Indoor herb gardens are popular for a number of different reasons. One reason is that an indoor herb garden allows you to benefit from having fresh herbs in the wintertime. Other people love their indoor herb gardens because of the aesthetic beauty of it and the aroma that growing herbs produce. Many kinds of your favorite herbs will grow quite successfully indoors. For example, basil, oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, angelica, chamomile, dill, fennel, lavender, geranium and chives will all grow indoors under the appropriate conditions.
The first thing that you will need to do if you want to start an indoor herb garden is to buy your herbs from reputable suppliers. As you look for seeds be sure that you do not buy seed packets that are out of date. If you are buying plants that have already been started for you (as in they have already been planted and are producing leaves) avoid buying plants that have long looking stems or leaves. The same rules apply for the compost and soil that you choose to use. Look for an all purpose compost or potting soil that can sustain the growth of your herbs. Remember that your herbs will only be as healthy as the preparation that you put into their well-being. Taking some time in the beginning to ensure that your herbs are planted correctly will ensure that you can reap the benefits of those herbs for as long as possible.
The containers are easier to select than the seeds, plants and soil, but still very important. You will find a wide range of containers at garden centers and nurseries. However, you should not feel obligated to buy expensive containers for your herbs. So long as your pots match the size of the herbs and there is sufficient drainage, you can make an herb container or pot out of virtually anything. Allowing your children to help you with your herb garden is a great idea. You can involve them not only in the day-to-day care of the plants, but you can also have them decorate the containers that you chose for your herbs. By using paint or paper your child can make their own unique pots and later down the road this will help them to assume more responsibility for the care for the herbs as they will feel like they have more ownership over the plant.
The next thing that you will need to do is to find a sunny spot for your indoor herb garden (a southern facing spot is ideal). If you do not have a window that faces south or a place where you can put plants so that they can absorb southern light, just make sure that they are able to take in plenty of light throughout the day. North facing places are generally bad places for herb gardens as they rarely receive enough light to grow properly.
Remembering that your herbs are completely dependent on your care should help you to be a successful in-home herb gardener. Growing herbs is not rocket science, but many people struggle with it because they underestimate the amount of time and awareness that must be had if the herbs are to grow and thrive. Remember to water regularly, but be careful not to water too much, a mistake that can potentially be even more devastating for the plant than failing to water them at all. Depending on the type of compost or fertilizer that you use for your indoor herb garden, you may need to feed your plants a few times during the time that they are indoors.