Killer windowsill

[Aparecium]

The window at the kitchen sink faces south. The only plants I have successfully grown there are crassula (money plant?) in little pots to keep them compact.

I've just come back from 10 days away. I moved the crassulas to the back of the kitchen, next to the aloes, where they got plenty of light, but no direct light. They have all thrived. They have all put out new green leaves, and all have lovely colour. So I think I will move them to an east-facing window sill.

What will grow in my south facing killer window? It will have to contend with strong sun, can get very hot, the blind going up and down, storage space for bottle brushes and paint brushes, often get splashed with washing-up water.

Cacti and other succulents (will withstand drought), Mediterranean herbs, pelargoniums (though these two won’t stand long periods without water)

I agree with herbs, also keep them handy for you when cooking.

Many of the plants we grow as house plants are from the tropical rainforests, so are used to having the shade of tall trees around them. You need plants that originate from desert areas or open sunny areas. Hence cacti or succulents (from deserts) or mediterranean herbs (from the garrigue) should be able to cope.

I agree - south-facing kitchen windows are the perfect place for basil, dill, thyme etc because they're handy for use as well as liking lots of sun. We also have perpetual spring onions (replanted supermarket ones ttat we just cut the tops off then leave to regrow), a Christmas cactus, some house leeks, and in the summer some windowsill tomatoes (pick your variety with care - you want the tiniest possible). We did also grow a cucumber a couple of years ago, which was prolific - but that needs a lot of support so can't be moved to a shady area if you're going on holiday.

Yes, herbs do do well on that windowsill. Unfortunately we don't cook enough with fresh herbs to make it worthwhile.

Pelargoniums would probably do well, but I loathe the smell of their leaves. (On the other hand, sometimes I buy a pot of fresh basil just to stroke it and release the fragrance.)

I'm not massively keen on cacti, but I do like houseleeks, and they are quite robust IIRC. Are they really happy in hot, sunny locations?

I'm not massively keen on cacti, but I do like houseleeks, and they are quite robust IIRC. Are they really happy in hot, sunny locations?

Houseleeks (Sempervivums) really don’t do well indoors, they are alpine plants requiring very gritty compost in a shallow pot and grown outside.

For a South facing windowsill, cacti and succulents are the best bet, but even those can be a bit fussy. Cacti need good direct sun or they etiolate (stretch), so succulents maybe a better choice.

The things on my windowsill may not actually be sempervivum. 'Unnamed house-leek-shaped succulent' would perhaps be more accurate.

Pelargoniums would probably do well, but I loathe the smell of their leaves. (On the other hand, sometimes I buy a pot of fresh basil just to stroke it and release the fragrance.) In that case what about the scented leaved Pelargoniums, where the typical Pelargonium small is completely replaced with lemon, orange, pine, eucalyptus or even chocolate mint?

I agree - south-facing kitchen windows are the perfect place for basil, dill, thyme etc because they're handy for use as well as liking lots of sun. Though unlike thyme etc, basil isn't a Mediterranean herb, and needs a lot more water.

Perhaps you could post a pic on this thread, and the wise greenfingered ones could identify them?

Ooo! Links? Names?

There's a few on the RHS site

Names: Pelargoium fragrans, Attar of Roses, Prince of orange More here

A lot of them have slightly smaller flowers. Clorinda has large flowers. Here's the Chocolate peppermint one I think it might be the same as the oak leaf one in one of the previous links. It's a bit straggly, so you have to keep taking cuttings. The ones bred from P fragrans are compact (and conversely difficult to find suitable cuttings material on)

I have a variety of random succulents and a pelargonium on mine. Over 30+ years I've lived here, and they are the only things that have proved successful really. The one thing you have to watch is that nobody leaves that window open at night during a heavy frost in midwinter, because the freezing cold draught will finish them off.

On my south-facing window sills I have a Chilli, a geranium, a Mother of Thousand's, an Aloe & an orchid.
But I've managed to kill many more!
The orchid has been going for 12 years; the others are more recent but seem to do ok.
In the bed outside the window I have herbs - lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, & sage.

My aloes hate that windowsill. Any windowsill, in fact. Except in the winter - then they love the south-facing windowsill.

@MereDintofPandiculation Thanks! Now to browse...

echeveria is a houseleek shaped succulent that does well indoors for me.

Also stone plants.

I literally have a ‘killer windowsill’ it’s full of carnivorous plants, Venus fly traps, sarracenia, drosera. They’re fascinating and I have the added benefit of being fly free. They love the south window, they are very thirsty plants though and have needed topping up with rain water daily. I love it.

I like drosera, and used to have them on this windowsill to try and reduce the flies. Didn't really work, though they caught lots of dust! I tried venus fly traps as well, but they proved too fragile for what is really quite a busy windowsill.