Monday, August 25, 2008

OUR KITCHEN WINDOWSILL












Our kitchen windowsills serve as an art gallery for a lot of us. I have put tomatoes on my kitchen windowsill in various stages and let them sit there too long. Then I end up cleaning the window and feeling really sad when I let the red ones sit too long. I am responsible for them not reaching their ultimate mission which is to nourish our bodies. I love to see them all lined up there, looking so pretty in red, yellow and green. It is particually nice if we have a window above our sink. I am blessed to have a bay window over my sink but the sillls are not that wide. I would like to make them wider.

I also love to see pots on a windowsill, holding herbs or flowers. Chives, basil, lavender, parsley, mint and thyme are good choices for herbs. One of the first things I wanted to do when I got married was grow herbs on my windowsill. I will stick little flowers in small bottles of whatever wildflowers I find on my trips outside. In the early Spring, there is a riot of yellow and purple flowers along my roadside. I don't know their names but I enjoy them every Spring.

I had a friend who lined her windowsill with beautiful, colorful bottles. Some green ones, one vintage, vaseline colored, one dark cobalt blue, and some lovely ones in various colors that contained scented vinegars someone had given her as a gift one Christmas. They looked really pretty with the Sun shining through and I am sure, cheered her up every time she looked at them. I haven't seen her for years, but I'll bet wherever she is, she still has those bottles on her windowsill. I hope she has a window over her sink.

I have seen windowsills lined with old, vintage salt and pepper shakers. Or those little miniature pottery pieces that we all love. I have seen little tiny vases and salt cellars, toothpick holders or even little miniature cups and saucers or cute little animals. One friend has marbles on hers. She puts them in little clear jsrs. The light makes them sparkle. I have seen shells, bringing back memories of a special trip, lining a windowsill.

The next time you visit someone, look at the windowsills. I'd be willing to bet, if I was a betting person, that you will something interesting displayed there. If someone looked at yours, what would they see?

30 comments:

Cindy said...

Eve ~ this is too wierd. We must have a psychic connections going. I was cleaning my kitchen window this morning and thinking how interesting it would be to know what other bloggers had on there kitchen windowsill.

Mine has a potted begonia from my sister's bridal shower - 3 summers ago, a piece of Coleus rooting in a small vase of water, a little box for rings or jewelry while washing dishes, and a couple of little Buddhas, well one Buddha, one carved stone guy from Alaska that I can't recall the name of, but they have a special name.

Cindy

tina said...

A good gardening friend of mine showed me her house once. The first thing she said was come look thru my kitchen window at the garden! This is where I enjoy the garden. I was so touched she wanted to show me and it said something about her to show others how she enjoys the garden. A good view indeed.

Gail said...

I love this post and I do notice window sills! Mine has a few baby pics of my now 27 yr old and dried four leaf clovers. They are for a friend who is under going cancer tx and I collect them for her. I've put a small sign asking folks not to remove them even if they look like dried flowers! Yes, they are easy to find we we need them!

Gail

Susie said...

I miss my kitchen sink windowsill I had in GA. I had little candles, maybe a framed cross-stitch or a couple of vases given to me by a friend. Here I have nothing in my windowsills. My sink does not have a window and I miss that terribly.

Carla said...

ooo I so agree! Hubby just put a shelf above my window for plants, and we plan to create a window sill for more plants, and little things. I LOVE people's kitchen windows, I love bottles, and jars, and collections, and yes, tomatoes all lined up soaking up the sun! Thank you for this post!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't have one! Unfortunately, in this garden home, though I love it, it doesn't have a window in my kitchen or kitchen nook. So it's a dark little cave... Why do you think I'm always decorating all those lampshades!!!
Brenda

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately my windowledge is too narrow to put anything on, but I could try putting a shelf there. It would be nice to display something interesting even if it was just a simple vase with posies. :)

Melissa said...

This is a truly lovely and nostalgic post. I've always wished to live in a house where I had good sills for putting things. But I don't.

A Wild Thing said...

Isn't it funny how the tradition of the kitchen sill has produces so many memories. Mine is of my Grandmother's African violets, they are such a comfort flower to me these days. But mostly my window contains tomatoes during season, then it will go to the parsley I drag in from the garden for the LONG winter season. Brrrrr...

sharon

Lib said...

I Love to display in windowsills ,I have alot of vintage items I display.
Have a great wk.
Blessins',Lib

cinnamongirl93 said...

I love this post! On my sill I have a mini silver heart picture frame with my kids anh hubby inside. It reminds me how greatful I am. I also have a bamboo plant, a pretty green vase with flowers, pottery votives with candels. Oh yes and a cute vintage glass santa that still needs to be put away! Haha!

Skeeter said...

I cannot tell you how many different places we have lived in and none of them had a window over the sink! One day when I get that custom built house, I will have that sink window....

