Amateur Gardening in a Chicago Condo

Even if you are living in a condominium in Chicago
you can enjoy nature in all its glory.

Kitchen gardening yields some delightful
surprises without regard to unseasonably
cold weather.

Geraniums Come To Life

This is last year’s seed Geranium. I was certain
it wouldn’t survive but decided to see what would happen with a little patience. I kept it in a sunny window and nurtured it with water and MiracleGro. Today, it’s 33 degrees, unseasonably cold for this time of year – even in Chicago. But that’s ok. In my kitchen I’m enjoying Spring in all its glory and the promise of more to come.

Amateur gardening is a past-time that offers never-ending surprises. While enjoying this geranium, I discovered another unexpected delight.

Avocado Meet Spider Plant

Some time ago, I plopped an avocado seed into a pot where I was rooting a Spider Plant. Now, you never know about store-bought avocados. Usually, they’re so green and hard that you just can’t tell if their seeds will germinate. But this one is doing just fine. It doesn’t look like much at the moment. I almost didn’t see it when I watered the plants yesterday. Even so, if you look real hard, you’ll see it, too. It’s going to be very interesting to see how it grows.

Successful Amateur Gardening

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about gardening it’s that plants will do what they do. There are lots of times, they just don’t do what we expect. They need balance – sun, water, nurturing. Too much,
or too little and they’ll die. They have a way of choosing where they’ll thrive. And if you can find that magic combination, they’ll reward you for it.

If you would like to experiment, choose seed – any kind will do. Put it in a pot in front of a sunny window and water it occasionally.

But, you say, I don’t have a sunny window. That’s ok. There are lots of plants that really prefer shade. A little research on the internet or at your favorite garden center will provide lots of suggestions for plants that have special needs.

But for a real thrill, look at the foods you buy at the grocery store. Any vegetable or fruit that has seeds is a likely candidate for in-home gardening.