Windowsill crops

[Maddie106]

My daughter and grandaughter live in an apartment and my daughter is suffering from garden withdrawal, which is part of her clinical deppression.
Last year I gave her a cucumber plant and parsley to grow on her windowsill, both of which did very well.

I intend to provide her with a cucumber, a Roma tomato and a pepper plant this year, but would be grateful for any other suggestions of seeds she could sow on a kitchen windowsill?
I thought about mustard and cress, but can you suggest anything else please?
Sowed some peanut seeds with my grandaughter earlier this month too.
Really think it's important that the little one learns about sowing, nurturing and cropping.

My daughterIS trying to find somewhere to rent with a small garden, but because she is a single parent and lives on state benefits, her options are limited. Many landlords won't rent to her because she is on benefits,and the houses we have looked at to date with "gardens" seem to consist of tiny 6ft square slabbed spaces, generally north facing too!
Really annoying when I frequently see families in "Social Housing" who have good gardens filled with weeds and rubbish like old washing machines etc!

Sorry...have had my rant!
Suggestions please for some windowsill crops?

[zazen999]

I'd keep a tray of lettuces on the go for most of the year; with just a windowsill.

Can she do a veggie box; using one of those recycling boxes and put some spring onions, a tomato, a cuc, a pepper in it and shove it near a window somewhere? It can sit on a big tray to catch the drips. Then save the window box for loads of salad leaves? Just a thought. I grew in containers when I had a flat and used recycling boxes for loads of things - but the flat was quite big and there was just me there!

[arknor]

Many landlords won't rent to her because she is on benefits

since the reccesion many will, my sister got a house and her landlord was morethan happy with her beeing on benefits as shes a single mother and the goverment pays directly to him he doesnt have to worry about chasing money

[Rhona]

Buy her a copy of the Windowbox Allotment by Penelope Bennett. I loved that book when I had no growing space. I had a long windowbox with tumbling tomatoes, lemon grass, salad leaves, strawberries etc.

It's a lovely book. I'd happily offer you mine, but I have no idea where it is (we have about a dozen boxes of books). Amazon have it on sale anyway.

[Rhona]

P.s. I'm sure you've looked into it, but is there anyone around who might let her use a bit of garden for a share of the 'profits'?

[organic]

Maddie, I've got this link on my blog and think it's a great site. Maybe it'll give you (and your daughter if she can read it*) some inspiration.
A Cook and her Windowsill

If she can get a place with a south facing but small/rubbish garden there are loads of options from Square Foot Gardening to even more compact ones like container gardening and using vertical space by growing climbers or growing things like tomatoes hanging from a bucket or basket.

For now though, check that blog out. I really hope it helps some.



EDIT
* I mean - if she has internet access - I'm not suggesting she's illiterate!

[Helgalush]

I have rocket growing on my windowsill.

What about a dwarf variety of pea? I have some growing on my windowsill, although I plan to plant them outside at some point, I think I read that they can grow quite happily on a windowsill in a big enough pot (not sure how much can be harvested).

If I have any seeds left I could send you some? Or you can get them on the internet for not very much - the variety I have is "Half pint".

[Happy Horticulturalist]

You might be able to find a kindly soul who will let her garden on their land here

Landshare - connecting growers to people with land to share.

[Send A Cow]

I work with a Christian charity called Send A Cow and we've been helping farmers and families in Africa and encourage people at home to grow their own vegetables. We sell 'Bag Gardens', which are special kits that allow you to grow on the top and side of a bag, in a small space. I don't have a garden so never get to grow vegetables but just recently planted mine and have beetroot and runner beans to look forward to!

If this is of interest to anyone, and you would like some information, then please do let me know.

Jess

[Maddie106]

since the reccesion many will, my sister got a house and her landlord was morethan happy with her beeing on benefits as shes a single mother and the goverment pays directly to him he doesnt have to worry about chasing money

Keep your fingers crossed!
We went to see a little house last week that would be ideal for her and the sprog...small garden at the front for container growing and little enclosed rear garden, just right for a garden bench and a sandpit! Right opposite a park with a playground too.....

But I suspect it will be "No DSS" when it comes down to it, even tho I'll act as guarentor for her.(i.e if she fails to pay her rent, I'll have to pay it and then get it back from her!!)
I'll be optimistic. She'll be a good tenant!!

[tamsin]

Pea shoots?

If she did okay with a cucumber last year, how about a melon? We've got one growing in our porch for the second time... two fruits last year

[nomis]

Scotch Bonnet peppers seem to grow really easily on the window I have found purely by chance (I used seeds from a shop bought pepper I was cooking with and they are rampant now!)

Quite hot though!

[Send A Cow]

I would really like to grow melon. Do they require much attention?

Jess

[gojiberry]

Melons require a bit of space, so I would not think practical on a windowsill. Watercress would be a good indoor crop it goes on for ages if you keep harvesting. Keep the pot in a saucer of water and it will do well.

Ian

[Send A Cow]

Hi Ian. Nice to meet you. Thank you for your advice! What do you think of the Bag Gardens I mentioned further up the thread - my post is here:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post664247

Jess x