Indoor Herb Garden

By using fresh herbs in your cooking you can greatly enhance the flavour of the food. Using dried or even frozen herbs is a good substitute, but the flavour and aroma of fresh herbs is far better. However, depending on where you live growing your own outdoor herbs may not be possible or practical. If you don't have a garden space or live in a climate that is too cold, then growing your own herbs is still possible. Having your own indoor herb garden will ensure a constant supply of fresh fragrant herbs all year round.

There are now available many indoor herb garden kits that make growing your own indoor herb garden very simple. These can be bought in a variety of designs such as pots, bottles, wooden garden kits, terra cotta planters etc. But if you want to make your own indoor herb garden, it can be made very simply and cheaply.

To make an indoor herb garden you only need a sunny, well lit spot. This could be on a window sill or in a porch area. A south facing spot is ideal, but if not available, any well lit area will do. Try to avoid a north facing spot, as this is unlikely to get enough sun to grow your herbs. There are many herbs which make ideal indoor herb gardens. These include, basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, sage, chives, thyme, and parsley.

Most herbs can be bought from a garden nursery or garden supply stores. There are many garden catalogue companies that do mail order herbs or you can buy garden supplies direct from suppliers online. If buying your herbs directly from a garden nursery or store check that seed packets are not out of date. And if buying young plants, make sure they are healthy looking and not straggly.

Next you need to choose your container for your indoor herb garden. This of course needs to fit in or on the area you have chosen for your herb garden. You can either use containers you already have or you will find a wide range of containers in a wide range of materials at your local garden nursery.

You can use any type or style of container to suit you. This could be anything from a conventional plant pot, or something a little different such as a mixing bowl, large cup and saucer or stainless steel bucket. You are only limited by space and your imagination.

Next you need to buy a good quality general garden compost. This is important as the herbs you will be growing will be in the container for some time and will need an ample supply of nutrients to grow healthily.

All you need to do now is choose the herbs you want to grow and plant them. One tip is to only grow the herbs you know you will use, or you will waste space in your indoor herb garden. Although easy to grow, they will need some care. Indoor herbs need to be watered regularly, but you need to be careful not to over-water them as this will cause your herbs to rot and die. Once every week or two should be enough to keep them healthy. Check the soil with your fingertips to feel if they are too wet before you water them. Feeding your plants should only be necessary once a year. Using slow release pellets are very useful for this.

Having your own indoor herb garden not only ensures you have a year round supply of your favourite fresh herbs, but it is something the children can do as well. It is fairly simple for them to do and shows fast results. Indoor herb gardens also make great presents for your friends and family.