Indoor Herb Garden

If you want to grow plants but live in an apartment why not try to create your own indoor herb garden in a window-box or in pots on the window sill. In order to keep them growing for longer, herbs like Summer Savory are dug out of the garden in late summer and put in pots. Mint should be potted at the same time but left outside until the first frost and then brought inside.
 

The best plants for a window box indoor herb garden are low ones which are also content growing in pots, such as: chives, chervil, parsley, basil, thyme. Larger plants can also be grown happily in pots, and are good candidates for your indoor herb garden, but they will grow much smaller than those in open ground. Why not try the following: borage, fennel, sage
Other worthy indoor herb garden plants are: Tarragon,lemon balm and mint. All these species have wandering root systems which are contained when they are grown in pots but overrun when grown in open ground. They do need to be kept in their own pots though or you may have plant wars on your window sill!
Another specimen which is not usually considered for an indoor herb garden is the bay tree; this is traditionally grown outside in a pot of rich soil, but it can also be grown in a cool conservatory. 
 

A cool room which does not exceed 16 C (60 F) in the day is best for herbs. Sun lovers like thyme should be planted in your indoor herb garden nearest the window or in full sun; mint will be happiest in semi-shade - perhaps in front of larger plants. If space is really limited, such as on a balcony or roof, your indoor herb garden can be created in a single large pot; don't forget to choose species that do not have wandering root systems.

The soil you buy for your indoor herb garden is very important; a good potting compost is one made up of equal parts sand, leaf mould and soil but it also needs to be relatively light weight.

Most Indoor Herb Gardens can be created using the same methods you would to grow them outside. Chives can be sown as seed in the pot in which it is to live, the "grass" will come up within a few weeks.
Parsley seeds need soaking overnight in hot water before sowing.
Dill, thyme, basil and marjoram should be sown separately in trays of moist compost covered with cling-film; When the seedlings are about two inches high they can be carefully transplanted to their final home in your indoor herb Garden.
Of course you can easily, and quite cheaply, buy plants for your Indoor Herb Garden from a local dealer; it all depends on how much of a challenge you want.

Like all house-plants, those in an Indoor Herb Garden like an undisturbed, even temperature and regular watering and feeding. If the plants are permanently inside they should be given an airing from time to time - put them by an open window or door in the sun. All plants living in the house need humidity. If possible, stand the pots on pebbles in a water-filled trough or on capillary matting to provide water and humidity around the plants in the indoor herb garden. Finally, remember that sudden changes of temperature and draughts are as fatal to plants in an indoor herb garden as to any other house plant.