Indoor Home Gardening With Herbs

Enjoy the wonders of herbs year round by growing your own indoor herb garden. It's easy to have a thriving indoor herb garden wherever you live if you follow these basic guidelines.

Herbal Choices 
There are dozens of herbs you can grow indoors, but not all of them are edible. If you want to cook with herbs, start your first indoor garden with traditional favorites that are easy to grow and widely available such as dill, chive, basil, rosemary, mint, and thyme. You can always add more to the garden later.

A good way to decide which herbs you might like is to pay a visit to a garden supply store or grocery that sells them. Rub the plant between your fingers to release the smell, and choose the ones that appeal to you. Many garden stores sell starter kits for herb gardens if you would rather grow the plants from seed.


Seek the Light
Location is important when growing herbs indoors because they need several hours of direct sunlight each day to thrive. A sunny kitchen window is a perfect spot because it provides quick access to your herbs as you're cooking. Kitchen activities also tend to add beneficial humidity to the air. A bathroom window receiving ample light is a good location for the same reason.

If well-lit spaces are in short supply where you live, remember that several herbs can be bunched together into a compact container. A smaller garden also makes it easier to move as seasons and light conditions change.

While herbs also grow well under fluorescent lights, keep in mind that standard fluorescent bulbs will need to stay on for about 14 hours to replicate 5-6 hours of natural sunlight. If you choose to grow with artificial lights, invest in a timer that will regulate the light your plants receive. Various fluorescent grow lights are available which may shorten lighting times. The tops of established plants should be placed about 6-12" from the lights, while seedlings should be kept only a few inches away until they are mature.

Soil, Water & Food
Herbs are hardy plants that do well in a variety of soils, nutrients and moisture conditions. Herbs do best, however, in pots with good drainage and soil that is either neutral or slightly acidic. Watering requirements will vary by humidity conditions in your home, so check your garden frequently. Keep it moist but be careful not to overwater because some herbs like rosemary do not tolerate it well. Herbs also like a light misting from time to time.

Most potting mixtures will supply enough nutrients for your herbs to grow initially. After a few months or if your herbs aren't growing, apply a houseplant fertilizer. Herbs don't generally need as much fertilizer as other houseplants, however, so use about half strength when feeding them. Overfeeding some herbs actually can reduce their flavor and fragrance concentration, which defeats your purpose for growing them.

Flavorful Food Fun
Cooking with herbs is a fun and easy adventure. To get the best flavor from your fresh herbs, add them in the last few minutes for quick-cooking dishes and in the final 30 minutes for soups and other slow-cooked dishes. You can add dried herbs to your recipes at any time, but keep in mind that freshly dried herbs will add more flavor than ones from the grocery. Experiment with small amounts of herb in the beginning. You always can add more.

With these tips and a little TLC from you, you'll be sporting an herbal green thumb in no time!

Herb Infused Oils
This versatile gift is very easy to make. Select the herbs you wish to use – some favorites are lavender or chives. Plunge the herbs into boiling water for a few seconds before you start.

Then, simply remove the herbs from the water and cover them with cooking oil in a food processor and blend. Strain through a paper towel for a beautifully colored scented oil. This oil can be used for cooking or for personal scent depending on the herbs you choose.

Antique Planting Pots 
Whether it’s indoors or out, you can enhance the look of your herb garden by painting your planting pots with a decorative paint treatment. Simply paint clay pots in a white acrylic paint and let dry. Next, apply a dark stain, then quickly rub it off while still wet using an old towel. Once dried, complete your antique look by writing your herb names across the fronts of the pots with a paintbrush or permanent marker.