A Windowsill Garden Part 1

As an urban gardener, I am also a container gardener. While there are countless joys and challenges that come with growing both vegetables and ornamentals in containers, one of my favorites is the seamless transition to windowsill gardening in the winter.

Windowsill gardens are a wonderful way to add color and texture to your home. Many people also choose to host herb gardens or even vegetable gardens on windowsills as a way to grow their own food indoors over the winter. However, as much as I love my tomato plants, I am mostly an ornamental windowsill gardener in the winter. The flowers and greenery provide me with a much cheerier disposition while I reach for the coffee maker, and the containers give me a place to recycle the used coffee grounds once I'm finished waking up. My windowsill garden is a mix of transplants from my garden and flowers I would rather tend indoors.

Windowsill gardening is not as easy as simply taking your pots inside, though. First, you'll want to consider the best windowsill. Now, I only have one in my urban home—so the decision was pretty much made for me. But, if you're lucky enough to have options, make sure to consider them!

As with any garden design, it is important to consider humidity, watering and light within your windowsill garden. Most plants do best in windows facing east or southeast to benefit from the morning light. Western facing windows give intense afternoon heat, and may make it difficult for less robust plants. Try to steer clear of windowsills near heating vents or cooking appliances, as they will rob the air of proper humidity. Many people prefer the windowsill over the kitchen sink (in fact, this is where mine resides!). But, while it does make watering fairly easy, don't get too overzealous. Even though the tap is there and accessible, you don’t want to overwater plants that already receive humidity from the daily chores in the sink.

Read Part 2 to learn about what kinds of plants you can try, a quick and dirty guide to transplanting plants, and the joys of controlling both dust and pests indoors!

Have Fun!

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Hazel Jennings writes about lifestyle and design, specifically garden and landscape design, interior design and organization, arts and crafts, and fashion design. As an expert in SEO and writing for the web, she works with designers, businesses, and publications to create pieces that both inspire readers and drive on-line traffic. Her biggest passions in the design world are sustainable living, urban gardening, and competitive frugality. To read more of her writing, including her blog, visit HazelJennings.com.