Most herbs are very easy to grow and are therefore the perfect plants to grow if you are a novice gardener. Herbs are also worth growing as companion plants and every serious cook knows the benefits of using fresh herbs in their meals. Organic Authority has a post on growing herbs indoors:

Contrary to popular belief, herbs need fertile, well-drained soil to grow well, especially in containers. Potting soil should drain easily, but will need extra nourishment for the plants to grow best. Supplement the soil with weekly applications of a diluted liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion. When the soil is dry to the touch, water plants until draining from the bottom of the pot occurs.

Why Grow Herbs Indoors?

• Herbs are generally at their best in summer but if you still want to use fresh herbs in winter then you can easily grow them indoors provided they are placed in a warm, sunny position.
• If you live in an apartment and don’t have a balcony, you can grow a few herbs in your kitchen without too much trouble.
• If you use a lot of herbs you might want to keep your favourites close by. Even though you might have a healthy vege patch, you could grow herbs such as parsley, basil, and chives in pots within easy reach of your food preparation area.
• If you love the scent of herbs you might want to grow mint, basil, or lavender indoors.

How to Grow Organic Herbs Indoors

Buy some organic herbs from your local garden centre, pot them up using organic potting mix, and fertilise them with liquid worm castings or fish emulsion. Make sure you don’t let them dry out as herbs need plenty of water to stay fresh and tasty.

Given the right amount of light, water and fertilizer, and an occasional pinching to promote bushy growth, aromatic and culinary herbs can thrive in your home. Use them in soups, stews, casseroles and salads, or create potpourris and sachets. They’ll give your taste buds and nose a teasing glimpse of the growing season to come.

If you like to cook, culinary herbs such as basil, thyme and sage are good options. If you just want something that will tickle your nose in winter, try aromatic herbs such as mint, scented geraniums and lavender.

The amount of sun you get will dictate what you can grow. If you have a sunny, south-facing windowsill, try growing sage, thyme and nasturtiums. If you have an east- or west-facing window, grow mint, chives, parsley and scented geraniums.

Don’t worry too much if you are not sure what to grow or how to use herbs in cooking. All healthy herbs in pots will look great in your kitchen and once they are growing well you can experiment with them in your cooking.

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