Lorna loves to keep herbs indoors and have them on her kitchen windowsill, so they are ready to use when she cooks. However, like a lot of novice gardeners she wasn’t keeping the best care of them! I have created this simple guide to growing herbs indoors and I have found that surprisingly these herbs are very sturdy but each plant is different so below are tips for parsley, thyme, rosemary and basil so now you can grow herbs indoors easily. And even better, keep the plants in our plant pots which have a water resistant PU canvas lining.
Parsley
Water: Keep soil evenly moist.
Light/Temperature: Bright light to full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Turn plant for even growth because it will tend to grow toward the light source.
Top Tip: Growing parsley from seed is a slow process because the seeds are slow to germinate. Soak them in warm water overnight before planting to speed up the process. Sprouting can take up to 3 weeks.
To store parsley, rinse with cool water and then wrap in a slightly damp paper towel in a resealable plastic bag and keep in the fridge. Flat-leaf parsley is preferred for cooking, as it stands up better to heat and has more flavour, while the more decorative curly parsley is used mostly for garnishing.
Pair with: Flat-leaf parsley has a stronger flavour which goes well with chicken.
Featured: Small and large plant pots in Greenfinch
Thyme
Water: Water regularly, but not excessively. Let the soil slight dry between waterings.
Light/Temperature: Thyme prefers bright light or full sun. Thyme is a hardy plant that will thrive down to 10˚C, so a great plant for the British windowsill.
Top Tip: To dry thyme, cut off stems and tie in 1 inch bunches with string, leaving a loop for hanging. Hang them upside down and allow them to dry naturally in a cool, dry, dark place.
Pair with: Perfect once dried out, rub into meat to make the BBQ smell even better.
Featured: Small and large plant pots in Broom and Bee Dusk
Rosemary
Water: Rosemary is much more likely to be killed by overwatering than underwatering. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Light/Temperature: Rosemary thrives under bright light, so a bright window with morning sun is perfect. In hotter locations, like your windowsill, be sure to provide plenty of air circulation.
Remember: The most common problem with rosemary is powdery mildew, which typically affects plants that are too wet or have insufficient light and/or circulation. Powdery mildew looks exactly like it sounds: white powder on the leaves.
Pair with: Add into your roast potatoes for a delicious and fragrant twist.
Featured: Small and large plant pot in Willowtit
Basil
Water: Keep the basil moist. Make sure you use a container where it can drain properly.
Light/Temperature: Basil grown in warmer conditions produced more than twice the essential oil of that grown in cooler temperatures. Therefore, plan where you get the most amount of sun through a window and keep rotating the plant pot.
Top Tip: When you buy a pot of basil, you are not buying one plant, but a tightly sown clump of more than 20 seedlings. These seedlings soon start to compete with each other for space. To fix this, simply take the clump of plants out of their pot and divide the root ball into quarters by gently tearing it apart with your fingers. Plant each clump into its own plastic pot and now you have four plants for the price of one. Bargain!
Pair with: Stir into tomato sauces for an instant lift.
Featured: Left large plant pot in Broom and Bee Sky, Right large plant pot in Greenfinch
We hope you find this guide useful, let us know how you keep your indoor plants thriving and how you use them in your cooking this summer!
Written by Eleanor for Lorna Syson’s Our World
