INDOOR HERB GARDENS

Planning and planting indoor herb gardens can be a lot of fun, but there are a few tips that are important for success.   Most importantly, they must have good light – 5-6hr direct sunlight per day – plus good drainage.  Place near a window or replace the light bulbs in a nearby lamp with special grow lights.  Pots inside pots are one of the best ways to plant indoor containers to prevent overwatering, plus let plant soil dry to the touch before watering.  The container gardens also benefit from regular doses of half-strength water-soluble fertilizer or slow release granules and regular misting to increase humidity.  Finally, choose 3-5 dwarf or smaller varieties of herbs for indoor gardens, selecting one that is upright, 1-2 that are bushy and 1-2 that spread depending upon the shape and size of your container. 

Herbs can be combined for a specific purpose:

French Cuisine
      Example: chervil, thyme & lavender

Scarborough Fair Vinegar
      Example: parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme

They can also be combined for their flowers, texture and fragrance:

Language of Flowers (herbs that convey a special meaning)
      Friends: rose scented geranium (preference), ivy (friendship) & pansy (thoughts of you)

Moonlight (herbs with silver and grey foliage)
      Example: dittany of Crete, curry & wooly thyme

Lemon (herbs with lemon scent)
      Example: lemon scented geranium, lemon gem marigolds, lemon thyme

Try a few of these herbs:

Aloe (Aloe barbadensis) - Succulent green spikes  

Basil SPICY GLOBE (Ocimum basilicum) – Pink flowers/purple foliage 

Bay (Laurus nobilis) - Thick green leaves 

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) - Aromatic green leaves 

Chervil (Anthriscus Cerefolium) - Delicate lacy foliage 

Chives/Garlic Chives (Allium sp) – Purple or white flowers 

Curry (Helichrysum angustifolium) - Silver needle-like leaves 

Dittany of Crete (Origanum dictamnus) - Cone-shaped pink flowers 

Geranium SCENTED (Pelargonium spp) – Small leaf varieties, various colors 

Good Herb (Yerba Buena) - White flowers/vine foliage 

Lavender SPANISH (Lavandula stoechas) - Reddish purple butterfly-like flowers 

Lavender FRENCH (Lavandula x intermedia) - Purple spikes 

Marigold LEMON GEM (Tagetes tenuifolia) – Yellow edible flowers

Myrtle (Myrtus communis) - Showy white flowersParsley (Petroselinum crispum) - Curled foliage 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) - Pale lavender/pink flowers 

Sage PURPLE/TRICOLOR (Salvia officinalis) – Varied foliage color 

Spice Bush (Iboza riparia) - Variegated foliage 

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – Varied scent and foliage colors

 

 “But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
To him be the glory
Both now and forever! Amen.”
2 Peter 3:18