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Christopher Brundage
Ms. Caruso
UWRT 1101
28 July 2016
Literacy of Window Sill Gardening
We can never have enough of nature. (Henry David Thoreau 238). I have been
fascinated by nature since before I can remember. I cannot recall the specific event of when I fell
in love with being in the outdoors because every time I experience the beauty of being in the
wild I find something different to appreciate about nature. I decided to pursue gardening because
of this passion for nature. This literacy was conducted on my apartment patio in the hottest
month of the year, July. I have always wanted to become self sufficient because of the many
benefits it has not just for the individual but also for the environment.
The ability to grow ones own fruits and vegetables has a plethora of benefits to reap and
probably the most prominent benefit in our society is the ability to save money. This literacy will
help lighten the load on the weekly grocery bill which is critical for myself because I am a broke
college student. However, it also has a lasting positive impact on the environment and the land
in which you build your life upon. Plants in general absorb a lot carbon dioxide and other air
pollutants while releasing oxygen and a nice fragrance which is beneficial to everyone.
Initially I wanted to pursue urban farming which is the development of fruits and
vegetable while in a confined urban area such as an apartment or inner city housing. After
conducting tremendous amounts of research on the subject I decided to focus my literacy project
on herbal window sill gardening. This was due to the time constraint that was given for the
project of producing a product and showing an understanding of the literacy. On average a

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tomato plant takes roughly three months to begin to sprout and another three to six months to
become ripe. Another obstacle I faced was my work schedule, as a maintenance and renovation
technician, picked up drastically with a lot of individuals moving out of their apartments and the
anticipation of new tenants. I wasnt able to give the focus necessary to establish an urban farm
through those two reasons and is why I shifted my focus to herbal window sill gardening.
The first task I faced when confronting this literacy was which plants I wanted to grow.
There are many herbs one can grow but I decided to focus on ones I use frequently which were
basil, cilantro, and oregano. I read numerous articles online on how to perform this task but I still
wanted to have a face to face conversation with someone experienced on the matter. I consulted
my grandfather Gus on the subject because gardening has been his hobby and passion he has had
throughout his entire life. We, my grandfather and I, went to a Lowes Home Improvement store
to by the necessary supplies after he informed me what I would need. I bought a pack of basil,
cilantro, and oregano seeds along with six small ceramic pots and a 50/50 fertilizer which had
half seed starting mix and half natural nutrient enriched soil. Those were the basic supplies I
needed in order to learn how to garden these various herbs which cost me no more than twenty
five dollars. Which in the long run I know would save myself some money because the average
herb or spice found at a grocery store is about four to five dollars and one can go through it
pretty quickly if they use a lot of herbs or spices while cooking.
My grandfather was a fundamental piece in the learning of this new literacy because of
his wealth of knowledge on the subject. When I was younger his backyard seemed like the jungle
with all the plants and vegetables he would grow in his garden. Now he doesnt have a garden
anymore because my grandparents moved into a retirement home but he was able to decipher the
cryptic lingo associated with gardening. He explained to me the formal and informal rules of

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gardening such as the amount of sunlight necessary for plants to grow, which plants grow well in
certain climates, and the best seasons to grow and harvest some plants. I know in the future I will
continue to consult him with any questions I have regarding the subject.
Once all of the supplies were acquired I needed to locate an appropriate location within
my apartment that would provide adequate sunlight for the plants. The herbs I had chosen, basil,
cilantro, and oregano, prefer to be in sunlight or light shade the majority of the day which I
thought would become an issue because the sun rises on the patio side of my apartment but when
it reaches about three in the afternoon there is only shade. However this was not the case because
the herbs began to germinate and sprout just after six days of being planted.
While potting the plants I had to determine the appropriate depth in which the plant the
seeds which turned out to be roughly a quarter inch from the top of the soil. I did not have to
factor in the distance between each plant however because each had their own individual pot.
The overall potting process was fairly easy because herbs are not as complex of a plant as
compared to a vegetable. Each herb varied in depth but not by much because a fully mature herb
only needs six inches for its roots to grow.
Watering the plants almost became an issue because I forgot to water them for a day and
a half. To fix this I posted a sticky note on my bathroom to water the plants every morning with
one cup of water mixed with a plant vitamin solution. How to Plant a Window Sill Garden an
online article created by the DIY network said to only start watering the plants once they had
begun sprouting so after potting them I did not have to water the herbs until they sprouted at the
sixth day mark. My grandfather also told me to save the packet of seeds which helped when I got
to this stage in the literacy because I used the information printed on the back to determine how
much water was necessary for the plants.

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The weather or climate becomes a key factor in the growth of the plants also because of
their need for adequate sunlight and water. In the two weeks I have had with this literacy the
weather has been great minus the couple of thunderstorms where I had to bring them off my
patio and inside. Most people grow herbs on their window sill of the kitchen area so climate does
not become too big of a factor as long as the plants are receiving enough sunlight.
After the herbs began to sprout I was fairly confident in my ability of the literacy.
Starting out I was worried because I did not know if I would have what some people call a green
thumb. Although this is a very basic form of gardening it is something I will continue to practice
through my life because of the numerous benefits it holds. While I still have another month or so
until the plants are mature enough to harvest I have learned the patience and care it takes in order
to allow some plants to grow. Later down the road, when I am a landowner, I plan to grow not
just herbs but also vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots.
My overall reaction to the process of gardening has been fairly positive. The only
instance in which my confidence has faltered was learning I did not have the appropriate space or
land necessary to pursue this literacy even further. I believe as a human race we have had a fairly
negative impact on the environment so being able to learn how to garden has been an eye opener
on the beneficial impacts it has for our climate. Also I have always had a connection with a more
primitive lifestyle and the great outdoors so being able to learn just a little bit of how I can
provide for myself has been amazing. The basic foundations of gardening from the choice of soil,
the depth in which to plant seeds, and the sunlight necessary to grow these plants has been a
great experience and one I will take with me throughout my life as I continue to learn within this
literacy.

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Works Cited
1. "How to Plant a Windowsill Herb Garden." DIY. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2016.
2. Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Philadelphia, PA: Courage, 1990. Print.
3. Urban Farming. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2016.
4. "Vegetable Gardening for Beginners: Gardener's Supply." Gardeners Supply. N.p., n.d.
Web. 30 July 2016.