The Rev. Dana Prom Smith, S.T.D.,
Ph.D.
Windowsill
gardening is one of the bright spots for winter gardeners as well as for year-around
foodies. Without expensive greenhouses,
we’re pretty much left with our windowsills during the non-growing seasons in Flagstaff
As
I puzzled over the best herbs to grow on our sunny windowsills, I decided to
consult an expert. Nancy McCulla of
Simply Delicious/Café Daily Fare came to mind.
If anyone were knowledgeable about culinary herbs, it would be a
chef. Perched high above “66”, behind
Babbitt’s automobile agency, and up a rutted dirt lane, McCulla holds forth as
a premier caterer and daytime restaurateur in a former foundry.
As
I munched on delightful apricot and blueberry tart over a cup of tea, we went
through nearly all the herbs that can be grown on a sunny windowsill. The number is, to be use the dismal
vernacular, awesome. At first, I thought
of basil because it’s easy to grow and is universally useful although I’ve
never tried it in my oatmeal. Then
cilantro came to mind, but some people, such as Julia Child, object claiming
that it smells like soap. She advised
throwing it on the floor. The best way
to cure cilantrophobia is to smash the leaves, releasing an enzyme which dispels
the unwanted odor of the aldehydes. Along
with garden cress and fernleaf dill, cilantro needs to be reseeded once
harvested.
Then four old
favorites came to mind, Greek oregano, thyme, parsley, and tarragon. As we chatted, others tumbled out: chives, marjoram,
chervil, English mint, creeping savory, sorrel, lemon grass, parsley, and, of
course, fernleaf dill. Even sage (dwarf
garden) and rosemary (Blue Boy) have been downsized for the windowsill and are
best propagated by cuttings.
Since
most herbs are expatriates from the lands around Mediterranean and Asia , growing on sunny windowsills has its advantages
because these herbs require sunlight, warmth, and well-drained soil. Unglazed clay pots with leak-proof saucers are
the best containers for growing herbs because the unglazed clay allows for air
circulation and evaporation so that the soil will not be waterlogged, a number
one adversary in windowsill container gardening. Potting soil mixed with a little perlite or
sand is usually the best choice for growing herbs because it contains compost
and nutrients and won’t become compacted, the enemy of all root systems.
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Even
though a windowsill may receive lots of light, most of the plants will need at
minimum six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
Sometimes additional light is needed.
A fluorescent light set about six to ten inches the plants should be
enough for a sunny windowsill.
A little mulch of
gravel will help keep the gnats and fruit flies at bay. If other pests attack a plant, a convenient
response is to dunk the whole plant in a bath of insecticidal soap. As far as fertilizing is concerning, the best
and most convenient is fish emulsion, diluted to half-strength every two weeks,
except for marjoram and sage. Organic
fertilizer is safest if the herbs are eaten.
Some tips: pinch
flower buds to keep the plants growing, don’t allow the plants to touch the
window glass so that the foliage won’t freeze, and plant herbs with the same
cultural environment in a single container, and pinch back branching herbs to
keep them bushy.
Now, to the
point. Fall and winter are the seasons
for stews and soups, slow-cooking, comfort dishes that require herbs and spices
to bring them to life. Also, they’re
needed to add vigor to our sauces, such as pomodoro and fish, and various marinades. Much to my surprise, McCulla said that the
herbs and spices should be added toward the end of the slow-cooking because then
they’re “like sunshine, waking us up at sunrise.” In using spices and herbs, her advice was to
“be careful, but bold,” which means, I think, “when you’ve got it right, go for
it.” She calls it “ramping up the
herbs.”
Of course, for
those of us in the southwest there is always fresh cilantro to add, as does
McCulla, some sass to our fish tacos.
Copyright
© Dana Prom Smith (2013)
Dana Prom Smith and Freddi Steele edit Gardening Etcetera for the Arizona
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