Community Corner

How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden

A small herb garden can add a lot to your home-cooked meals.

A handful, a sprig or even a simple garnish of fresh herbs improves the quality (and the composition) of just about any meal. But supermarket options barely last a week; wouldn't it be better if you had ready-access to fresh, aromatic herbs right in your kitchen window? Of course it would.

Brown thumbs, you needn't fret. Follow these nearly-fool-proof steps, and you'll have a beautiful indoor herb garden in no time, regardless of your skill (or the size of space you have to work with).

Here's a step-by-step guide to growing your own indoor herb garden:

1. Your best bet is to start with clippings from existing, hearty plants. Snip off about 4 inches, strip off the lower leaves, and keep them moist by tenting with plastic wrap. Simple alternative: Go with an existing small plant.

2. Ideally you'll use a combination of potting soil and compost. But if composting sounds like too much of a chore, just use a well-draining soil mix, available off the shelf. 

3. If you're looking to start with the bare bones, you can even use a yogurt container! Just be sure to poke some holes in the bottom of the carton before you start.

4. Your sunniest window is a great place for an indoor herbal garden. South-facing tends to be the best, and if you get plenty of sunlight you won't need to bother with expensive sunlamps.

Watering schedule: In general, herbs should be watered once a week or so. If the top of your soil is dry, go ahead and add some, but beware of "wet feet." That's why drainage is so important with herbs. 

Extra drainage: Throw a few small stones in the bottom of your pots—this will help with drainage. 

Recipe ideas: Most herbs are hearty enough to handle a window treatment, but the following are both delicious to cook with, and also grow especially well indoors: basil (fresh pesto), chives (chive dressing), cilantro (salsa), oregano (chicken and tomato dishes), parsley (garnish), sage (pork chops) and thyme (garden herb loaf).

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Drink it up: Your new pet plants won't just work well with your favorite foods; they're also delicious with drinks. 

Space Savers: 
Basil, thyme and sage are all friends with chefs ... and each other, which means they can all share a pot. Just be sure to start small to allow them each plenty of space to grow. An additional perk? These three herbs look great together. 

Prevent pests naturally: There are still more benefits of certain herbs—many prevent pests naturally. Basil acts as a fly repellent, mint can keep away rodents and ants, and lemongrass (which contains citronella) can keep the mosquitos at bay.

Read more about what to do with all your new herbs

Find out what's happening in Medfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


More from Kitchen Daily:
How to Store Fresh Herbs
Ratatouille and Spring Vegetables
Sneaky Healthy: Mac 'n Cheese With Broccoli

This article is part of Mix It Up, an editorial series created in collaboration with AOL's Kitchen Daily and Huffington Post. It is dedicated to making the lives of mothers easier through articles, videos and slideshows focused on simple and creative solutions to everyday challenges. From healthy recipes to exciting ideas for a more balanced lifestyle, this section aims to become a resource for moms everywhere. 


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