Escape the Winter Chill with Indoor Green
The days are shorter, and there’s more grey clouds and rain than sunshine these days. Plus, it’s much colder and messier outdoors. What can you do to lift your mood?
Bring new life and growth indoors! There was a certain satisfaction in “putting the gardens to bed” after another successful year. Now, you can choose to keep those gardening instincts sharp during the winter season.
Take one careful step or jump into the deep end…Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. START SOME BULBS
You can use paper whites or amaryllis, which are probably easiest. Some large bulbs even come coated in colored wax and need only a bit of water. Or put them into stones in one of your favorite pots, add water, and you will bring the beauty and color of blossoms to any corner in your home that needs some cheer. It’s better to keep them away from direct sun, so even better to brighten a dark corner.
Be sure to follow packet instructions for other garden bulbs like tulips, hyacinth, snowdrops and iris. You will need to soak the roots for a couple hours and plant them in a pot of soil, then proceed with light watering and cooling for a period of time that mimics the winter chill necessary to produce “spring” blooms.
2. ADD FLAVOR TO YOUR KITCHEN
Your choice of herbs—especially basil, parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme—are used in many recipes and will do nicely on a sunny windowsill. They need a little more than weekly watering and they love to be trimmed when you need a sprig for cooking.
Remember that your “Mediterranean” herbs enjoy 6–8 hours of daily sunlight. Consider experimenting with a full spectrum grow light if you don’t have that much light in your home.
You could also explore microgreens. They are a delicious and nutritious addition to salads and sandwiches. Plus, every time you trim some of these yummy leaves, you will be saving money on your grocery bill. Fast-growing microgreens are a treasure for your home gardening. They take up very little space near a sunny window. Some don’t even need soil, just a wet paper towel.
Try pea shoots, sunflower shoots, radish or kale for the most nutritional value. Fill small pots with an organic potting mix, soak the seeds according to the packet directions, plant and water daily. You will see sprouts in about a week in most cases. Harvest the true leaves to try for re-growing. Cut microgreens can be stored in the produce bin of your refrigerator. Have fun experimenting with different varieties!
3. REJUVENATE YOUR FAVORITE HOUSEPLANTS
Group together your favorite houseplants to create a jungle effect in one of your sunny rooms. Consider repotting them in hanging pots to stand in for window curtains or shades. Some can be divided and planted into separate pots. This will provide them with more room to grow and thrive. Be sure to repot rootbound plants in larger pots.
Shake soil off the roots of malingering plants, trim all dry or discolored leaves, cut back leafless branches, and repot in fresh soil. Clean plant leaves with cool water, a soft cloth or neem oil leaf shine. This will add luster to leaves and deter pests.
4. EXPLORE VERTICAL GARDENING
For the more adventurous gardeners, you might like to jump into a new trend that would make a statement about your love of plants—vertical gardening. There are many systems for your wall and many varieties of leafy greens that would do well in a vertical planting arrangement.
The systems provide small pockets for each plant as well as the medium for planting and watering. Some systems can be placed on a table or shelf, but many can be hung on a wall. With minimum care required after installation, you can have a wall of growing statement art!
Indoor gardening requires the same basics as outdoor gardens: nutritious soil or other medium, sunlight or grow lights, and water. No one could ask for better roommates than green plants—throughout the day they absorb carbon dioxide from the air in your home and produce oxygen.
In addition to their air-purifying benefits, the presence of green plants also adds a touch of natural beauty and tranquility to any living space.
As published in the winter 2024 issue of Connections >>
Marion Boike is a Sunset Walk garden ambassador.
