You know the old saying – “You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
If you’re a country girl (or boy) at heart but find yourself doing time in the city, don’t despair. There are plenty of things you can do to make yourself feel more at home.
One of my favorite urban homesteading activities is windowsill gardening. If you have a sunny window (south is great but east or west light will work fine, too) you, too can have at least a taste of home-grown goodness. (And windowsill gardening isn’t just for urban homesteaders – even those with big gardens often keep a few indoor pots going for fresh salad during the winter.)
All you need to start are some seeds and a few pots or trays you can fill with soil. If you’re lucky enough to have a sliding glass door you can even set up a tiered wire shelf unit in front of it for a multi-level indoor window garden. (Or try hanging pots of cascading plants – they save space and are pretty, too.)
Here are some suggestions for plants to grow in your windowsill garden:
- Any kind of herb. Herbs are ideal windowsill plants because most grow well in pots, and having them close at hand is a boon to the hurried chef. Try chives, basil, thyme, mint, parsley, lavender, rosemary and scented geranium.
- Baby greens. You can grow baby greens in pots or in trays. Try to find trays that are 3-4” deep. Lettuce, arugula, corn salad, dandelion, and sunflower and buckwheat greens should all grow well in your windowsill garden.
- For hanging plants, try Alpine strawberries or determinate cherry tomatoes. (Look for tomato varieties bred for container gardening.)
- If you’re really ambitious and have the room, you can get some great big pots and try growing tropical fruit trees. Check your gardening catalogs for citrus, banana and fig varieties that do well as container plants.
- Tend your windowsill garden just as you would any houseplants. Don’t forget to feed them at least every two weeks. (For a free and very effective nitrogen-rich fertilizer, just drain the liquid from your meat packaging and add it to the water when you water your plants. Sounds gross but your windowsill plants will reward you for it!)
For just a little effort your windowsill garden will provide you with home-grown flavor throughout the year, even in the city.
Anne Michelsen is co-founder of Marathon Renewable Energy, Inc., specializing in solar hot water systems. You can read more of her work at YourGreenLifestyle.blogspot.com
