Have you ever thought about starting an herb garden in your home, but just didn’t know where to begin? Growing herbs indoors allows you to enjoy homegrown produce, whether you’re short on garden space or just want a little touch of green for your inside space!
Even just a few pots of herbs grown on a windowsill or under grow lights can yield wonderful flavors, and often lovely scents, year-round. Herb gardens can be a great way to get introduced to edible gardening once you’ve built up your confidence.
Let’s Get Growing
Most herbs can be grown indoors, but those that tend to really thrive inside include basil, sage, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. You can start herbs from seeds, or from cuttings, which are branches of an existing plant cut at the node and soaked in water until new roots sprout. However, it may be easier and faster to start your indoor garden with seedlings from a garden shop.
Not every herb grows well indoors. Parsley doesn’t do well when grown indoors from seed, but an established outdoor plant can be brought inside and grow well in pots. French tarragon and chives, in particular, benefit from a cool period, so they are not ideal candidates.
Top Herbs for An Indoor Herb Garden
Here are 7 easy-growing herbs for an indoor herb garden:
Oregano
Oregano is a perennial favorite, best started as a young plant or propagated by root division. If you have an established oregano plant, separate off a chunk and pot it up to bring indoors. New plants can be started from seed but may take a few months to reach a harvestable size.
Basil
Basil is an annual, so it is best to start from seed or cuttings from an established plant as they will root in water. Small-leaved varieties like dwarf Greek basil or ‘Finissimo Verde’ are best for windowsill culture, but you can still grow a pot of ‘Genovese’ and keep the size down by cutting it often.
Thyme
Thymes such as caraway, lemon, narrow-leaved French, and English garden thyme are good culinary types. They are perennials (though some may not be hardy where you live) and best started as small or new plants can be divided from the parent plant.
Parsley
Parsley is a biennial plant that goes to seed in its second season. If you pot up an existing plant, use a deep container to avoid injuring the tap root. New plants can be started from seed.
Sage
Sage is a perennial and can be grown from a softwood cutting or by division. If you want a more decorative plant than ordinary garden sage, try a tri-colored or golden one. Their flavor is not as pronounced, but they grow better indoors.
Rosemary
Rosemary is easiest to grow from small plants. This herb is a tender perennial, so grow it in a pot outdoors so it can be brought in when the weather cools down. If you also have an established plant outside, you can take cuttings. Rosemary can be fussy. It will need bright light, a cool location, lots of air circulation, and frequent misting, but the extra pampering is worth the effort, especially if it rewards you with its delicate blue blossoms.
Cilantro
Cilantro is best started from seed, but it grows fast. Use it before it flowers for the best flavor. Keep starting new plants from seed as needed.
Whether you’re a green thumb, or absolutely hopeless at keeping plants alive, indoor herb gardens may be just the thing to ward off those wintertime blues. There’s nothing like your own fresh herbs for recipes and pretty garnishes. Start with just a few and see how you do and grow your garden from there!