The whole experience made me realize that a lot of urban plant advice assumes you have control over your environment in ways that most of us actually don’t. Like, those gorgeous plant influencer accounts with perfect lighting and climate control? That’s not realistic for people in old buildings with crappy HVAC systems and landlords who won’t fix anything.

I started documenting my “resilient apartment jungle” approach on my blog – focusing on plant choices and setup strategies that can handle unpredictable conditions. The response has been huge, especially from other renters who can’t modify their spaces much but still want plants that will survive whatever happens.

One thing I learned is that backup systems don’t have to be expensive or complicated. I keep a small humidifier I can plug in during dry periods. I have battery-powered LED strips I can use during power outages. I collected a bunch of clear plastic containers that can work as mini-greenhouses if I need to protect plants from temperature extremes.

The water situation was trickier. My building sometimes has issues with water pressure, and I learned the hard way that plants don’t wait for maintenance to fix the pipes. Now I keep several gallon jugs of water stored – not just for drinking during emergencies, but for my plants. It sounds excessive but after watching Patricia (my first plant, still alive somehow) nearly die during a two-day water outage, I don’t mess around.

I also started paying attention to which plants actually serve multiple functions. My snake plants look great and clean the air, but they also store water in their leaves so they can go weeks without watering. My pothos grows like crazy and can propagate easily, so if something happens to the main plant, I’ve always got backups growing in water glasses around the apartment.

The herb garden on my kitchen counter has been the most practical experiment. Instead of trying to grow basil and cilantro year-round (which never worked anyway), I rotate through different herbs based on what can handle current conditions. Rosemary and thyme in winter when the apartment is dry and cool. Basil and mint in summer when it’s humid and warm.

I found this great resource on Reddit – r/IndoorGardening has tons of threads about “crisis gardening” and resilient plant setups. People share strategies for everything from apartment flooding to extended power outages to HVAC failures. It’s way more practical than the aesthetic-focused plant content that dominates Instagram.

One post that really stuck with me was from someone in Texas who lost power for a week during that winter storm. They had set up their plants in modular systems they could quickly consolidate into the one room they could keep warm. Their whole collection survived because they had planned for exactly that kind of scenario.

That inspired me to create what I call my “emergency plant protocol.” I know which plants are most cold-sensitive and which containers are easiest to move quickly. I have a plan for where to relocate everything if I need to consolidate into one room. I keep emergency supplies like battery lights and backup water specifically for plant care.

It sounds over the top, but living in a tiny apartment with limited resources means you have to be strategic about what you can and can’t control. I can’t control whether my building’s heat works or if we have power outages. But I can choose plants that are resilient and create systems that adapt to changing conditions.

The biggest shift in my thinking has been accepting that my plant setup needs to change over time. Instead of trying to create some perfect Pinterest-worthy plant paradise that stays the same forever, I’m building something that can evolve. Some plants will outgrow my space or stop thriving in my conditions. New varieties might work better as I learn more or as conditions change.

I’ve started thinking of it less as decorating with plants and more as creating a living system that responds to whatever happens. It’s messier and less predictable than those gorgeous plant Instagram accounts, but it’s way more resilient.

And honestly? It’s taught me a lot about living in a changing world more generally. Like, the same principles that make my plant collection more resilient – flexibility, backup systems, working with conditions instead of fighting them – apply to a lot of other aspects of apartment living.

I can’t control whether extreme weather messes with my building’s systems or if supply chains get disrupted or if my landlord decides to renovate the HVAC. But I can create systems in my own space that are adaptable and resilient instead of brittle and dependent on everything working perfectly.

My current project is experimenting with plants that can grow in water long-term, so I’m less dependent on soil and drainage systems. Pothos and philodendrons do great in just water, and they’re way easier to move around and maintain during emergencies. Plus they propagate easily, so I can share cuttings with neighbors – building community resilience along with plant resilience.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what this is really about. Creating spaces that can weather whatever comes next, whether that’s a polar vortex or a heat wave or just the regular chaos of urban life in an old building with questionable systems.