So, I got this bug in my ear a while back about having fresh stuff right there, you know? Like, needing some herbs and just grabbing them from the windowsill. Saw some pictures, probably in an old magazine or cookbook somewhere, made it look dead easy and real nice. Thought, “Yeah, I can do that.”
Getting Started
First off, I headed down to the local garden shop. Walked out with a bunch of seed packets – basil, parsley, some mint ’cause I like that in my tea. Grabbed a few pots, nothing fancy, and a couple bags of potting soil. Felt pretty good about it, like I was really gonna make it happen this time.
Spent most of one Saturday getting it all set up. Found a spot on the kitchen windowsill that gets decent sun, or so I thought. Dumped the soil in the pots, poked the little seeds in there, covered ’em up. Followed the packet instructions, mostly. Gave them a good watering.
The Waiting Game… and Reality
Then you just gotta wait, right? Watered them every day or so. Checked on them like they were gonna sprout overnight. And some actually did! Saw tiny green things poking through the dirt. Felt like a genius.
But, you know how things go. Life gets busy. I had that stretch where I was working late pretty much every night for two weeks straight. Came home tired, sometimes forgot the watering. Then my sister dropped by unexpectedly and stayed for a few days, totally threw my routine off.
It kinda reminds me of when I tried fixing the leaky faucet myself last year. Watched a video, looked simple. Bought the parts. Ended up with water spraying everywhere, had to call a plumber anyway, and paid double ’cause it was an emergency by then. Some things just aren’t as straightforward as they seem when you start.
What Actually Happened
- The Basil: It grew! Got a few decent leaves. Then suddenly, these tiny little bugs showed up out of nowhere. Ate the leaves full of holes. Tried washing them off, didn’t work. That was the end of the basil.
- The Parsley: Never showed up. Not a single sprout. Dug around a bit, couldn’t even find the seeds. Total mystery. Maybe the seeds were duds? Who knows.
- The Mint: This stuff is tough, I’ll give it that. It survived the neglect, survived the bugs (guess they didn’t like mint). It’s still there, looking a bit scraggly, but alive. I pinch off a leaf for tea now and then.
So, Yeah…
So much for the perfect little windowsill garden full of fresh herbs. Ended up with one lonely mint plant. It wasn’t quite the success story I pictured when I was buying those seeds. It takes time, and you actually gotta pay attention consistently. Who knew?
Maybe I’ll give it another shot someday. Or maybe I’ll just appreciate the folks at the farmer’s market a bit more. It’s definitely easier just buying it.
