Your Indoor Herb Garden
In the past the most common introduction to indoor gardening was the gift of a small house plant from a friend. Today the more likely introduction is an indoor herb garden. More and more people are choosing to use fresh herbs in their cooking. While dried herbs can be used most people have discovered that the flavor of any dish can be greatly enhanced by using fresh herbs instead and one of the best ways to ensure a constant supply of fresh produce is to grow it yourself.
Throughout history small areas of gardens have been turned over to growing herbs. Even in tiny urban yards it is possible to grow a wide range of herbs and vegetables and many grow equally as well in containers as they do in the open earth. Furthermore, many plants will grow much faster if grown indoors, or at least under glass. So growing an indoor herb garden seems a logical progression but many people have envisaged that this would involve the use of large containers and lots of fussing around keeping the environment perfect for optimal growth.
Growing your own indoor herb garden can be as simple as you like. One of the most interesting ways in which to get started is by purchasing one of the many indoor hydroponics kits available online. Some of the more luxurious kits make the task of growing herbs a breeze as virtually all aspects of gardening are taken care of automatically and your job is simply to ensure that sufficient water and nutrients remain in the reservoir. Such things as light, temperature and humidity are all controlled by a microcomputer built into the container and a quick read of the enclosed instructions is all the knowledge you will need to produce an endless supply of fresh herbs.
With regards to space it is a simple fact that growing herbs indoors, in such a kit as described above, produces much more vigorous plants than if they were grown outdoors. These plants can be grown incredibly close to each other and this means that a broad range of herbs can be grown in even the smallest indoor herb garden.
Once you have mastered the art of growing herbs using a kit you can try to be a little more adventurous and attempt to grow something a little different. While many choose to grow tomatoes or chilies others choose to grow flowers. Personally I am seriously considering growing lavender indoors, not only does it smell nice but I use it in aromatherapy. If I manage to get it growing well indoors I shall write all about it on this site but I am afraid that I have so many pressing jobs in the garden this year that it may be some time before I try it.
More articles about indoor gardening >
