Edibles on a windowsill?

[Hector]

I have moved office at work and now have a big window with a decent sized ledge. Any ideas of an edible plant I could grow...including over winter?

[Hector]

[pigeonseed]

thyme - very tough generally even in coldest weather, in my experience. Though is that the sort of thing you were after?

[Alex133]

Is the ledge inside or outside?

[Hector]

Thanks Pgeonseed. I have Thyme at home :) It is a big indoor sill. I've wondered about herbs for making fruit teas as I drink loads of the packet ones (warm offices).... If I can ever get Stevia to germinate I could have something lemony and shove in a Stevia leaf???.......or perhaps I can grow a small chili?

[pumkinlover]

There is a thread  about overwintering tomatoes!
That would be good to pick your own toms to put on your cheese butty in the middle of winter-and chilliies ;)

[goodlife]

You could try lemon verbena..smallish growing shrubby plant with delicious lemony leaves..will stay green during winter in room temperature...and leaves can be used dry too..
Yep..chillies...pot of mint perharps?..hmm...parsley, chives ..rhubarb..err..maybe not.. ;D..are you allowed canes?
You could grow micro green with your left over seeds...its easy then swing around on your office chair with your office scissors in hand and chop a bit into your sandwich for your lunch break. ;D
You might find that your job turns into gardening rather than pushing pens.. ;D

[Hector]

Lol...not sure I can get away with tomaos if staked....tempting though. I will try the verbena :) What  is a micro green ?

[Jeannine]

Micro greens are the nvery tiny very expensive salad greens that you see in the supermarket. You could grow mini dwarf tomatoes if there is enough light, varieties that onky grow say 12 -18 inches and don't need staking, they look ver pretty too.

XX Jeannine

[Hector]

I've just been reading your dwarf tomato plant thread...this sounds great. I love the smell of tomato plant foliage too, would make the room feel less "sterile" :)

[Alex133]

Basil can do quite well on sunny inside windowsills .

[1066]

not sure if you've made your mind up, but chillies can do well over-wintered. I had a couple last year - a Hot Red Thai and Lemon Drop, on a sunny windowsill, they continued to produce chillies, and also started to flowering early this year. They did get a bit of greenfly, but I popped them outside in the day time and that got rid of it! I'm thinking of doing a Pretty in Purple this year, as the name suggests, it's pretty and it's purple!  ;D

[Hector]

Wish I had two window ledges now :) 1066 did you use any lighting?

[1066]

No, they were on the landing windowsill that gets lots of natral light, but no direct heat in terms of central heating.
Can you borrow another windowsill  ;)

[lottie lou]

Do you think I could overwinter my chillies at work?  Have loads of windowsills and usually use them for my geranium cuttings, and then in spring my new seeds and good for potato chitting.  However the high ones have radiators underneath them. 

[1066]

I don't know  :) The only reason my chillies were on a windowsill that din't have  a radiator was that was the only one they would fit on nicely, and besides all the others had pumpkins on them  ::) I don't see why not tho, just need to make sure they are kept watered.

[antipodes]

I'd go for salad stuff (rocket, mizuna?), chives, maybe parsley? Watch out for the lemon verbena, mine is more like a huge woody shrub nearly 3 feet tall! Does make excellent herbal tea though and is a perennial.

[Jeannine]

I over wintered my Pepperdews on a windowsill this last winter and it was North facing too, they are back in the greenhouse now and doing well.

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

 ;D

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mine is more like a huge woody shrub,,, ..yes, you are right..they can grow rather large..but in pot the size is restricted and being indoors it can be 'cut to size'.. ;) It will still make bigger plant than other herb etc. but perfectly manageable for windowsill..for one winter..in spring planted outdoors and started again from cutting in summer for to be bought indoors for following winter...