Our parents, grandparents and our ancestors from way, way back all grew gardens. We are continuing in that tradition, both outdoors and indoors.

I believe I can grow just about anything indoors—and I have tried, with some success. During those cold winter months when we crave fresh greens and savory peppers, we just go to the back porch and pull some out of our pots. Beginning in late summer, we plant lettuce, cabbage, cayenne peppers, tarragon, oregano, thyme, basil and even beets (!) in containers of various sizes.

In the foreground of the photo above we show lettuce and cabbage (leaves, not the head), in the mid-ground there’s some thyme and (soon) some Tarragon. In the background there are beets (leaves) and cayenne peppers just flowering. [Not pictured: several rosemary and basil plants, kale and collard plants].

Although it is not enough food to sustain us throughout the winter, this small garden provides organic vegetables and herbs to supplement our diets. This fall, we are also growing outdoors in our greenhouse to be more self-sufficient, and reduce our driving to grocery stores.

Interested in setting up an indoor garden? We recommend that you start with herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, dill, etc.). Set the pot in front a southern facing window to maximize sun exposure, or get some indoor lights from one of the DIY stores. Once it grows to at least 5 inches, start snipping your herbs several times per week and dropping them in your salads and other dishes.

Send us an email if you have any questions about our setup. We’ll gladly share our experiences at no cost.

Let’s grow something!