You don’t need acres of land, raised beds or even a backyard to grow something fresh. A sunny windowsill is enough, according to Fiona Flynnmoore, the Morven Kitchen Garden manager at the University of Virginia’s Morven Sustainability Lab.
“A windowsill garden is a fantastic option for beginners, or even experienced gardeners who enjoy having a pretty windowsill to look at and fresh ingredients literally at their fingertips,” Flynnmoore said.
Fiona Flynnmoore, manager of the Morven Kitchen Garden, encourages new gardeners to be patient with themselves. “You don’t sit down at an instrument for the first time and expect to play a sonata,” she said. “It’s the same with gardening. Practice makes perfect.” (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
At Morven, Flynnmoore oversees a working fruit and vegetable garden – chickens, beehives, mushroom yard and all. She directs a student farm crew, helps plan crops, runs educational events and manages a community-supported agriculture program.
Her own gardening roots go back to toddlerhood, trailing her mother through raised beds in their California backyard. Now she helps others find that same satisfaction – even if their garden starts in a jar on a windowsill.
Here’s her advice for getting started.
Step 1: Start small
Flynnmoore recommends beginning with herbs, sprouts or leafy greens. A sunny windowsill can support dill, parsley, arugula, spinach and sprouts, to name a few.
Her personal favorite?
“Sprouts,” she said. “Nothing like making myself a gorgeous hummus and sprouts bagel just like they make at Bodo’s, but at home!”
Sprouts are especially beginner-friendly because they do not require soil.
Step 2: Choose the right container
For potted herbs or greens, drainage matters. Flynnmoore prefers pots with holes in the bottom, so plants don’t sit in excess water.
Overwatering, she said, is the most common mistake new gardeners make, because the signs of overwatering and underwatering look alike.
“I think there’s probably something about human psychology, like I feel I need to take action, and so I water it again when it actually just needs to be left alone to dry out for a bit,” she said.
Terracotta or other unglazed pots work because they allow moisture to evaporate.
Step 3: Use good potting soil
For container gardening, use potting mix rather than outdoor soil – roots need the air between soil particles to grow and breathe.
After planting, water deeply until it runs out the bottom, then let the plant adjust.
“The No. 1 cause of death of a new seedling is rapid dehydration,” Flynnmoore said.
For the first week, water lightly each day. After that, most windowsill plants do fine with watering once or twice a week.
Flynnmoore recommends using potting mix instead of outdoor soil and planting in pots with drainage holes to support healthy root growth. (Photos by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
Step 4: Try sprouts in a jar
To grow sprouts, start with organic seeds or beans, when possible, since some conventionally grown seeds are treated to prevent sprouting. Add a small number of seeds to a mason jar – about a third of a cup for a quart-size jar or an eighth of a cup for a smaller one. Then cover with water and soak overnight. Drain, cover the jar with cheesecloth or another breathable material secured with a ring or rubber band, and rinse three times a day.
“Normally, when you put something that’s food and wet at room temperature, what happens? It spoils,” Flynnmoore said. “So, we don’t want them to spoil, and the way we do that is by constantly washing the bacteria off of them with clean water.”
In three to four days, depending on the seed and temperature, the sprouts are ready to eat.
Step 5: Learn from the plant
Flynnmoore often hears people say they have a “brown thumb,” but she doesn’t buy it.
“You don’t sit down at an instrument for the first time and expect to play a sonata,” she said. “It’s the same with gardening. Practice makes perfect.”
Her advice is to spend 10 minutes researching the plant you want to grow, using reputable local sources, and learning the plant’s preferences. Basil, for example, does not like water on its leaves, while kale does not mind it.
