Growing in Small Spaces – Overwintering Herbs, Bulbs and More

You don't need a large garden (or even a garden at all) to keep growing through the winter. A sunny windowsill, conservatory or bright indoor space can give you somewhere to overwinter tender plants, grow fresh herbs and microgreens, force bulbs and even experiment with colourful foliage plants.

So, when the weather has turned and the days shorten, why not bring some of that growing magic inside?

Bringing the Garden Indoors

My Lemon Tree

After spending the summer outside soaking up the sunshine, my lemon tree gets VIP (Very Important Plant) treatment and comes indoors for winter! Not somewhere too warm though.

I keep it outside while temperatures are mild, but as autumn progresses, I need to protect it from frost and prolonged cold. My conservatory is perfect as a cool, bright space.

The important thing is light. Citrus plants don't appreciate being plunged into a dark corner for winter. They also don't need to be kept soaking wet, so I find watering less frequently during winter is usually appropriate.

It's always worth checking plants carefully before bringing them indoors, too. A quick inspection for aphids, whitefly and other pests saves me from introducing a whole miniature ecosystem into the house!

Bringing Chilli Plants Inside

Many chilli plants are perennial in their native climates, but we generally grow them as annuals in the UK because they won't tolerate frost. If you have a favourite plant that has produced well and you'd like to keep it for another season, try overwintering it indoors.

Before bringing mine indoors, I’ll check it carefully for aphids, whitefly and other pests. I reduce watering and, depending on the variety and condition of the plant, give it a good prune.

A bright windowsill or conservatory keeps it ticking over through winter, ready to grow away again next spring.

Windowsill Growing

You don't need a greenhouse to keep producing something edible through the colder months. Your windowsill can become a surprisingly productive little growing space.

Microgreens

Microgreens are perfect for October. Mustard, cress, radish, broccoli and other quick-growing varieties can be grown in shallow trays on a windowsill and harvested young.

They're quick, easy and don't take up much room, ideal if your outdoor growing space is limited.

Herbs

Herbs are another obvious choice. Parsley, chives, coriander and dill can all be grown in pots, although winter light can be the limiting factor. A bright windowsill will give them the best chance of producing useful growth through the darker months.

Sprouting Seeds

And don't forget sprouting seeds such as alfalfa, mung beans and fenugreek. Requiring a simple glass jar, fresh water, and rinsing twice a day. They're almost instant gardening gratification!

You don't need soil, a garden or even much space, and you can be harvesting fresh sprouts in just a few days. Pea shoots are another.

Not Everything Has to Be Edible!

When the garden is slowing down, bring some of the growing indoors. Your gardening doesn't have to be all about food, a pot of brilliantly coloured foliage on the kitchen windowsill can be just as rewarding when the outdoor garden is looking decidedly miserable!

Foliage Plants from Seed

Coleus would be my star recommendation. Its brightly coloured leaves can be almost as spectacular as flowers, and it makes a lovely indoor plant.

If you have warmth and plenty of light, you can experiment with growing coleus from seed. The main challenge is keeping seedlings compact through the darker months, so give them as much light as you can. Set up an LED grow light for 12 hours a day if natural winter or autumn light is weak.

Other colourful foliage plants worth considering include:

• Begonias – particularly varieties grown for their colourful foliage, although the seed is tiny and they can be slow-growing.
• Hypoestes (polka dot plant) – lovely pink, white or red-spotted foliage and very suitable for a bright indoor position.
• Alternanthera – colourful foliage plants that can be grown from cuttings or, for some types, seed, but they need warmth and plenty of light.

These are really more of an indoor gardening experiment than quick October crops, but that's part of the fun!

Bring on the Bulbs!

October is also a lovely time to start thinking about indoor bulbs. There is something particularly satisfying about burying a bulb and watching it turn into a spectacular winter flower.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) bulbs are a classic choice for indoor growing. Plant the bulb in a pot, leaving roughly the top third exposed, then give it warmth and light and wait for that spectacular flower stem to emerge.

It's hard to beat the excitement of seeing one of those huge flowers appear in the middle of winter.

Paperwhite Narcissi

Paperwhites are another lovely indoor bulb. They can be planted in pots or bowls and grown indoors without needing the prolonged cold period required by many spring bulbs.

They're particularly good for bringing a little spring fragrance into the house during winter.

Prepared Hyacinths

Prepared hyacinth bulbs are another great choice for indoor flowering. They're wonderfully fragrant, so I'd definitely include them on a cosy winter windowsill.

The important word here is prepared. These bulbs have been specially treated so that they can flower indoors earlier than ordinary garden hyacinths.

Spring Bulbs for Forcing

You can also experiment with bulbs such as crocus, miniature daffodils and grape hyacinths (Muscari) in pots.

Some of these need a period of cold before they will flower, so they aren't simply a case of planting them and putting them straight onto the windowsill. Provide the necessary cold period by keeping in an unheated shed, cold frame or other suitable cool place before bringing them indoors.

Fancy Getting a Head Start?

October isn't just about bringing existing plants indoors. There are also a few things you can sow now to give yourself a head start for next year.

Sweet Peas

October is a great time to start sweet peas indoors. They germinate readily and can be started in pots or root trainers before being moved somewhere cool and bright, such as an unheated greenhouse, porch or cold frame.

The idea is to encourage strong root growth rather than lots of soft, leggy top growth over winter. Then, come spring, you'll have sturdy young plants ready to plant out.

Wallflowers

Wallflowers, including varieties such as Persian Carpet, can be started from seed in autumn. They are hardy biennials and make excellent plants for giving you colour early the following year.

They can be started under cover before being grown on in a cooler position.

Primulas and Polyanthus

Primulas and polyanthus can also be grown from seed, although they are more of a longer-term project than something you'll have flowering on your windowsill in a few weeks.

If you're patient, though, they can be very rewarding.

Or Something Completely Different!

If you have limited space, why not grow something that doesn't need a garden at all?

Mushroom-Growing Kits

Mushroom-growing kits are great fun. Pop a kit on a suitable kitchen surface and, within a surprisingly short time, you can be harvesting your own mushrooms.

These kits contain pre-colonised blocks of substrate that need only water and indirect light to produce multiple flushes of fresh gourmet crops on your kitchen counter.

It's certainly a little different from sowing a row of carrots!