DP Nguyen said...

Hi Eve, my window sill is lined with tomatoes, trying to ripen. And my american grandmother's windowsill has a pot of parsley that she tries to grow in a pot.

But isnt it interesting what others do with theirs?

Kelly said...

Thanks so much for the post on my blog. I see that you are from the MS Gulf Coast. Where are you from? I was born in Pascagoula, MS. I still have family that live there.

JunieRose2005 said...

Eve,

I enjoyed this post very much.

My kitchen sink here is not next to the outside wall so I don't have a window .

I miss that!
I had a window above my sink in Miami (all those years ago) I remember I always had it decorated...often with Hibiscus blooms and Gardenias-and of course roses! I have also , at times, had colored glass bottles, marbles,shells :) almost all the things you mention!

I miss having my window ledge to decorate!

Eve said...

Kelly I live near Gpt.

Julie said...

Mine has a Fairy Castle Cactus and a red-veined Fittonia plant on it! They both fill me with happiness each time I go in the kitchen!

Rose said...

When I saw this title, Eve, I immediately thought of tomatoes! I can totally relate to what you said about leaving them there too long and then having to clean the sill:) I've finally gotten smarter and have them lined up on my front porch (the little fruitflies that sometimes appear stay outside now, too).

I try to keep my windowsill free for things I like to look at now, nothing utilitarian. I have some candles, one in the shape of a cinnamon roll which smells heavenly, and some sea shells. Sometimes a small vase with a flower or two--dandelions picked by the grandkids, for example--also sits there.

Sharon said...

My windowsill is deep...and almost overflowing with a wildly growing philodendron, a couple of cacti, and a pepperomia plant that I had no idea would grow so WIDELY! There are old fruit face planters and a little cat thingy to hold rings when doing dishes...but I just keep mine on under my gloves. There is also a clear vase filled with flat, clear green rocks or glass rocks....I love, love, love green...what a glorious color the Lord gave us to give us cheer. In my bright yellow kitchen the green just seem lush and joyous...always gives me something to smile about.
Dianne

Eve said...

Dianne, I love fruit faced planters, they are so cute! Do you still collect fruit faced chalk ware? I love their cheerful little faces.

Gisele Schoene said...

Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog!
I don't have a windowsill... I wish I had a window right above my sink so I could look outside while cleaning the dishes. And to put nice little things on the sill. Probably plants...

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

I have a window sill full of violets(-: Infact the diningroom window sill is also full(-: I have always had them blooming there. I love violets!!!! When I look out throught my window I see roses blooming next to my old washing machine fountain. It is a nice window to look out of while I am doing my dishes(-: Thanks for sharing yours(-:

Connie said...

Neat post! When we remodeled our home and put new windows in, one of my requests was that I have sills deep enough for plants. I keep geraniums on my kitchen windowsill, as well as an Afican Violet. I also usually have a vintage bottle there, with cut flowers from the garden.

countrychicken said...

I have read several blogs lately showing their kitchen windowsill, some people doing a make over. Actually I am getting ready to change mine. In the summer I always having small plants and some knick knacks. As the weather gets cooler I have to close the window so I start now with fall decorations, then we go to halloween and Thanksgiving, always several Santas for Christmas, snowmen for those cold winter days. You must have known what I was thinking when you did this post -time to clean the windowsill and put something new out.

Teresa said...

I am lucky enough to have a garden window that is about 6 feet long. it is against the back of my kitchen sink and counter. I just love it; I start my seedlings there, two small lamps or a couple of candles light it some nights, there is always at least one basket of ripening fruit, a small collection of little bowls and plates from some of my travels gives me moments to fondly reminisce,a basket on the other end holds any airline tickets or itineraries for travels to come. A window is a great place for dreaming.

Nola said...

Hi Eve, This is the first time I've stopped by your gardening site, it's lovely.
My kitchen windowsill is about a foot deep, because the kitchen window is bumped out (I am not an architect, I have no idea what you call it), and I use it for rooting cuttings, and starting seedlings. I also have a lot of little treasures and trinkets there, like one of my Mama's perfume bottles (so she can always be with me in the kitchen, she was my cooking mentor).
We should pick a day and all post about our kitchen windowsills, and show photos!

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Eve, I was glad you visited me, because now I can visit you! ;-)

I do have a kitchen windowsill. I only have a couple little things there, including a little ceramic dragon made by a friend of mine. Otherwise, this is something you might like! I have a shelf that sits above and in front of the window sill. It's just a little wooden shelf about 4" wide that sits on two little brackets. On this shelf sits a small vase for flowers, an african violet, and... something else. :-) (And the occasional tomato in need of an extra bit of ripening.)

Say, I was in Pascagoula this Summer. Check out my "Making Memories" blog, if you have time. :-) We're working in Iowa now, and probably next Summer, due to the flooding and weather around here!

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