Growing your own herb garden doesn't take a big backyard or a lot of gardening know-how.

Your sunniest windowsill makes the perfect place to grow a year-round herb garden. Most herbs don’t need much space for just a few plants, and can provide with your kitchen with fresh herbs for adding to all your recipes. Continue reading for some ideas on how to get your very own windowsill herb garden growing right now.

Why Create a Windowsill Herb Garden?

There are several reasons to consider creating a windowsill herb garden in your home. The first is, of course, to have fresh herbs growing year-round in your home. Secondly, many herbs smell wonderful, and these aromatic plants can help your home to smell nice even in winter when your home has been closed up for months. Finally, plants help to improve the air quality in your home not only through smell but because they use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. They can act as natural air filters for your home.

Easy Setup

Setting up your windowsill herb garden is relatively easy if you’ve ever potted any plants. The first thing that you’ll want to do is determine which windowsill will work best for your herb garden. You’ll want one that gets sunlight during the day and has enough room on the sill to fit the garden. It may be necessary to add a shelf to the space to make sure your pots won’t fall.

Next, you’ll need to find the pots that you’re going to want to use for the garden. There are plenty of cute sets that are available for purchase which contain a tray and several pots that fit within the tray. Sometimes, these sets come with the herb seeds, and other times, you have to purchase your own. These pots may have pictures of the herbs on the pot or come with little cards that let you identify which herbs are in your little garden. You can also purchase little pots that you like that will also fit the sill. In the case when you’re buying your own pots, be sure to pick out ones that have ample drainage.

To get the plants started from seeds, you will need to add the right amount of potting soil for the container size along with following the directions on the seed packet for planting your herbs. You can also transplant small herbs from your local gardening store if you’d rather get started quickly with your herbs. Ask around as your friends and family may have some small plants in their garden that they can share with you.

Caring for Your Herb Garden

The precise care that is necessary for your herb garden will depend on the type of herbs that you are growing. Since these pots are relatively small, it can be a good idea to keep a close eye on them for how often they need to be watered. Little potted plants may require more frequently watering to prevent them from drying out. Touching the soil should give you an idea of how moist it is, and whether or not you should add more water. Most herbs don’t like it when the soil’s too wet.

You should also be sure to harvest your herbs in a responsible manner to keep them growing throughout the year. This means taking no more than a third of the herb foliage as taking too much may not allow the herb to continue growing.

You may also want to consider adding some fertilizer to the pots following the instructions on the container as each is a bit different. This can often be the little kick that your herb plants need when they start slowing down with growth or looking a little lackluster.

Finally, depending on how quickly your herbs grow, you may need to prune them up to keep them from overgrowing your small herb garden pots. It may be necessary to transplant them into a larger pot or outdoors depending on how green your thumb happens to be with your herb garden. Some herbs are annuals meaning that you’ll need to replant seeds. Herbs like dill and basil both will go to seed in about four to six months because of being annuals. This can be a good chance to try your hand at saving seeds.

Herbs Perfect for Your Indoor Windowsill Garden

• Mint
• Basil
• Chervil
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Marjoram
• Bay
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Chives
• Tarragon
• Lemongrass
• Coriander
• Dill

With the wide variety of herbs that you can consider growing in your indoor herb garden, you may want to think about which ones you’ll actually use in your cooking or enjoy the smell. For instance, basil often has a very potent smell depending on the variety that’s planted, so be sure that you enjoy the smell.

There is no excuse to get started now that you have the basic idea of how to go about setting up your own windowsill herb garden. Going through the easy setup means that you’ll be able to have access to fresh herbs year-round for cooking purposes. Plus, you get the added benefit of greenery growing in your home that’s always great for the air quality.