Enjoy fresh herbs year round by growing herbs indoors.  One of the more popular food show  chef is occasionally seen with a row of herbs sitting on her counter top. If you lack a garden and wish to grow herbs indoors, here are some tips to help you.

As far as conditions are concerned, growing herbs indoors is the same as growing herbs outdoors. They will need the same sunlight and well drained soil that is  not too rich. Not all herbs require the same light requirements. Therefore a south or west window should be selected depending upon the herb. However herbs do need a sunny location.

To begin the planting process, mix two parts sterilized potting soil to one part coarse sand. To ensure sweetness of the soil, add one teaspoon of lime per 5-inch pot. There should be an inch of gravel at the bottom of each pot to ensure good drainage. Now you have to think about the water needs of each herb. Most growing plants need water. This holds true for herbs in clay pots or hanging baskets as well.  However, too much watering will get their roots soggy.

The good news is that annual herbs can spend their full life cycle in a pot indoors. Perennial herbs, however, will do better if you place them outdoors during the summer. Just put the entire pot in soil up to its rim. Since herb plants need sun, you can place them in areas where summer sun will directly hit them. If you notice the herb plants are losing their leaves, bring them indoors before the frost arrives. Speaking of frost, note that a light frost is good for mint, chives, and tarragon. Apparently it allows the herbs to rest which results in new and fresh growth.

Maintaining an indoor herb garden indefinitely can be created by periodic light feeding, yearly re potting, renewing annuals, seasonal moves outdoors for perennials, and occasional pruning. Water plants as needed. Use several planters or a divided one to allow for different moisture needs of plants. Some have reported great success using an AeroGarden like the one pictured here.
tainers that allow good air movement. Stuffing herbs in into plastic bags will cause them to deteriorate very quickly.You can cut back a perennial herb to about half its height and can cut down an annual to a few inches. You can also remove an annual completely near the end of the season.

Using fresh herbs in a recipe is going to be a breeze. All your herbs will be right there at hand. Some of them can also be used to make make a hot cup of tea on a chilly night.  A visit to the local gardening store will help with any questions. Just determine which herbs you want to plant and wait for their sweet smell all over the kitchen when they start to bloom!