A couple of years ago you never would have seen me nurturing my houseplants daily, or even keeping them alive for more than a week. I think the main reason for this is that I didn't understand or appreciate all of the values that plants (of all different kinds) can bring to our health and lives year-round.
These days I am continually looking for plants to add to my window-sill garden and teaching my oldest son how to grow them with me. Even in the cold mid-west winters my family and I enjoy the benefits of things like fresh grown herbs topping our favorite meals, spider plants for better air quality, and Aloe Vera for wound healing.
To benefit from a window-sill garden yourself all you need is a sunny spot, cute little pots, some organic soil, and plants or seeds!
Here are 3 types of easy-to grow plants with great benefits for you and your family:
1- Herbs
Imagine reaching for fresh home-grown herbs to top your favorite meals. When herbs are dried and packaged they can lose their distinctive flavor. Not only do fresh herbs taste better, but they look much prettier as toppings too.
Our favorite window-sill herbs are cilantro and parsley. Fresh cilantro can be used for salsas made from garden tomatoes or to top a delicious Mexican dish. Parsley goes great on savory meals, soups, or pastas.
Cilantro, parsley, basil, mint, rosemary, oregano, and dill all grow well indoors. All you need is a pot with some holes for drainage and to keep the soil moist.
2- Air Purifying Plants
The air in our homes is up to 5 times more toxic than the air outside. This is from the products we use, the building materials of our furniture or electronics, and mold spores which are found in every home.
Of course any plant can purify the air, but some are much more efficient than others. Plants like the spider plant, snake plant, golden pothos, and peace lily are well-known air purifiers. These plants can help rid the air of nasty carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene.
The most beautiful plant in our window-sill garden is our spider plant. It is small now, but I am looking forward to when it starts growing those cute little baby spider plants that can be propogated in a new pot of their own.
3- Succulents
Succulents are a beautiful and very easily-maintained type of plant. They can brighten up a room even on the gloomiest of winter days. Some of the most popular types are the jade plant, donkey's tail, pincushion cactus, and of course the well known aloe vera.
Many aloe vera gels that you can buy at the store are loaded with preservatives or green dyes. Wouldn't it be so much nicer to just break a leaf off of your own plant to use as needed? Everyone knows that the plant's gel can be used to aid in wound healing, but it has many other topical and digestive benefits as well.
Our aloe vera plant was our first window-sill plant. It has been watered the least out of all of the plants, but has been by far the most beneficial.
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