Boxing clever

If you can’t get out (and we should all be severely limiting excursions to control covid-19) and don’t have a garden, there are still things you can do to bring a little bit of nature into your home. A bird feeder outside a window for urban species, of course, but also planters of various types if you have a suitable balcony or well-lit ledge where one can be fixed safely or inside by a window in good light. For the outside, you will likely need a bespoke window box that is sturdy and secure but inside on a sill, shelf or in an area of the floor with good natural light, all kinds of containers can be used. Do pay attention to drainage, though, as very few plants will survive in waterlogged soil (though water plants can be grown in a goldfish bowl of clear plastic or in a glass tank) – use a dish of gravel under the container which itself must have drainage holes, or arrange the pot so that it stands in its dish securely on little blocks. Many planters have in-built drainage trays, some with a water reservoir system. Avoid placing containers in direct sunlight as the rays through glass can burn the plants. No well-lit space? A few plants such as aspidistras and ivies thrive in poor light. You might not be able to get the former just now, but perhaps a bit of ivy could be found. 

Many garden centres and nurseries are shut during lockdown, and anyway, you should only be leaving home for food, one daily exercise near home and medical essentials, so buying ornamental pot plants is not a good idea and would be contrary to government advice. However, you can buy seeds by post (mustard and cress are easy, or any sprouting seeds, and the children will love growing them) and sometimes there are herbs growing in pots in the food shops which make attractive and useful plants for a windowsill.

One of the most fascinating things to do is to germinate the pips, stones and seeds you get after you have eaten your fresh fruit. Pips from ripe lemons, oranges and grapefruit grow well, though are very unlikely to fruit for many years, but they have evergreen foliage which is often delightfully scented when rubbed. I have had great success with avocados, apples and plums. Nuts only seem to work if you collect them when ripe in the wild. Occasionally, you can get pineapple tops to root but they do need warmth and humidity. Potatoes can be grown in a barrel and good crops obtained if you have space (a porch or balcony in summer, perhaps), and dwarf beans of several varieties produce well in pots, tubs and troughs – tomatoes, too.

Remember to take care with watering because both drought (cacti excepted) and over-watering kill plants; and watch out for pests which can usually be sprayed off with slightly soapy water or squished between finger and thumb!

There are lots of books and web sites with loads of information about growing plants on windowsills. Do give it a try. It’s endless fun.