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| Plant a garden and watch as everything grows. If you don't have a garden outside or it is too cold, why not start your own Windowsill Garden and recycle at the same time. All you really need is a container, soil, seeds or small plant, water and if possible some plant food. CONTAINERS Let your imagination run wild, there are so many possibilities. Plastic containers, old shoes, egg shells, mini cereal boxes, old lunch boxes, toy buckets, bowls, cups and on and on. Punch some holes in the bottom if possible or line with some small rocks. SOIL Use a good potting soil, not just soil from outside. This gives your plants a better start and reduces the risk of weeds, diseases or bugs. SEEDS AND PLANTS You can us a wide variety of seeds, beans, peas, grass, carrots, etc. Or you can use small plants such as herbs, fern, ivy, dwarf palm, spider plant or small succulents. WATER Over watering is the number one killer of house plants. How to tell if your plant needs water: stick your finger in the soil about one inch, if the soil feels dry then water gently (for succulents, stick your finger in about 2-3 inches). Remember whatever container you choose can be decorated with paint, stickers, ribbon, bows, etc. Here are some fun ideas to get you started. Egg Heads Cut the top off an uncooked egg and empty contents. Wash it well and fill with soil. Plant some grass seed (follow instructions on bag) and watch it grow. You can cut it with scissors and it will just grow back. Paint faces on the shell and make a stand for it out of construction paper. You can use bows, ribbon, barretts to style your grass once it starts to grow. Sweet Potato Plant Buy an firm Organicly Grown sweet potato at the grocery store. Put three or four tooth picks in the sides of the potato and hang in 2 Litre bottle that the top has been cut off of. Keep the potato bottom covered with water and change it every week. Put in a warm shady spot until the leaves start to grow, then move to a sunny spot. In about a week or two, you will see roots growing. In three to four weeks the plant will start to grow. It will continue to grow for a long time, as long as you keep changing the water weekly. DO NOT USE WHITE POTATO, BECAUSE THE PLANT, FLOWERS AND SEEDS ARE POISONOUS. Tea Party Plant peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm or chamomile in a sunny spot. To make tea, usse the leaves of peppermint, lemon balm and spearmint and the flowers from the chamomile. Use a few teaspoons for a cup of tea. You can also dry the leaves for later or as a gift. Simply cut 4-5 in stems with lots of leave, tie them together and hang upside down in a dark place. After a few weeks store in an airtight container or fancy jars for gifts. Gardening ideas found in the Klutz Guide to Windowsill Gardening |
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