Student Homemaker

I’ve been interested for quite a while in the trend of having a kitchen garden. Growing your own is making a huge comeback like never before.

However, as a student in the current UK climate, while in student accommodations, I cannot guarantee always to have a garden, or to stay in that garden. And also, with the current housing market, the sensible thing for BP and I to do is wait, renting a flat, until the overpriced houses go down in price.

The solution, of course, is to plant in pots.
As a very frugal thing, I often save the odd yoghurt/fromage frais pot, which are super for starting seedlings, and a tray from fruit/veg/meat/fish keeps water off window-ledges or carpets.

Once I’ve washed out yoghurt pot and tray, I poke holes in the underside of the pot with a craft knife (but a compass would actually be better). Fill the pot with soil/compost and place onto the tray. Water an amount into the tray and wait for the compost to soak this up, then plant the seed and water it in with about a teaspoon water.
You can purchase 100-day plant food sticks dirt cheap (excuse the pun) but they won’t be organic. To be extra frugal, I’d recommend not adding a food stick until the seed has germinated.

I planted some Cayenne chilli peppers today into the empty Basics fromage frais pots. Keep posted for news on these little sprouts. Also, to come soon, any news on my living parsley, and on Monday I’ll be getting some strawberry plants!

Update: BP bought me two new living herbs - basil and chives.  That means we haven’t room for the strawberry plants anymore