What's a great way to ramp up your culinary creativity? Grow delicious, aromatic herbs just steps from your stove! It's easy to elevate your tried-and-true recipes by adding a bit of flair with fresh, homegrown herbs. Whether you love preparing authentic Italian dishes, adding flavor to fish, or blending ingredients into savory sauces, the convenience—and taste—of an indoor herb garden can't be beat. Plus, herbs' amazing scents provide the perfect touch of aromatherapy when you brush the plants or harvest their leaves.
Fabulous flavor and mood-boosting fragrance? Yes, please! Call in your family and let's get this project planted.
What You'll Need
- An area with a consistent temperature and lots of natural light (or a grow lamp)
- A 10-inch pot for each herb, with drainage holes
- Bonnie Plants® Italian oregano, flat Italian parsley, and German thyme
- Light-weight soil like Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix
- Nutrient-rich fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food
- Cloth towel for drying herbs
- Sharp scissors
Plant Your Indoor Herb Garden
- Place newspapers or an old sheet on your work surface for easy clean up.
- Add Miracle-Gro® Indoor Potting Mix to the bottom third of your containers.
- Remove herbs from their nursery pots, gently loosening the root balls if necessary.
- Place the herbs in their containers so that the top of the root ball is about 1 inch below the rim of the pot (to avoid overflow when watering.)
- Add more potting soil to cover the plant roots, and firm it into place.
- Water well to settle the plants and soil, and let them dry out between watering.
- Place your indoor herb garden in your chosen space, and add light if needed.
- Keep humidity low and airflow high so your herbs can breathe easily.
- A month after planting, begin using Miracle-Gro® Indoor Plant Food each week (follow the label directions)
- Harvest up to one-third of the plant at a time.
- Dry excess herb harvests to store for later, or share with friends!
Enjoy the Herbal Harvest
Whenever you need to spice up your favorite dish, your indoor herb garden provides the perfect ingredients. Harvest leaves as you need them, or as your herbs grow larger, keep them contained by snipping branches to dry excess herbs for future use. However, you should never trim more than ⅓ of your plant at a time. When you're ready, simply strip the leaves on cut branches, lay them flat to dry completely, and store in an air-tight container. (Note, most herbs develop a stronger flavor when dried.) Many herbs taste best when harvested before they flower, so make sure to enjoy them at their prime.
This is a project that delights the senses. Remember to take a deep breath when harvesting your herbs so you can enjoy the fabulous fragrance as well as delicious dinners prepared with your indoor herb garden. Bon appetit!