As we all go back to a wholegrain kind of lifestyle (baking bread, making jam, being resourceful creatures) - like the good old days, for the time being- we are also endeavouring to do things we never imagined we’d have the time for. In the spirit of Earth Month and getting back to basics, we’d like to propose a case for growing your own herbs and veggies. To be even MORE wholesome than we are already seemingly becoming.
As we reach the height of boring and have more time than ever to twiddle our thumbs, why not twiddle them around some twine to prop up a beanstalk? Or twiddle them in the soil you’re lovingly about to place a parsley plant into? Gone are the days of the fiddle leaf fig I say, let’s get to work planting less useless things.
Living in an apartment can often feel like sustainable living gets capped at simply reducing waste and taking public transport. Which to an extent has its truth and limits, there isn’t exactly space for a compost pile or worm farm, and you certainly can’t live off a greywater system. But one thing you can do is grow your own damn lettuce.
A few plant-dedicated sites claim that as long as you have a spot in your house that gets direct sunlight for a large portion of the day, many small vegetables are possible. We’re not suggesting you up and start a potato farm, but baby lettuce, sprouts, herbs, tomatoes and event tiny eggplants are possible. You can even purchase special LED lights to help your new plant children to grow which double as cool mood lighting. At this point, it seems like the smart choice, given everything going on in the world.
The idea of nipping to the store to purchase yet another bundle of mint that you’ll use half of and undoubtedly bin after it starts to wilt in the fridge, just doesn’t have the same appeal as it used to. Nipping to the windowsill to trim off a few springs of your own? That’s more like it.
As it turns out, all you really need to get started is a planter box, seed and some appropriate potting soil. After that it's just about time, and most of us seem to have plenty of that right now.
