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🪴
Your windowsill is a garden too
Indoor Living
Grow herbs, greens, and microgreens year-round — no outdoor space required. From seed to harvest without ever stepping outside.
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Start this now
What to Start Indoors Right Now
In your area, these crops are ready to go — get them started today.
Care Guides
Transition Guide
Food Use
🌿 Kitchen Herbs
🥬 Leafy Greens
🌱 Microgreens Best for beginners
🫘 Sprouts (No Soil Needed)
🌸 Edible Flowers
🪴 Succulents & Ornamental
When to Move Plants Outside — by USDA Zone
After your last spring frost date. Move plants outside gradually to avoid shock.
Zone
Last Frost (approx.)
Safe to Move Herbs
Safe to Move Greens
3–4 Late May Early June Mid-June 5–6 Mid-May Late May Early June 7–8 Mid-April Late April Early May 9–10 Feb–Mar March March
Hardening Off Schedule (7–10 Days)
Gradually introduce indoor plants to outdoor conditions. Start with 1–2 hours in shade and work up.
Days 1–2
1–2 hours on a covered porch or in dappled shade. Bring back inside overnight.
Days 3–4
2–3 hours outside, still in shade. Stay out longer if weather is mild.
Days 5–6
4–5 hours in filtered sun (not direct midday). Bring in overnight.
Days 7–8
6+ hours outside, gradually increasing sun exposure. Safe to leave out on mild nights.
Days 9–10
Full day outside, full sun. Can plant in final location or keep in container.
Which Plants Prefer Indoors Year-Round
Some plants are too tender or slow to benefit from outdoor summer. Keep these by the window.
✅ Happy indoors all summer
Mint (invasive outside, better in a pot)
Bay laurel (slow grower, needs stability)
Microgreens (no outdoor benefit — just harvest and resow)
Sprouts (no soil needed, quick harvest)
Most leafy greens (bolt in heat)
Chives (go dormant if too hot)
🌞 Love outdoor summer
Basil (huge growth outside)
Rosemary (thrives in heat and sun)
Thyme (loves sun and dry soil)
Parsley (faster growth in sun)
Oregano (spreads outdoors)
Sage (needs summer sun to bulk up)
Bringing Plants Back Inside (Fall)
Watch for the first fall frost warning in your area. Start transitioning tender perennials indoors before temperatures drop.
Basil — very frost-sensitive, bring in when temps hit 50°F at nightRosemary — survives light frost but bring in before hard freezeMint — goes dormant below 40°F, bring in before first frost for continued harvestBay laurel — hardy but slow — bring in to maintain year-round growthHerbs to leave outside — thyme, oregano, sage are hardy to 20°F+
🌿 Herbs → Preservation
Herbs dry beautifully and pack down to almost nothing. Freeze them in oil for an instant flavor bomb in any winter dish.
🌬️ Air dry — easiest method
❄️ Freeze in olive oil — cubes for cooking
🫙 Infused oils — herbaceous, delicious
🌱 Dried — rehydrate in soup or stock
See Preservation Planner →
🌱 Microgreens → Peak Nutrition
Harvest at 7–14 days when cotyledons (seed leaves) are fully open but before true leaves appear. At this stage, they're most nutritious — up to 40x more dense than mature plants.
Nutrition kick: Sunflower and pea microgreens are highest in protein. Radish and broccoli microgreens are richest in antioxidants. Mix varieties for a balanced harvest.
Track your harvest in Preservation Planner →
🫘 Sprouts → Quick Preservation
Sprouts are a 3–5 day miracle. They're alive and perishable — store in the fridge in a breathable container (like a cloth bag or perforated bag) and eat within a week.
Quick preservation: Quick-pickle in vinegar + salt for 1–2 days in the fridge. Adds tang and extends usability slightly. Not for long-term storage — best eaten fresh.
🔄 The Year-Round Indoor Cycle
Your indoor garden isn't a seasonal side project — it's the anchor of a year-round food cycle.
❄️ Winter
Microgreens, sprouts, herbs on windowsill
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🌱 Spring
Transplant herbs outside, start seeds indoors
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☀️ Summer
Garden produce, preserve harvest, enjoy
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🍂 Fall
Bring herbs inside, preserve the last harvest