If you’re working from home or self-isolating a window sill can provide a much-needed distraction. What will you put on yours?
Potted plants
Having a house plant or two on your windowsill may seem simple, but the benefits can be surprising.
Unlike cut flowers, a potted plant is something you can watch change over time. Last week my ‘Wandering Jew’ gifted me a small but beautiful flower.
They also require a little bit of your attention, such as checking for signs of stress or watering. This can be seen as a chore but you can make this a 5 minute daily mindful practice that rewards you will little surprises.
Plus – you’re connecting with something alive and helping it grow, so you get the ‘feel goods’ every day.
Where do you start with plants?
If you’re worried that you don’t have green thumbs, so am I! Now is a great time to take your first steps into plantville and reap the many benefits.
Start with something that pretty much takes care of itself, such as a cactus or succulent. If your window sill gets sun for most of the day these are great options (they were born to be in a desert).
I have a very eye-catching ‘String Of Pearls’ plant hanging from my curtain rail. I water it once a week at most and in return I have something pretty to look at.
If you don’t get much sun then a peace lily or spider plant could be a good alternative as they’re easy to look after and shade tolerant. Just search for the type of plant that suits your light levels.
Picked flowers/leaves/branches
It’s spring time in our neck of the woods so things are starting to happen in the garden. You might have some daffodils or have recently pruned your hedge. Whatever’s out there why not use your imagination to bring some of it indoors?
I decided to put some of our hedge clippings in a vase, mainly because I love the conifer smell.
Remember a little sugar-water or lemonade can help to keep cut flowers longer.
Microgreens
This is a new one for me so I’m experimenting with a few things. Growing something edible can seem more daunting than a potted plant, but it can be just as easy with microgreens.
I started with cress seeds in a tray of shallow compost, but you can use kitchen roll/cotton wool. It took less than a week to see them sprouting and within after two weeks I was adding it to my egg sandwich.
I then grew lettuce in the same way and the results were just as quick. I chose a ‘cut and come again’ type of seed which creates smaller leaves. They end up looking pretty fancy on the plate so you can pretend you’re eating at a restaurant.
I got quite hooked so my third experiment was mung beans in a jar. These were a little more tricky as I hadn’t soaked them long enough. Once they’d had enough water though, they were soon sprouting. The result is something similar to the bean sprouts you get in a stir fry. They taste better though (because you grew them).
I have to say, the gardener in me just wants to plant this guy:
So that’s exactly what I’m going to do now…
Have a great time discovering your window sill powers everyone, and stay well.
Soil and Peace 