Turn Your Windowsill Into An Allotment

In a world where not everyone has a garden, it seems a little cruel that some people have an allotment too, doesn’t it? An outdoor space of their own, filled with the smell of fresh earth, a chance to get their hands dirty and even grow their own food – if that’s not the good life, then what is?

Of course, some people have an allotment because they don’t have a garden, but waiting lists can be long, so if you’ve got a yearning to live the Tom and Barbara Good life, it may be time to take matters into your own hands.

This week, from August 13th to 19th, it’s National Allotment Week in the UK, which is the perfect opportunity to learn more about what’s quick, painless and tasty to grow. And if a proper outdoor space isn’t an option, then fear not; as long as you’ve got a window, you can grow some of your own grub.

Here’s how to grow stuff in your windowsill/window box allotment, what to grow, and what to cook with it when it’s ready to harvest. Yep, you’ll be feeling like a proper farmer in no time.

Not every window will do; you need to choose a sill that’s exposed to lots of natural sunlight, as plants need light and warmth to grow. You’ll also need to invest in a sturdy container that’ll hold your compost and isn’t going to leak water everywhere; you’ll need to water your veg regularly, but if your mini allotment is on an upper floor, passersby are unlikely to be impressed by compost-y water dripping on their heads.

You don’t necessarily need green fingers to start with – these can be earnt as you go. But you will need a certain degree of patience, as it could take weeks or even months of careful watering and rotating for your veggies to grow.

If you nurture them properly though, you’ll soon think of them as being your babies, and you’ll become scarily overprotective of a few little tomatoes. You know how people say you don’t understand that rush of unconditional love that comes with having a baby until you have your own? It’s exactly the same with growing veg.

So, what should you plant?

Watching those little green dots turn into big, juicy, ripe red tomatoes is absolutely fascinating – trust us, you’ll become obsessed. And how amazing will it feel to know you’ve grown what you’re eating, despite not having a garden, and despite not having an allotment? We give you permission to talk about your achievement non-stop (partly because we won’t actually be there to hear you…).

The cooking possibilities are endless when it comes to tomatoes, but making your own ketchup is pretty spectacular, and The Petite Cook has a super easy recipe for how you can do just that in as little as five minutes, which you’ll need a little help from a Tefal Blender to achieve.

Your tommies will also work excellently in a homemade pasta sauce, like this simple one from Hungry Healthy Happy, which you can serve simply with pasta shapes, use as a base for a bolognese or even use as part of a lasagne – all that from your little windowsill!

Spring onions are surprisingly easy to grow and, again, it’s absolutely fascinating watching those little green shoots pop up out of your soil. And that crisp, fresh bite that you’ll get from a home-grown spring onion is pretty much unbeatable.

Green onions are so flavoursome that they’re often used in homemade curry pastes (something else your Tefal Blender will come in handy for!), like in this tempting Thai curry recipe from Comfort Bites.

Sure, you might not recognise yourself growing your own veg and making your own curry pastes, but it’s worth losing your sense of identity for.

Who would have thought that garlic was so easy to grow on a window sill? Well, it is! It might fill your home with a rather pungent smell, but at least you’ll be safe from vampires for a little while.

Garlic bread is the obvious thing to make when you’ve got homegrown garlic knocking around, but you will need to turn yourself into the next Paul Hollywood and exercise your bread-baking skills. Follow this recipe from Gather for Bread for a tear-and-share garlic bread and you’ll be fine.

Another of the ultimate best garlic-based dishes surely has to be retro classic the humble chicken kiev. You’ll never want a frozen one again though after making your own, using this recipe from The Happy Foodie.

Leafy salad ingredients like lettuce and spinach are good for growing in a window garden, and spinach especially is incredibly versatile.

Use it to add extra iron and yum to curries – like in this gluten-free and vegan spinach and chickpea one from Gluten-Free Cuppa Tea – and to turn everything from superfood smoothies (Simple Green Smoothies claims to have a recipe for the best one ever right here) to frittatas (see this gorgeous smoked salmon, thyme and spinach one by Jessipes) a slightly violent shade of green.

You might think that chillies can only be grown in sunnier climes, but you can grow some fiery chillies of your own right here in good old Blighty, so long as you’ve got a window.

Add your chillies to all sorts of dishes to bring an extra kick and some red-hot heat, like in these excellent chicken enchiladas from Once Upon a Chef or this sensational mac ‘n’ cheese from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts, that features chillies and bacon for a midweek meal with a difference.

Don’t just confine your window-grown chillies to savoury dishes either; we’re big fans of a chocolate and chilli-based concoction here. Start with this seriously delicious recipe for a show-stopping chocolate and chilli cake from Allotment 2 Kitchen.

You don’t need to stick to only growing vegetables in your windowsill allotment, as fresh herbs can easily be grown indoors too. Try your hand at growing basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and chives, which are what we’re going to focus on right here.

We’re going to Go There and go so far as to say that this mashed potato recipe from A Couple Cooks, which features chives and garlic (remember you can grow that too) is life-changing. Never again will you settle for plain mash with plain butter.

And as for these homemade cheese and chive scones from My Favourite Pastime? Mouth-meltingly beautiful. The ultimate savoury bake. Our waistlines probably won’t thank us if we tuck in straight after all that mash though.