How to bring your herb garden inside

So you’ve just made a beautiful lasagna. Your kitchen smells like the best Italian kitchen in the world and you can’t wait to cut a big cheesy slice. What would be perfect? Throwing some fresh oregano or basil on top. Wouldn’t you love to just walk on over to your window, reach into a pot, grab a few pieces and then *hocus pocus* you have fresh herbs on top of your lasagna and you’re ready to dig in? Well you can!

We grow lots of vegetables and herbs in our rooftop garden, but I also love growing herbs inside. Growing herbs inside is a great idea for many reasons. First, it’s easily accessible. Need fresh oregano? No need to throw your shoes on (and maybe pants – let’s be honest) to run to the garden. Second, you can grow herbs all year inside. It’s easy to grow basil, oregano, mint and more inside next to your window no matter the season. Lastly, it sure looks pretty. Want to spruce your home up with some greens and life? Grow herbs and visit Burpee Home Gardens!

Lots of friends often ask me about growing their own herbs and they tend to be a bit scared. They have many questions and many fears behind all of them. I always give them a hug and tell them it will be ok! Sure, you can grow herbs from seeds (which is very economical) but you can also get herb plants that have already started to grow.

This is perfect for both beginning gardeners and experienced ones who want something quickly to plant. You can find these herb plants at your local home store which is what I did when I bought oregano and cilantro.

I’m never scared of any soil mess either. The dirtier my surface gets after planting the happier I get. These Greek oregano plants I bought from Burpee Home Gardens grow 14 to 24 inches and are used for their warm and spicy flavor that is stronger than regular oregano. We plant our herbs in containers full of potting mix inside.

This is one of my favorite big pots that I’ll be using for these herbs. I just removed the Winter herbs so as you can see it was a bit dry. When the soil gets dry it really starts to turn into large chunks so make sure you get your hands in there (gloves or not – I always go natural) and break up any pieces. Work that soil, make it smooth.

After your pot is ready to go, I like to make holes in the pot that I can slide our plants into. Since I was planting 3 herb plants in here, I made 3 holes. Then I slipped one oregano plant in.

After that I spread a little more potting mix on top and patted it down with my hands. The sight of dirty nails is a good one!

After your plants are in, make sure to water them with a fair amount of water. The most important watering step is always the beginning so make sure to get those roots wet. After that, keep an eye on the soil. If you put finger in and it feels dry, then start watering. I tend to water these herbs 2-3 times a week, especially in the Summer as they need more water being closer to the window.