how-to: grow herbs indoors

i’ve recently had a few people ask me what plants are good to start out with if you want to grow your own herbs, here are some plants that are nearly impossible to kill.

basil-the worst thing you can do to a basil plant is let it get cold.  it can’t go outside in the winter or it’s a goner.  you can tell if it needs water if the leaves start to look droopy, i usually water mine every day.

i love having fresh basil around to make pesto whenever i want and dressing savory dishes with their little leaves makes everything truly adorable.  as you can see my basil plant is a little thinned out because i’ve been utilizing it a lot lately.

mint-one of the easiest herbs to go.  so easy to grow, in fact, that you have to be careful not to let it grow too much.  their roots grow horizontally underground and can sprout up across your garden if you plant it directly in the ground.  it also grows flowers that can drop seeds in adjacent pots if you don’t keep it trimmed.

here i have the spearmint variety of mint, which i like because it has a thicker leaf.  there are all sorts of other types of mint that have slightly different flavors, they all grow really easily, just need water.  make sure to keep the soil moist and you’ll have plenty of fresh mint around, which is great for tea or making a dessert or salad look fancy.

oregano-a really adorable little-leaved green herb that will fill out a big pot quite nicely.  you can leave the pot outside, it will adapt to dry or moist soil, but needs full sunlight.  if you are growing it inside make sure it’s in a bright window, preferably south.

i like to use oregano in italian dishes, anything with tomatoes, eggplant, or zucchini.

rosemary-a hardy plant, also really hard to kill.  it doesn’t even need as much water as its lighter leaved relatives.  this is plant that will do well outside, it can branch out and grow an entire bush if left unchecked.

the fresh version of this herb is much easier to cut up and throw into dishes than dried.  you won’t have the experience of getting a thick stick of dried rosemary in your tomato sauces or mashed potatoes.

in addition to these sage, nasturtiums, chives, and stevia all grow well indoors.   if you haven’t mastered sprouting from seed yet, just pick up a starter plant from the farmers’ market or trader joe’s.

you can pick up a small bag of organic potting soil at an OSH or home depot, but i even recently saw some in the ralph’s near my house.  pop the starter plant out of it’s tiny temporary container and put it in a larger pot with some of that organic soil so it can branch out a little, remember that the more the plant can grow underground the more it will grow above ground.  plants also prefer clay pots with holes in the bottom so the soil can breath and excess water can drain out.

all they need is a spot in sunny window, consistent water and a little love, then you can enjoy fresh herbs anytime you want!