Four Herbs Perfect for Indoor Gardening

Two of the simple pleasures of life are herbs and indoor gardening.

Herbs provide for more savory dishes as well as a healthy mind and body through herbal medicines and teas.

• Indoor gardening brings the beauty of the outdoors to the comfort of the indoors as well as provide pleasure for avid gardeners who have less space and time to work with than their full-time counterparts.

Starting an indoor herb garden is also very easy when you come to think of it.

• You only need to choose a location with plenty of sunlight, containers with good drainage, good potting soil and organic fertilizers and, of course, right choice of herbs. Well, here are five easy-to-grow herbs that you can start with.

Basil

This is probably one of the easiest herbs to care for as it can thrive with very minimal care.

• However, just like most herbs, basil requires plenty of sunlight to grow well.
• Thus, you must place it in an area receiving maximum sunlight such as a window facing the south or the west.
• If this is not possible, you should purchase grow lights or use ordinary fluorescent lights to replace natural sunlight.

Basil has bright green leaves that add beauty to a kitchen windowsill and add flavor to Italian dishes especially pasta. Its flavor has been compared to sweet peppers.

Cilantro

This herb can be grown indoors under certain conditions.

• It must receive at least four hours of bright sunlight daily, its soil is kept moist at all times and its leaves are harvested regularly.
• Just be sure to pick the leaves or snip off the stem as you need it but leave the rest of the plant as it is.

Cilantro has a distinctive and pungent earthy flavor that has been compared to a blend of sage and lemon.

• Its bold, lingering flavor highlights the savory taste of curries, stir fries and soups as well as salads, sauces and vegetable dishes.

Dill

The dill is the easiest herb to grow because it can germinate quickly, grow quickly and be harvested quickly in a few weeks' time.

• However, it needs plenty of sunlight during the daytime hours so be sure to provide said source of nourishment.

Dill is very aromatic but can quickly lose its flavor during the drying and cooking processes.

• Thus, freezing them and adding them just before the dish is to be cooked are the best ways to ensure that the herb retains its flavor.

Rosemary

This is an herb that is beautiful, durable and useful, in a manner of speaking. Rosemary is attractive with its flowers in white, pink, purple or blue and evergreen foliage, it stands out in an indoor garden.

• It is also resistant to dry soil and pests, which makes it very durable indeed. Juts make sure that you grow it on neutral to alkaline soil with average fertility.

And with its culinary and medicinal values, rosemary definitely has its fair share of uses. You can use it in many Mediterranean cuisines as well as in barbecues, thanks to its bitter, astringent flavor.

• With these four herbs, you can now cook your flavorful dishes while enjoying the view of nature from your kitchen windowsill even when you are amidst high-rise buildings.

Now, that is truly enjoying the simple pleasures of life!

Whitney Segura is an expert gardener and owner of Our Crazy Deals, a company that manufacturers and distributes indoor greenhouses, hydroponics equipment, compost bin tumblers, garden containers, and many other gardening accessories in the United States.

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