Apartment Gardening

If you are short on space, but still want to be a green thumb, today’s tip should help you out. I’m not ashamed to say it, but I went to Science Camp when I was a kid. I also participated in our school’s science fair every year. One of the classic Science Fair projects is the seedlings in a plastic bag.

The idea is simple. Buy some seeds, then take a square of paper towel and a clear plastic sandwich bag, and a little water. I love projects that do not require you to purchase any extra supplies! Wet the paper towel and fold it into quarters. Sprinkle the seeds in the middle of the folds and then put the flat wet paper towel in the plastic bag. We always taped the bags to the windows, but I taped mine to my window frames because the screens are in the way. I made sure to label the bags with magic marker so you know what’s growing where. Make sure when you tape the bags up, the window is not too drafty for the young plants.

If you start your seedlings in the next couple of weeks, they should be sturdy and ready for the outside garden in a month or two. This is of course depending on your climate and weather. Buying seeds is much cheaper than purchasing flats of little plants, and gets you in the mood for gardening a little earlier than usual without wasting any space. If you don't have a back yard or a balcony you can always move the plants to a container garden on your window sill.

Above are some pictures of the project. I decided to grow Oregano, Chives and Basil. As you may be able to see, some of the seeds have begun to sprout after only a week!