| Do you enjoy cooking or gardening? If so, an | | | | in short supply, supplement it with a |
| indoor herb garden may be a perfect choice | | | | fluorescent light. Follow the instructions on |
| for you. They are fun, useful, and easy to | | | | the seed packet or plant container and plant |
| maintain. If you live in a colder climate, | | | | your herbs. If you buy herb plants from a |
| you know how hard it can be to grow things. | | | | nursery, be sure to ask the staff for tips on |
| With an indoor herb garden, you can have all | | | | planting them correctly. After planting, mist |
| the fun of gardening year round. They also | | | | your herbs with water until the soil is |
| add a special something to a kitchen | | | | fairly moist. Herbs That do Well Indoors You |
| windowsill. The different shapes and colors | | | | will be able to grow almost all of the most |
| of the herbs make a fantastic decoration as | | | | popular herbs indoors. Thyme, parsley, |
| they fill your kitchen with a wonderful | | | | oregano, chives, and sage do especially well. |
| aroma. But enough of those reasons! The real | | | | Watering and Fertilizing Herbs don't like a |
| benefit of an herb garden is having | | | | lot of water. Keep the soil moist but not |
| delicious, fresh herbs at your fingertips. No | | | | soaked. Use an organic fertilizer to feed |
| more running to the supermarket to pick up an | | | | your herbs every week or so. Harvesting Don't |
| overpriced bundle of herbs that you'll have | | | | be afraid to use your herb garden! The more |
| to throw out in a week! Instead you can | | | | you use it the thicker it will grow. Harvest |
| simply clip off what you need and toss it | | | | fresh herbs like chives, rosemary, and |
| right into your recipe. All the while knowing | | | | parsley as you need them. As for dried herbs, |
| that it wasn't grown with nasty pesticides | | | | pick them at their peak flavor right before |
| and fertilizers. Sounds great doesn't it? | | | | they blossom. Wash them with gently running |
| That's because it is. In fact, by now your | | | | water and hang them upside down in small |
| probably wondering what you need to get | | | | bundles. Hang them indoors and in a warm area |
| started on one. Here's what you need: | | | | if possible. You can also freeze herbs for |
| Six-inch pots. One pot for each type of herb. | | | | later use by boiling them for about a minute |
| Small stones and/or bark chips. These are for | | | | and packing them into freezer bags. With just |
| the bottom of the pot. They provide room for | | | | a little work and some easy maintenance, |
| drainage and aeration. Soilless potting mix. | | | | you'll find that an indoor herb garden will |
| Potting mix will drain well and keep your | | | | provide lots of delicious, gourmet herbs |
| herbs from catching soil diseases. Herb | | | | along with fun and satisfaction. |
| seeds, bulbs, or small plants. You can grow | | | | |
| herbs from seeds or get a head start with | | | | Christopher Fisher is a contributing writer |
| plants from your local nursery. Sunlight. | | | | for a helpful guide to growing your own |
| Herbs require lots of light. If sunlight is | | | | indoor herb garden. |