Don't throw your yoghurt pots or tins away!

Picture this: you're busy cooking away and think your dish needs something a bit extra, some chillies perhaps, or a bit of parsley, but you can't run down to the shops because you're halfway through boiling your pasta.

Well, what if we told you that it's easy and simple to grow your own garden on your windowsill? Then you'll be able to quickly harvest your own plants, ready for cooking.

Whether you're a proud gardener or like the sustainable option, you can follow these steps to turn your windowsill into a green home.

How to get started:

1. You'll need to choose a windowsill which gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day.
2. Wash your empty tins and yoghurt pots, and you'll need to poke a couple of small holes in the bottom. Be careful when doing this, especially with a tin!
3. Use a saucer to avoid marking your windowsill.
4. Start by putting a layer of potting mix in the bottom - you can find this online or in local supermarkets.
5. Sprinkle a few of your chosen seeds in, making sure they're spread out a bit, not piled in the centre.
6. Finish with the potting mix and slightly press down to leave some room for watering.
7. Water immediately and drain the saucer when excess water builds up.
8. Feed your seeds with water weekly!

Pest Police! : Inspect your plants for pests on a regular basis - infestations are common on colder days when the air is dry.

Top 3 windowsill plants

Herbs - coriander, basil, or parsley 🌿

Nothing beats the taste of fresh herbs. Make sure you keep them in the sun and plant them in nutrient-rich soil, feeding them frequently and watering as soon as the leaves begin to droop, but never submerge them. To keep the herbs growing, always cut the stem above a new pair of leaves when harvesting.

Chillies 🌶️

Chillies are the perfect windowsill plant because they can grow in small pots without falling over. Make sure with chillies, only add water when the soil begins to dry out. The more you pick, the more chillies your plant will grow, but towards the end of the season, you might want to leave your chillies on the plant a little longer to make sure they have matured.

Tomatoes 🍅

Tomatoes are larger plants, so they may need a bigger pot rather than a tin. They're surprisingly robust, meaning it's actually okay to let the soil dry out now and then, just don't overwater them. They're very low-maintenance, so for students, growing tomatoes is quite a good idea. Between lectures, studying and relaxing, it can be easy to forget things, so with these, you can grow tomatoes without the pressure of tending to them every day.

We hope you have fun with this - not only will you have a little garden on your windowsill, but you're also being sustainable by re-using pots and tins. You're helping to save the planet 🌍

Looking for more green inspo? Check out our energy, time and waste-saving recipes.