GARDENING is all about bringing joy into your life.
But when winter comes and outside is suddenly less accessible — and the beautiful blousy blooms have shut up shop — how do you maintain that happiness?
According to the editor of Amateur Gardening, Kim Stoddart, it’s all about the windowsill herbs.
“The world is a little crazy right now,” she told me. “And people are really stressed, especially in the run up to Christmas.
“But actually just looking at seeds that you’ve germinated yourself can make you feel really happy. It’s all about having an opportunity to tap into that childlike joyful feeling of watching a seed transform into a plant and then into food you can bring to the table.
So zesty
“Plus they look beautiful, you’re able to pick from them, and even on the gloomiest day outside — which we know we’re going to get — you’ve got lovely ‘cut and come again’ edibles you can show off to your friends.”
One of the easiest steps, Kim says, is to rescue one of the supermarket herb plants, which usually die within a matter of days.
“Divide it into four and replant it,” she said. “It should keep reproducing.
“Usually they die because they’re almost battery plants — they have crammed so many seedlings in there that they can’t compete for food and water.
“But if you divide them it’s an easy way of helping them survive much longer.
“Or you could go for thyme or something like coriander which is a really amazing herb to grow over winter.
“I actually think it’s better around now — as during the summer months it bolts so readily. But at this time of year, although it’s not cold hardy so you can’t grow it outside, you can have baby coriander — which is so zesty in flavour — on your windowsill.
“Or you could get creative with baby carrots or beetroots — you can pick and eat the leaves.
“Or start off with some dwarf varieties of tomatoes and chilli, which makes you think of summer.
“You’re not going to be picking the produce yet, but when you’re watching them grow on your windowsill you can certainly pretend it isn’t winter.
“You just need a bit of peat-free compost to plant the seeds in and then sit back and watch them grow.
“Also something as simple as going out and browsing in charity shops for really cool old vases, or things you can plant in, is a joyful pastime.
“It’s also fun to root some plants in water, like thyme or mint. If you’ve already got some in the garden, just bring in a cutting and put it in a nice vessel. You can watch the roots grow.
“And if you’re growing things like kale, parsley, Swiss chard and spinach on your windowsill, come spring you could also plant them out in your garden again. It’s a circle of happiness and all of it is so easy to do.”
- Kim is also co-author of The Climate Change-Resilient Vegetable Garden.
Also in Veronica’s Column this week…
Gardening news, top tips, plant of the week, discounts and a ‘Biggie’ competition.
For more gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom
CHRISTMAS! WHY does Santa have three gardens? So he can Hoe Hoe Hoe!
And that’s not the only joke bringing gardening cheer to your Christmas table this year.
Heirloom seed company She Grows Veg have created some lovely looking crackers which contain a traditional cracker hat, a vegetable-themed joke, but most importantly – a packet of their brilliant seeds for your Christmas dinner veg – including brussels, parsnip, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot and a Christmas tree. And they’re fully compostable.
Barnados are selling RHS plantable crackers – inside every cracker you’ll find wildflower seeds – as well as a recycled paper hat, a joke, and an RHS-inspired fact. The plantable paper is embedded with hundreds of wildflower seeds including poppies, forget-me-nots and daisies – all you have to do is remove the snap and plant the paper in well-drained soil or peat-free potting compost to see your crackers bloom.
Or, if you fancy spreading the gardening love to your Christmas tree – check out Sass & Belle’s brilliant gardening themed baubles – including trowels, greenhouses, a gnome and even a gardening santa.
TOP TIPS! THE RSPB has released some advice on how to look after birds in a cold snap – and a Christmas dinner staple could help.
It says kitchen scraps like mild grated cheese, bruised fruit, cooked rice, unsalted bits of hard fat, roast potatoes and dry porridge oats go down a treat with garden birds.
But avoid cooking fat from the roast as when it mixes with meat juices it makes a runny, greasy mixture which then sticks to feathers and stops them from being waterproof. Also avoid dried coconut, cooked porridge oats, milk, and mouldy or salted food.
TOP TIPS! December 12th was Poinsettia Day and to mark the occasion British Garden Centres has shared it’s top tips.
When choosing your plant, look for bright foliage, strong stems, and little or no pollen showing in the central flower cluster.
Poinsettias prefer a warm environment, ideally between 15–22°C, away from direct sunlight and cold windows.
Water only when the surface of the compost feels dry, and allow excess water to drain away, as overly wet roots can quickly lead to leaf drop.
NEWS! The National Open Garden Scheme has got 175 gardens opening from January to March next year – including 120 snowdrop gardens.
A perfect way to boost your mental health by getting outside after the dark days of December – for a full list visit www.ngs.org.uk
WIN! Big Plant Pots company is offering one lucky Sun Gardening reader a ‘Biggie’ plant pot worth a whopping £299. To enter visit http://www.thesun.co.uk/BIGGIE or write to Sun Biggie Competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. November 29, 2025. T&Cs apply
SAVE! Get ready for when those weeds return with a Burgon & Ball patio weeder for £13.99 or buy Toolstation’s Hawkesmoor version for £4.99
PLANT OF THE WEEK! – Winter Jasmine. Love it or hate it – it’s one of few shrubs guaranteed to bring a bright splash of colour to your outside space at this time of year.
For 20% OFF Winter Jasmin – aka Jasminum Nudiflorum – visit www.thompson-morgan.com/sunoffers T&Cs apply
JOB OF THE WEEK! Deadhead pansies like you would any other summer flowering plant, remove the big large leaves of hellebores in case they’re covering new blooms, keep pruning apple trees.
