HOW TO INDOOR GARDEN IN A SMOGGY CITY...

Hey there folks! One week ago something came over me and I felt like getting close to mother nature. First I entertained the thought of taking a brisk walk in High Park while hugging trees but let's face it I am a true blue city gal! Now let's be clear, I am not a Hollywood replica of Sex in the City, that is just nonsense. If you ever do run into someone pretending to be Sarah Jessica Parker's character, I highly recommend giving them a good, stern talking to. I am a a real Torontonian who:

1) Loves the comfort of my apartment until summer.
2) Loves nature when it's green.
3) Loves fresh greens.
4) Likes bargains.

Combine the four you say? That is exactly what I am doing; growing my own veggies and herbs indoors. I am here to take you along for the trip just incase you want to follow suit. I am a novice so if they don't grow I apologize in advance but who knows maybe we can together create our own little indoor gardens of Eden. LET'S GO!

INDOOR GARDENING 101- FROM A DUMMIE TO DUMMIE'S

1) Music

• Crank up your tunes while you are gardening. Seriously plants like music and quite frankly I want my plants to be "hip" so they taste good when I eat them. My playlist for that day included:
• Jill Scott: Golden
• Iron and Wine: Such Great Heights
• Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
• Eve 6: Inside Out
• Moderat: A New Error
• Ozzy Ozbourne: No More Tears

2) Where to buy the supplies and seeds for next to nothing

• Honest Ed's, Honest Ed's, Honest Ed's
• I live and die by that place. Those flashing lights are there for a reason, follow them and I swear you won't regret it. Ed really is an honest kind of guy!
• Seeds: $.15 - $1.69
• Basic plastic pot with water catcher, (I told you I am a novice. I have no clue what the heck it's called so I am coining the term "water catcher") : $1.99 + $.99
• Potting Soil: $2.99 for a medium sized bag
• TIP: For indoor gardening please make sure you get a pot with some sort of drainage at the bottom (holes) or else the water will build inside the pot and cause root rot. I only know this because when I started I didn't follow this advice and now my chili peppers are growing inside a closed off space. They will most likely battle with the pot they are growing in once fully formed; opps!

3) How to plant

• I emptied each pack of seeds into separate water glasses from my cupboard. I have a clumsy habit of breaking glasses so I am going to be honest with you all. I did use my one year old nephews sippy cup for a set of seeds. Please don't tell him I am not in the mood for a rowdy baby tantrum.
• Leave them submerged in water for 72 hours.
• Fill your pots 3/4 full of soil and place seeds. Cover the last 1/4 with soil and water.
• Use a nice bold Sharpie to label your pots.
• Water but don't drown your plants frequently for optimal growth.

That is pretty much it from my perspective. I am sure there is far more to it and avid gardeners will shake their heads at this blog, but like I said I am a city gal!

Good luck with your gardening!

Love,

Shafey