12 Fresh Indoor Herbs To Enjoy In The Winter

Just because the gardening season is over, it doesn’t mean your green thumb shouldn’t get any exercise until spring. Herb gardens can thrive in the warmth and small space indoors, if they’re given the right care. And small pots of herbs make great holiday gifts for the chef on your list. Fresh herbs are always better in recipes, with many of them being perfect for stews and holiday dishes. Like the 12 Days of Christmas, here are 12 different herbs to start an indoor garden for your home, or to give as a gift. 1. Basil. Hardy and pretty, basil is one of the most popular windowsill herbs. It’s great in tomato-based dishes, pesto, Italian, Chinese, salads, and with strawberries and vanilla ice cream. 2. Thyme. After the season is over, this perennial can be planted in your garden in the spring. It mixes well with many other herbs, especially rosemary, and perfectly compliments soups, casseroles, and vegetables, and all types of meat. 3. Sage. Also a perennial that mixes well with other herbs, and is good with most soups, meats, vegetables, marinades, and sauces. Sage loves lots of sunlight. 4. Rosemary. The piney flavor of rosemary works well with thyme and basil. It’s particularly good with lamb but can be used with just about all types of beef, pork, and poultry. It imparts a wonderful fragrance and flavor when the leaves are inserted into slits in a roast and slow-cooked. 5. Oregano. This strong perennial loves tomatoes, sauces, chicken, and fish. It’s used often in Italian, Mexican, and Greek recipes. 6. Cilantro. The strong flavor of cilantro is best used when fresh, and is popular with many Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Caribbean, and other dishes made with hot spices. Cilantro’s seeds (coriander) can also be collected and used. 7. Chives. This perennial flowers in June, but the flower stalks should be cut off to preserve flavor. The flowers are edible, however, and can be left on for a charming and unique indoor plant. The leaves of chives are most often chopped and used in many dishes for an oniony flavor or as a bright green garnish. 8. Mint. Because this hardy perennial will take over any garden if it’s planted straight in the ground, it should always be kept in containers. Its leaves have a range of uses, from flavoring drinks, salads, and desserts, to sauces and garnishes. 9. Chamomile. Beloved as an herb tea, chamomile can also be brewed for use as a spray to keep your other herbs and plants healthy. Its pretty daisy-like flowers will spread in an outside garden as an attractive ground cover. 10. Dill. The feathery leaves of this annual are delicious with fish, poultry, and egg dishes. It’s also great in pasta and potato salads, bean and pea soups, and dressings - and is used in pickling. 11. Lavender. This fragrant evergreen shrub is a perennial in some climates and can be planted outside in a lovely cottage garden. Its flowers are used with desserts, preserves, syrups, fruits, and berries. The stalks with the flowers can be cut and tied together for a pretty fresh or dried floral sprig. 12. Catnip. Surprisingly, this herb has more uses than just making cats really happy. It can be brewed into a relaxing tea to help as a sleep aid, or loosely chopped and sprinkled onto salads for a sharp minty flavor. And, of course, if you have cats, they’ll love the occasional fresh catnip sprig! Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Fresh Indoor Herbs Herbs can be kept in small pots, making them ideal for windowsills, especially deep bay windows and garden windows. The space around “garden bathtubs” popular these days are an especially charming spot to keep fresh, pretty potted herbs. Most herbs love at least six hours of bright (but not hot) sunlight a day. The cooler temperature around windows is ideal for indoor herbs, as many of them thrive in temperatures between 60 to 70 during the day, and up to ten degrees cooler at night. If your windows don’t get that much light, invest in fluorescent lighting that will give them what they need to grow. Special lighting for plants is available, but many indoor gardeners find low-cost fluorescent lights to be fine for growing herbs. Experiment a little and see what makes your plants happy. Some will be fine with plain window light, while others will crave longer and brighter light. Keep your herb plants watered, but make sure the soil drains well. Fertilizing them every two weeks will keep them healthy. As your herbs grow, you can use them fresh off the stalk, or tie into small bundles and freeze-dry or hang to dry naturally, then keep them in airtight containers. Look up your herbs online for lighting tips and even more ideas on how to use them. With some thought and creativity, indoor herbs will make unique holiday gifts this season, and with the proper care, anyone can enjoy fresh herbs year round.