Windowsill Gardening

That was the subject of the class I taught at work last Saturday.

The Problems we need to overcome with indoor gardening in Winter are the dry heat in the house, the lack of strong sunlight through the windows and the great problems with "overwatering" which is usually brought on by boredom with Winter and a full watering can and a plant owner wandering around the house.

My one word of advice:  In Winter you CAN put plants in the South and West windows.  the sun in Winter is at it's weakest and even the full sun windows facing SOUTH won't burn your plants.  As we get closer to Spring--well, move them.

Here in Maine we are having warm sunny days and below freezing nights.  So---lots of ice build up over night.  Morning walks to the mailbox and evening walks out with the dog---pretty slippery.

I used the sunny Springlike day yesterday to fill my milk jugs with soil and seeds.  I used old "stick on" restaurant menu board signage numbers to identify each jug.  Last year the Sharpie pen words faded.  The ID sticks got wet and faded.  And as any gardener knows--all seedlings look alike.  So, for the remainder of the growing season in the jugs---I was mystified.

I ran out of numbers (these were leftover sheets) so some jugs are 3,4,5,6 etc. and others are 34, 43, 53 or better still 99.  99 was also 66.  I had no ones or twos and quickly ran out of 3's..  They are out in a snowbank.  It pretty sunny in the snowbank location so they will stay there until it melts.

I "milk jugged" mostly perennials that need cold stratification.  A freeze period to get them into the mood to germinate.  I'll plant up vegetable seeds next month--which will be a first for me.  And I'll need to be even more inventive with the remaining stick on numbers.  Possibly three digits of  threes and fours.

"Today's Purchase" will be mouth wash.

"Today's Book" will be Cold Dish the very first Longmire book in the series of 17.

"Today's Tidying" will be more using up of things in the refrigerator.  I find it a challenge to make a meal out of the things that seem to linger in the fridge these days.  G and I do not have what I would call regular meals.  He eats "part" of something and leaves what isn't enough for a meal.

I did discover making a sauce out of vegetable stock, oil and flour (a gravy of sorts) and then adding in all the little bits --made something that, while not anything you would make on purpose--is, was pretty okay to eat---with added cheese on top.

"Today's Cooking Tip" will be to always have celery, onions and carrots.  Add anything else and you have soup.