How A Tiny Ikea Trolley Became A "Greenhouse" 🌱🌹🌻

Disclaimer:  I'm not being paid to recommend any products or stores, just sharing how lots of sunshine, a box of seeds, and some gardening items from two lovely friends (thank you Sarah & Miriam xx) and a few supplies from my favourite store, lifted the gloom this summer💖

Hi Honeys 

It's day five of Blogtober already!  You see?  This is how time spins past and before you know it, it's Christmas, then new year, then we're running toward spring again (only 166 days till the first day of spring honeys, just in case you were wondering😄)

Today I thought I'd share how a tiny, inexpensive trolley from Ikea helped turn our little entryway at the back door into an indoor "greenhouse".🌱🌹🌿🌻🌱    

You might remember honeys, that I was given the sweetest gift by a lovely friend.  It was a box full of different packets of seeds, mostly herbs and lettuce and spinach and other lovely items.  Another lovely friend got me a watering can and a gorgeous wee trowel (thank you Sarah and Miriam xx)

Well, since we have a large window in our back door that always turns the tiny entryway at the back door into a "sun trap" (sometimes our furbaby Jade goes for a nap on the floor there during summer months💖) I had the idea of fitting some Ikea rails to the door and using the containers that attach to the rails as planters to grow the herbs.  If you missed the post dear ones you can see it here. 

Growing those herbs (our own homegrown basil for home made pizza! Yum!😋) really did help lift the gloom this summer honeys.  I battle depression and it's been pretty tough since I lost my job.  Watering and snipping away at my herbs has really helped me find my smile some days.💝 

During a recent browse on the Ikea website (I don't go outside anymore honeys so online shopping is a lifeline for me) I spotted something and a little cartoon lightbulb💡appeared above my head (not really, but all those cartoons I watched as a wee one... 😄) when I spotted a tiny, narrow trolley I thought it might hold (more) plants in my unofficial "greenhouse" aka the entryway at the back door..

My order was delivered in the biggest box, which worried me to be honest.  My first thought being that the tiny trolley might not be so tiny after all!😲   

 

The tiny mini hallway/entryway at the back door isn't the tardis after all.  It's not even big enough to be called a "hallway"... more like a "ha"😄  Opening the box however, it was mostly packaging really.  When all of the smaller items were taken out of the box, the trolley wasn't so huge after all....

The trays, or shelves, of the unit are taped together with all of the fittings inside...

It took less than 10 minutes to clip it all together.  I even did it myself! If anything proves how easily it all went together, that should do it honeys.  If I can do it, anyone can.😆  

Once it was all together I took it through to the tiny entryway at the back door and it fit perfectly.  It doesn't get in the way of the door opening or closing and it sits perfectly under the organising rail we have on that wall for brooms etc.  Perfect! 

Right now we have spinach, lettuce and rocket growing (in re-purposed ice cream containers) while, nearby, on the hanging herb wall on the back of the door...

We have the three Sunnersta rails from Ikea, still growing our wee herb collection.  This week I'm going to harvest the basil (as you can see above it's just growing wild at this point.) Since growing herbs is new to me I've no idea what's normal but the cress was fine for a while but now it's gone odd.😄 

On the top rail, we have: 

1. Spring onions - also known as scallions to our USA cousins and as sybies (pronounced "sigh-bees") in Scotland  

2. Potatoes I think... I should explain.  I planted a rose cutting, pushed into a tiny potato.  I've done it so many times before.  It helps the cutting to grow strong.  Well this time it didn't!  My rose cutting died and what I assumed was potato took seed instead.  As it turns out, it did!  They're now planted outside in a much bigger pot and that container is now washed, empty and waiting for me to plant the parsley seeds we have. 

3. Packets of seeds - This is where I've been storing the packets of seeds Sarah got for me.💖Next to plant are the parsley ones.

On the second rail, we have:

1. Apple seeds.  I have no idea if they'll grow but decided to try to plant some apple seeds when we made apple crumble last weekend.🍎

2. Basil.  This grows so fast honeys.  It's fabulous to be able to cook pasta sauces and home made pizza and to be able to use fresh, home grown basil in them.  This week I think I might harvest a lot of it (it grows back quickly) and chop it, freeze in olive oil and place the olive oil/basil cubes into a container in the freezer.  All handy to use when cooking.  

3.  Empty container, it usually holds a small pair of scissors that I use to snip what I need from the herbs when cooking.

On the third, and final, rail, we have:  

1. Chives.  The chives didn't grow as well as the basil did.  I wonder why?  Still, it did grow and I'll definitely try again.  I wonder if chives need a certain soil to grow in? Or more sun?  Or less sun?  I'll have to try to find out. 

2. Cress.  Now this grew fine to begin with but now it seems to be growing odd, trying to grow up the window of the door.  Odd.  Still lovely on boiled egg sandwiches though.😄 

Basically, we've ended up with a sort of mini, indoor "greenhouse" because the herbs have the heat from the kitchen and the sunshine from the back door (or as much sunshine as is possible in Scotland.)

We're running into winter soon though honeys, and into our long (very long) winter days that we get in Scotland.  Days with less than 6 hours daylight.  I don't cope at all well with the long, dark days honeys.  It's awful. I'd be happy to hibernate actually🛌😴💤 but unfortunately, I can't.  So, I'll carry on counting down to spring (only 166 days😊) to the (hopefully) sunnier days when I can start planting and snipping and pottering away in my mini "greenhouse" again.🌱🌻🌹🌷

What's been making you smile dear ones?  Do you grow your own herbs?  Any tips or hints? What should I grow next?  I have parsley, rosemary, mint, dill, thyme and coriander seeds left in my wee collection.💖     

Till next time then honeys, thank you for keeping me company.  It means more than I can say💖 hugs always, xx