It might be surprising to some, but most herbs grow better in an indoor herb garden. A large number of herbs are annuals. Annual herbs and plants have a year lifespan. They grow and bloom in one season then within a year, they die. You may think that this type of herbs is too expensive, but you actually extend the life of your annuals.

Here are some key points explained in establishing an indoor garden.

Knowing the easy-to-grow indoor herbs

Annuals are the best type for indoor gardens. Since their lifespan is limited, they cannot be exposed continuously to changing weathers. Their roots usually have small growth; which is why they cannot stand the outside environment. They can be easily uprooted and their leaves would easily wither.

Some varieties of basil like Thai, Holy Basil or Tulsi and lemon, chives, scented geranium, lavender, rosemary, sweet woodruff and lemon verbena are some of the annuals appropriate in indoor settings. These could be grown in small pots and they could survive without constant exposure to sunlight. However, some may need to be taken outdoors once in a while. These would be further explained in the succeeding parts.

On the other hand, some perennials could also survive in indoor environments. They just need to be exposed outdoor from seasonally.

Having the right locations

Window areas, door openings, atriums and any area inside your house with natural lighting or close proximity to outside ventilation are the most suitable places for indoor herbs. Place them near the windows in the kitchen which should always be left open or at least ajar. Just a few hours under ample sunlight could make your plants healthier.

If you are into aromatic herbs, you most definitely want them placed in various parts of the house. But do make sure that you take them outside for at least one to three hours daily. Too much sunlight will cause their roots to dry up and that would result to frequent wilting of the leaves.

Perennials could also stay indoors but as much as possible expose them to sunlight regularly. Put them in places where there is most sun exposure. If you have limited space near the open areas, you could use chains to hang them instead.

Taking care of the herbs – on watering, pruning and soil maintenance

Indoor plants need as much water as outdoor plants. You can have them watered every other two days. But never drown the soil as this will make it too soggy to absorb other nutrients from the soil.

You can also do occasional pruning. But do not take out the drying foliage immediately. Letting them fall on the pot would make them possible fertilizers. However, if there are too much falling leaves, you have to remove some of them. They may be too moist, thus killing the roots.

Your soil should have regular peat moss or compost supplements. At least every three months, dig up an inch from the surface and put in a new batch. This is also a basic in growing herbs in pots.

Before annuals die, start repotting so you would not have to start planting all over. Trim off a healthy part of the herb. Each cut piece should have some roots and foliage already this will make it easier for you to grow them.

Now these three easy key methods would ensure you of a flourishing indoor herb garden all year round.

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Container Gardening For Those Will Little Space.

Before we had room for an in the ground garden we gave container gardening a try. When the conditions aren’t just right where they are.

Container gardening  really gave us the opportunity to grow flowers and vegetables without having yard space. Even though we now have a large property and lots of gardening space we still do the container gardening thing because we like it.

Container Gardening On The 11th Floor

When I lived in Toronto my home was on the 11th floor. Not much garden space but I made great use of the balcony and containers.

We even have containers with both vegetables and flowers growing around our little patio. It’s so cool to reach over and pluck a strawberry or tomato while I am playing my guitar outside.

This year we are going to have a few window boxes as well. I think they will make a great herb garden that I can access directly from the kitchen window. Now that will be very cool indeed.

Container Gardening Configuration

We don’t usually group our containers as we did when we didn’t have much room but I have seen some yards that have beautiful configurations of flowers in containers. I may give that a try this year and see how we can do with a themed container garden.

A container gardening tip that works for us is to just remove the plants that have finished blooming and swap them out for another plant that is just starting to bloom. Keeps your container garden looking fresh all the time.

I have to admit that I am no designer so I have to learn from what others do. I can look at an arrangement and like it but I find it hard to create it myself. One thing I have learned is that varying heights work but never put the tall plants around the short plants so that they don’t get sunlight. That doesn’t work well in the long run.

Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming.

Container Gardening Containers

Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you’d rather make something really modern with timber or tiles.  If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don’t want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.

Cheaper plastic pots can also be painted on the outside with water-based paints for good effect.  When purchasing pots, don’t forget to buy matching saucers to catch the drips. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors rotting. Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive pot plant on each one will delight your visitors. Indoors, pots of plants or flowers help to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.

Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, then buy plants that suit the situation. There is no point buying sun lovers for a shady position, for they will not do well. Some plants also have really large roots, so they are best kept for the open garden.

If you have plenty of space at your front door, a group of potted plants off to one side will be more visually appealing than two similar plants placed each side. Unless they are spectacular, they will look rather boring.

Group the pots in odd numbers rather than even, and vary the height and type. To tie the group together, add large rocks that are similar in appearance and just slightly different in size. Three or five pots of the same type and color, but in different sizes also looks affective.

With a creative mind and some determination, you will soon have a container garden that will be the envy of friends and strangers alike.

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Having enough knowledge about the common plant names is the key in order for you to establish a good windowsill herb garden. Many botanical shops deal with seeds and full-grown plants using their common plant names, thus you need to be able to match these names with their scientific names. There are a lot of ways to do this. You can use plant encyclopedias and databases, because they can give you images of plants along with the list of all their names. If you have kept any of the seed packets when you bought your plants, you will observe that naming the scientific name goes hand in hand with the common plant name.

