Create an Indoor Garden to Enjoy Herbs All Year Round

To some people the idea of an indoor garden would seem quite absurd. Ok we have house plants that need a little watering now and then, but surely gardens are for the outdoors aren’t they? Well not necessarily.

Not everyone has the benefit of an outdoor space or may even have just a very small backyard, so indoor gardens are a great way to grow herbs and vegetables. Even reluctant gardeners not willing to spend too much time in the backyard weeding and watering the borders and beds can easily maintain an indoor garden.

The thought of something growing in the house to some people might mean mould forming on aging food in the refrigerator or mushrooms in a dark cupboard. However, there are some really nice herbs that you can grow in the kitchen. An indoor herb garden is very useful when you are cooking and the basil or parsley is close at hand ready to be thrown in to the pot.

Growing cress from seed in your indoor garden is an incredibly simple process as they will sprout on water soaked paper towels or cotton. When they have sprouted you can sit them in a pot of water by the kitchen window and enjoy the benefits in no time at all. The beauty of it all is that you can keep an indoor garden for 12 months of the year without worrying about the frost or snow.

The best herbs to grow indoors are ones that don’t grow to wide or tall such as chives, basil, lavender, mint and thyme. In fact sometimes it is better to keep things like mint in a container as they can spread and get out of control in beds and borders. You can even grow cherry tomatoes or sprouts throughout the year to help garnish your salads.

Indoor gardening is really quite simple and less energy sapping than maintaining your plants and vegetables outside. First of all you need to have a sunny window sill, which gets at least five hours of sun per day and is away from any drafts. Decide what herbs you want to grow in your indoor garden and purchase them from your local nursery.

You can plant your herbs individually in a pot at least 6 to 12 inches deep or if you have a wide container you can plant more than one together. A good tip is to use a soilless potting mix that is light and drains well. This will help prevent soil based diseases damaging or killing your herbs.

Remember to water the herbs but do so sparingly as they don’t respond to overwatering. Wait for some new growth to appear on your plants before you start to use them. Once you see this you can enjoy the great flavours of your herbs. Don’t be too greedy though, so avoid taking more than a third of the plants foliage as it may not grow back.

An indoor garden is a great way to enjoy year round gardening, but even if you don’t have a window with enough sunlight you can always use fluorescent lights. The lights will need to be close to the plants and left on for at least 10 hours each day so this isn’t the most cost effective or energy efficient way to garden. Whatever method you use, you cannot beat the taste of home grown produce.