Furthermore, carrots, sweet potatoes and even avocados will happily sprout on almost any bright windowsill, though some extra heat--provided by a nearby radiator, perhaps--will hasten germination. Citrus and grape seeds clearly prefer warmth, which we provided by nestling them next to the kitchen radiator.
The only other thing you'll need for your jungle in the making is a dollop of patience: Some plants, like carrots, sprout almost instantly, while others germinate at a more leisurely pace. Our grapes waited a full month before making an appearance, but then graced us with the most enchanting seedlings imaginable: yellow-green leaves edged with pink set atop tiny red stems.
In fact, it's the element of surprise--what will we get? when will it arrive?-- that makes growing a kitchen jungle so much fun. Or, as my daughter put it one day in the depths of February, "This is like having springtime all year!"
