For those without a garden, lockdown is tough as you can only go out once a day for some exercise.
But if you want to bring some nature inside, you can grow things on your window sill.
You can easily grow some seeds and plants on the inside or put together a beautiful floral, fragrant window box for outside.
Just because you are stuck inside, it doesn’t mean you can’t be green fingered.
How to grow some seeds on your window sill
Now is the perfect time of year to plant some herbs and plants. The weather is getting warmer and it is a great hobby for quarantine.
Some garden centres are delivering and you can repurpose some things from around your home to get your little seeds started. You need some seeds and compost. Compost pellets like these are great for growing seeds as you just need to add water.
You can start seeds indoors but they need lots of sunlight so a window sill is perfect.
When it comes to containers, you can use egg boxes or snip and fold the bottom of toilet roll tubes to make little pots. The benefit of using card is that it is biodegradable and can be planted directly into a bigger container, but you can also use empty yoghurt pots.
As your plants get bigger, you can move them into tins or jars as makeshift pots. You can keep these on the inside of your windowsill but make sure you water them as too much sunlight will dry out the soil.
Fill your windowsill with plants to give you a little bit of greeny to enjoy while you are inside.
How to plant a window box for exterior window sills
If you want to grow things outside on a window sill, you will need to buy something heavy enough to prevent it being blown over in the wind. A window box is a good idea to create something beautiful you can put outside.
Try to order one online. Amazon have some available or you can order from Patch Plants within London. If your window sill is high up, consider how heavy the box will be with plants and compost – window sills and balconies won’t be able to support something that is very heavy.
When thinking about what to plant, it is important to consider the conditions on the window sill. Is it always sunny and warm or is it shaded by other buildings? Is it quite open and exposed to the wind? Pick plants that are able to survive in those conditions.
Popular ideas include garden herbs or lavender, as they are fairly hardy, easy to grow and mean you get a beautiful smell when you open the window.
Flowers like primulas and polyanthus are also popular for a little bit of colour or try ivy, which is low-maintenance and easy to grow in most places.
Once you have chosen your plants, you need to check for drainage holes. If the box you bought doesn’t have any, you will need to drill some in the base.
You need to add a drainage layer – you can add broken pots, stones or polystyrene pieces.
Add enough soil so that when you add your plants, where they meet the soil sits at the lip of the box.
Remove your plants from the pots and place in your box before filling any gaps with more compost.
Remember they will grow and spread so leave room between them.
Water them and then place on your windowsill. Containers need more water so check them regularly to make sure the soil is not too dry.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/12/grow-things-windowsill-12545789/?ITO=squid
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