Growing a window-sil garden

Have you lack of space in your crunched apartment? Need balcony space to use for the swing and can't place pots? But you love gardening and there's still hope around. You can still do it. Use your window-sill to place small sized pots that can hold herbs and ornamental plants. They not only look good, but lend a refreshing touch to the room. And green is always good for the eyes.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Try to find a windowsill with lots of light and a window you can open and close for fresh air. If you're not sure about the right position for the plants you're planning to grow, look for printed instructions on most seed packets.

2. Choose your container. As long as you have good soil, the container you grow seedlings in shouldn't matter too much. You can grow cress seedlings in egg cartons, then use the tiny plants to add some peppery heat to your sandwiches. Well-washed plastic take-out cartons and old Tupperware boxes with some holes in the bottom for drainage both make excellent improvised pots. If you're planning on growing anything more complicated than lettuce or a few herbs, it might be worth investing in a few plastic plant pots with proper drainage holes in the bottom; they're reusable and last for years.

Consider the benefits of growing a window-sill garden :

• It's great fun and produces edible or beautiful rewards.
• It's healthy. If you choose to grow fruit and vegetables, you'll be growing healthy food that you like to eat.
• It could save you money. Getting started growing things doesn't have to be expensive. All you need are a few packets of seeds, a small bag of compost, and a few receptacles to grow things in. You can grow seeds and some plants in really small containers such as (clean) take-out containers, glass jars, bamboo cutouts and egg cartons.

Do you have a windowsill garden? What's your favorite thing to grow? Share your green-fingered tips in the comments!