Gardening is a bit like alchemy, in that by bringing bulbs and seeds together with earth, water and light, we can give life to the most mind-bogglingly beautiful and complex plants.
It’s a real lesson in how the labours of our hands can reap rewards for all our senses – smell, sight, touch, and sometimes even taste. It also has incredible benefits for the mind: the cycle of sow and reap provides a good metaphor for life, and helps us understand the value of nurture, time and patience; as well as not to be afraid of decay, as there will always be renewal.
Witnessing plants grow is also a brilliant reminder of the year’s cycle and makes you notice changes in the weather and climate more keenly. Sitting at a desk all day, as most of us do, with only a glimpse through a window of the outside world, time can begin to feel uniform and monotonous. Even if you only have space for a few pot plants on a windowsill, gardening still provides a sense of greater connection to the natural world and the seasons.
Finally, the tactility of gardening makes it an almost primitive delight. There’s something therapeutic in digging our hands into the soil. Getting our hands dirty in the garden supposedly also has its health benefits: from boosting our immune systems through bringing us into contact with more bacteria, to allowing us to absorb essential nutrients found in the soil through our skin, for example phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. On top of this, the added dose of Vitamin D – if you are gardening outside – boosts immunity, mood and sleep quality.
Whether you live in an apartment block or a house with a garden, the following plants are easy to pot and will grow well both inside and outside (during warmer months):
While most spring flowers need to be chilled at temperatures of 1–7°C (35–45°F) for up to 15 weeks – making them hard to grow indoors as it’s unlikely you’ll have a room constantly at this temperature – bulbs that are native to warm climates don’t require a cooling period to trigger blooms. Amaryllis and Paperwhite Narcissus both belong in this category.
AMARYLLIS. Amaryllis bulbs are best planted in a pot filled with soil, with about a third of the bulb above the soil line. Place in bright, indirect light and water sparingly until growth begins in earnest. Amaryllis are available in many interesting colours and forms: bright reds, white, pink, peach, and even green!
PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS. Paperwhite bulbs can either be planted or just placed in a shallow bowl, using pebbles to hold the bulbs in place. Add water, and they’ll usually bloom just four weeks after ‘planting’. To help keep stems short and sturdy, start them out with indirect light and temperatures of about 10°C (50°F) for the first two weeks; then warmer, brighter conditions after that. If you’re growing your bulbs in a bowl with pebbles or marbles, the water should cover no more than the bottom quarter to third of the bulb.
Paperwhites offer delicate beauty and an intense fragrance. Buy a few dozen bulbs and store them in a cool, dry place. Start some every few weeks in late winter for blooms right through spring.
Most herbs can be cultivated inside, easily sown from seed or bought from nurseries or garden centres. Good herbs to grow for use in cooking include:
• Basil
• Chives
• Lemon balm
• Marjoram
• Mint (chocolate mint, peppermint, spearmint, or sweet mint)
• Oregano (Greek oregano, Italian oregano, or hot and spicy oregano)
• Parsley (flat Italian parsley or curled parsley)
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme (German thyme or lemon thyme)
SUNLIGHT. To grow well indoors, herbs need as much natural light as possible. Place them in a sunny spot near a window that faces south and receives at least 6 hours of sun daily. Some herbs that require less light (like mint, parsley and thyme) can also grow well in west-facing windows. Be sure to keep an eye out for signs that your herbs are not getting enough light. These include poor growth, stems that grow unusually long between leaf sets, leaves that are smaller than usual, and stems or leaves that are abnormally pale or begin to turn yellow. If you can’t get enough natural light to your plants, you can use a grow light, which mimics sunlight and should get your shoots sprouting.
TEMPERATURE. Indoor herbs prefer the same temperatures that most people do, so if you’re comfortable, they probably are. At night, temperatures near a window may drop, but most herbs like that, too, except for basil, which needs a pretty constant temperature of around 20°C (70°F) day and night. As a precaution, though, keep foliage from touching glass to protect the leaves from getting nipped by cold.
AIR. Dry air, whether from air conditioning or heating, is hard on most herbs, so you may want to consider increasing the surrounding humidity. Remember that the air next to a window will be cooler in winter (or hotter in summer) than your average indoor temperature, so adjust your plants accordingly.
POTS. The best way to ruin most herbs is to let them sit in water, which rots the roots. Clay pots are good for drainage, but they can dry out quickly. If you live in a dry climate or are growing herbs indoors during winter, when central heating causes homes to become especially dry, try glazed or plastic container. Whatever pot you use, make sure it has a hole in the bottom, so that the water can drain. Place a saucer, liner or drain pan under the pot to catch water and protect your surfaces. A clay saucer lets moisture pass through, so opt for plastic, rubber, or metal instead.
REMEMBER.
Even though it might look like nothing is happening above the surface, everything is happening in the soil. Be patient and one day, when you’ve almost given up hope, your plant will suddenly burst into action.