The farm has moved indoors.  Just in the nick of time, I might add.

I cleaned up pots from the porch, removed the sunflowers the birds planted, and separated and replanted as needed.  I bought six tomato starts, two pepper starts, and a basil plant from a gal at the farmer’s market.  Actually ended up bartering for it. (Homesteading money!)  I planted them in large containers so they had plenty of root space to use up during the winter.

The rosemary plant is three or four years old now and tastes better than ever.  The petunias I got from the store on clearance last fall for a few dollars are still doing great in the pots.  I brought in all the herbs I keep in pots; St. John’s Wort, purple basil, oregano, chives, chamomile, sage, thyme, and more.  They will overwinter in the south window.  The tomatoes will shoot up and give us fresh tomatoes in the cold of winter, as will the peppers.

The geraniums came in as well.  By overwintering them in the house, the monsters are ginormous!  They are a year and a half old and loving their life in the tropics.

I will be picking up potting soil today and planting a bed, I mean a pot, of lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard, which is particularly yummy when you don’t expect to have any!

I used to let my pots die outdoors along with everything else in the garden at the end of the season.  I would repot them the next year with annuals.  This was the seemingly normal thing to do.  I had read about storing dormant geraniums in the garage over winter and bringing them back to life in the spring but never got around to it.

I thought I had to have a greenhouse, or at the very least, a cold frame, to make the season last longer.  I bought a grow light but can’t fit enough under it to warrant it useful.  So, last winter I placed everything in the south window. (Check out my post here)  It did amazing!  The plants loved the sunny winter light and the warmth from the room.  They thought they were vacationing in Hawaii and rewarded me with fresh herbs, greens, and tomatoes all winter long.  Doug grew fodder for the chickens in another window.  By the end of the winter, there are aphids and everything is looking a little sad for spring (much like myself…except the aphids part…) and wants to go back on the porch.  Which is where they end up all summer and into fall.  But, now they are tucked in for winter.

The morning after I moved the pots in, we awoke to a glistening wonderland where Jack Frost had designed his masterpiece upon windows and pumpkin leaves.  Intricate designs left us oohing and ahhing on our way out to the farmer’s market.  Of course, when we came back home the leaves were black and the garden shriveled.  The plants indoors were as happy as cats in a window.

I have never been much for indoor plants.  The gaudy green leaves taking over everything and the spiny plants meant to be indoors have never appealed to me.  I know they keep the air oxygenated and lovely.  They just never looked attractive to me.  But here, with a veritable garden spread out in the living room, I am happy with plants and flowers everywhere.  One day I will have a greenhouse but for now, I have a south facing window, and that works for me.