You don’t have to have a large back garden to start growing your own greens at home! You can create effective growing spaces in a small garden or even windowsills!
Growing your own greens has lots of benefits for your health and for the planet. Gardening has been proven to improve mental health! There are loads of studies you can read with research into the various health benefits of gardening at home. The Royal Horticultural Society have written a great succinct article: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/articles/why-gardening-makes-us-feel-better
As well as the benefits to your health, producing your own food also has benefits for the planet! By producing your own food at home, you are cutting the greenhouse gases released by transportation and processing your food, as well as the machinery and pesticides that may be used planting/ maintaining crops. You could even go a step further and upcycle old objects into planters!
There are lots of items, big and small that can be used to create planters! One of the most important things to remember is drainage! Whatever object you choose to upcycle, be sure to include drainage holes to prevent your soil from becoming saturated. Tip- Placing small rocks and stones (or even broken crockery) in the bottom of your pots will increase drainage! Next time your welly boots get a hole, don’t throw them away; poke some extra holes, put some stones at the bottom, add some compost and plant your favourite flowers! If you have children, this is a lovely way to mark their growth as they grow out of their shoes!
If you have limited/ no outside space, you can grow many items on your windowsills! Herbs are a great windowsill crop! Basil, rosemary, chives, thyme and mint are all great herbs for growing in your window. They can be grown in a relatively small space and there are many items that can be effectively upcycled into herb pots! Some can be even adapted into self-watering containers. All you need is:
-An old bottle (with lid)
-String/ twine (uncoloured is best)
-Scissors/ craft knife
-Compost
-Seeds
Step one: carefully cut your water bottle 1/3- 1/2 of the way down and poke a hole in the lid (thick enough to thread your string) and secure it to the bottle. Thread the string through the bottle.
Step two: Place the top half upside down inside the bottom half (so the bottle’s lid is facing downwards). The majority of the string should be trailing down, into the water. Ensure there is a good length of string in the water. Pour a few inches of water into the bottom part of the bottle.
Step three: In the top portion of the bottle, spoon in some compost, sprinkle in your seeds and cover with a light layer of compost and give a light sprinkling of water.
Step four: Place on a sunny windowsill.
Keep an eye on your water levels and watch your herbs grow!
If you are interested in learning more about growing your own food at home, come along to the next Wells Goes Green workshop at the Bishop’s Palace on the 14th of May! More information will be coming soon, so keep an eye out on our website and social media for more information!