Growing an Indoor Herb Garden

These gardening ventures are generally quite easy to maintain all-year round, not to mention, they also provide your family with all the herbs you need for your cooking!

The first thing to do to get your garden started is figure out the best spot in your home to grow your herbs.
Kitchens (window sill) are a good bet, with herbs needing at least six to eight hours of natural light. Your garden also needs good airflow to keep pests and bacteria away, so make sure to keep the air moving in the room containing your herbs. Once you've secured an ideal spot, start picking your herbs! Some ideal indoor herbs include sun-loving basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, mint, coriander, sage, tarragon, oregano and chives.

Start preparing your pots, ensuring they can accommodate growth over time. Don't forget to check for a good number of drainage holes and to lay a tray under your pots to pick up excess water and dirt.
Pour high quality vegetable potting soil into your pots (about three-quarters of the pot) and moisten a little with water. Loose the soil at the root base of your herbs - ensuring not to damage the roots - and place into the pot, filling with potting soil. Water well.

Quick tips:
- Water your herbs whenever the surface of the soil feels dry. Pour water into your pots until it comes out of the bottom, but take care not to overwater your herbs.
- Check that your herbs are getting enough sun. If they are growing long stems with very few leaves this may indicate that they are stretching to find some light. Move into a sunnier setting and remember to regularly rotate your pots to ensure even growth.
- Clipping your herbs regularly will help to promote growth - even your young plants need some trimming! If your herbs are starting to flower they're not being clipped enough. Cut the blooms and clip down to one-third.