Hello there from snowy, PA! We got not one but two snowstorms this week. And as much as I don’t like to say it, it’s probably still too early to count as our onion snow. 

 

I remember the first spring I spent in Pennsylvania; I had never heard of onion snow before. It’s a Pennsylvania Dutch expression for the snow (or snows) you get when the green onion shoots are just starting to poke up out of the soil. And apparently, it’s a good thing. 

 

Eventually, Mother Nature will make up her mind. But it appears that March has decided to come in like a lion. Let’s hope the other side of that adage holds true. 

 

After last week’s newsletter, a reader reached out to me who wanted to know what she could do if she didn’t have land to grow a garden. She lamented that she was in an apartment on the fourth floor.

 

For those who don’t know, I live in an old Victorian building that used to house the local newspaper back in the early 1900s. 

 

This building is nothing but long halls of old offices converted to apartments. To say that it has character is an understatement. I have an old elevator shaft in my hallway. I have windows at the front and back of my apartment, but none in the interior rooms. 

 

My windows are east and west-facing. I don't get great light because of the other buildings around mine. I get a few hours of light in the morning at the back of my apartment and a few hours in the afternoon at the front. 

 

And I do, and you can too. As I told our reader, even growing a handful of vegetables is well worth it. It’s a boost to your plate as well as your mood. 

 

If you’re serious about growing some of your own food in your living space, you have to get creative and unconventional.

 

Maybe you make room for more edible vegetables rather than more houseplants. You would be amazed at how many miniature vegetable varieties there are that can be grown in the same space as a houseplant. I wrote an entire article about them which you can read here. 

 

But what about lighting? What if you don’t have an abundance of sunny windows? Welcome to my world. 

 

I started putting GE brand grow lightbulbs in my regular lamps and placing plants under them.

 

I even bought this beautiful brass lamp at Target, specifically to put grow lightbulbs in for my plants. It looks gorgeous and keeps my plants happy.

 

And if you really want to boost your light, you can buy LED grow light strips and attach them to the inside of your window frames or under bookshelves with 3M Command strips. 

 

Put heavy-duty plastic drip trays underneath your pots to protect flooring and furniture. They come in all shapes and sizes. I’m growing a Meyer lemon tree in my dark apartment, and its large pot sits on top of an 18”x18” square drip tray filled with river rocks. 

 

As many of our longtime readers know, I love grow bags. They’re great for balconies because you don’t need any special hardware. You can slip them over the posts on your railing or attach them by their handles with UV-resistant zip ties. You can grow plenty of vegetables and also flowers to attract pollinators and beneficial insects. 

 

Even if you only grow flowers, tuck a few veggies in with them. If you don’t have a lot of space, make every square inch of soil count. I would grow a radish with this pot of marigolds or a few baby bok choy in with my gerberas. And when I picked them, I put a new seed in its place.

 

Even if all you do is grow a couple of jars of sprouts on your kitchen counter, it’s fresh green food packed with nutrients that you grew yourself. 

 

I’m lucky that I also have a large garden out at my sweetie's house. But if I can grow food in my dark second-story apartment, you can also grow food in your hour home. Aside from the extra nutrients, there’s something kind of fun about picking a handful of peas from a Tom Thumb pea plant that’s growing on the end table next to your couch. 

 

I hope I’ve inspired you to take a walk around your home and see your space with fresh, green eyes. Happy indoor gardening!