HOME DESIGN
A Tiny Garden Framed in a Winter Window By Janice F. Booth
January can be a tough month to navigate, looking out the window at the muted colors, the gray and white of winter. You may see bare trees, the buffeting wind, here and there a pile of brown leaves and twigs. But, don’t be downcast; you can change your point of view by changing your view all together. Yes, you can work magic, transform a small portion of your home into a springtime garden. So, sit back, and imagine one of your windows, preferably a window facing east or south, bursting with greenery—frothy Asparagus Ferns, fuzzy Siderasis, fragrant Pineapple Sage, perhaps even a Date Palm or Orchid for a bit of the exotic, tropical vibe. You’re beginning to feel that spring sunshine already, right? I propose a Window Garden as a project for this blustery January. You might find yourself imagining a window lush with green life, dripping from the “head” or top of the window and climbing along the frame. Or, you might want something a bit simpler—an arrangement of pretty plants all in a row along your window sill. You may want to be very bold and install window boxes on the outside of your window—now there’s a
large-scale undertaking. For the purposes of our discussion, let’s stick with indoor window gardens. For about 30 years, mid-20th Century, Jean Hersey was a popular and respected garden expert. Her popularity was in part attributable to her practical, easily followed instructions for beginning gardeners, and handy hints and clever ideas for the more experienced gardener. She wrote a number of books on gardening, including The Woman’s Day Book of House Plants. In that book she discussed the particular pleasures of window gardens. “When you give your care, interest, and affection to a garden of indoor plants they reward you with vibrant health, gay colors, assorted textures, and myriad fragrances.” Now that’s a resounding and irresistible endorsement; don’t you think? There are four components in planning and executing a window garden. (Now, that’s not too demanding.) Part 1: Planning, Part 2: Planting, Part 3: Tools, and Part 4: Maintenance Tricks. So, let’s review what’s involved in putting a bit of springtime into your life right now!
whatsupmag.com January/February 2021 | What’s Up? West County
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