In most cases, a common plant name is the latin version of the name translated into english. Common plant names for herbs are the following: Cudweed, Duckweed, Dove, Ammania, Beggarticks, Annual, Buttercup, Conzya, Crimson Monkeyflower, among others. For the flowering types, we have the Amazon lily, baby’s breath, African lily, Alpine thistle, bells of Ireland, tulips, roses, gerber daisy, clover, Amaryllis, among others.

If you are living in a region where poisonous plants thrive and grow, being able to know their common plant names will be able to prevent any confusion if ever you or somebody you know (especially your loved ones) will be exposed to them. Various names for poisonous plants include yew, poison ivy, pokeweed, english ivy, poison hemlock, poison oak, belladonna, alder buckthorn, foxglove, monk’s hood and poison sumac.

If you have been poisoned by these kinds of plants, look for medical attention immediately. Remember that plants that are toxic shouldn’t be kept inside your home, unless you have taken the needed precautions to prevent any kind of injury. Also, some herbs can become poisonous if they are not used appropriately, therefore a lot of references list useful herbs such as garlic, cinnamons and chives as poisons for improper usage.

Despite this, knowing the common names of your plants alone isn’t really enough to make sure that you can keep them in your windowsill herb garden. You still have to make some research about your plants and ensure that you live in the proper climate for your plants too. Doing this will guarantee that your plant will live a long and healthy life. In order for you to get more helpful information, you can also watch programs that give herb garden tips on TV, as these can be helpful as well in taking care of your plants.

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My mom was a gourmet cook and also had a green thumb. It seems she always had fresh herbs right outside our kitchen to use in her latest test recipe.  I have discovered that growing an herb garden really isn’t that difficult.  In fact, it doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or have a large yard.  The type of soil you have doesn’t matter either and growing an herb garden can be done anytime of the year.

Growing an herb garden can be started with seedlings, indoors in early spring.  When the weather warms up your plants will be ready to put in the ground outside.  Start the herb seeds in 4 inch containers in a sunny location or in a greenhouse, if you have one.  You can use a variety of containers such as flats or trays instead of the individual pots.  If you plan to use old containers thoroughly clean them with one part bleach to nine parts water this will protect your herbs from any disease organisms.

If you choose a larger container, then several herbs of the same kind or different herbs could be grown together.  For the best flavor from fresh herbs, flower heads need to be removed.  When choosing herbs, there are annuals, which grow only one year, and perrinials, which return each year.  Some of the favorite choices include basil, oregano, and parsley.  If you want to grow an herb garden outside, you could choose larger plants that include lavender and rosemary, among others.  Then, for perennials, you might think of herbs such as chives, mint, sage, etc.  Along with pinching off flower heads, if herb plants get leggy, the stems would also need to be clipped back.

If you have poor soil such as heavy clay you may want to consider growing an herb garden in a raised bed.  Raised bed planter boxes can be made easily and filled with a rich soil mixture. These boxes provide great drainage that most all herbs require.  Place the planter boxes in an area that receives plenty of sun, possibly even a spot near the kitchen for easy access.  These planters are also great for planting and growing summer veggies or spring and
summer flowers for cutting.

As you can see, methods on how to grow an herb garden is actually relatively easy.  Therefore, if you love the flavors of mint, oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, chives, sage, tarragon, lavender, rosemary, and other herbs, this would be a great option.  Without doubt, cooking with fresh herbs creates a wonderful flavor that does not come from dried herbs.

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If you love gardening but live in a place where there is no room for a garden, you might think that gardening is impossible for you. If you live in an apartment with no yard, you may have all but completely eliminated the idea of growing your own vegetables and herbs. However, do not give up just yet! If you do not have the necessary outdoor space to grow your own vegetables and herbs, you should consider the possibility of window herb gardening. Having large windowsill is good enough to get plenty of space to begin a window herb garden.

What Is Window Herb Gardening?

Window herb gardening is when you basically grow a small sized garden in a container on your windowsill. Choosing plants that are window herb garden friendly is necessary as all the plants does not grow well in a window herb garden. All you need to do is get some quality fertilizer, dirt, your plant, and a large enough container to accommodate your plant when it is full grown. Simply plant your plant, water it according to its needs, and watch your plant grow!

Benefits To Window Herb Gardening

One of the greatest benefits to window herb gardening is that there is a window herb garden design to fit everyone’s needs. Whether you want a flowering herb garden that doubles as a flower garden or simply a small garden filled with your favorite fresh herbs, there is a concept out there that can, and will, work for you.

In addition, there are plenty of other benefits to this type of gardening.

First, this gardening is great for people with disabilities. If you are elderly or handicap, you might not be able to get outside and get down in the dirt with a traditional garden. Instead, you can place your window garden at a level someplace that is comfortable for you to get to. You can tend it all you need or want to without straining yourself.

Second, window herb gardening is great if you are lacking money. Herb seeds are very inexpensive, and you can grow many different types of herbs in your container garden. Instead of buying the fresh herbs at the store, you can simply pick them off of your plants.

Finally, window herb gardening can save you time. If you are a busy family where you do not have time to go out and tend to a garden, a window garden is what you need. You will not have problems with weeds or animals eating your labor. Instead, you can simply pick your herbs and enjoy!