Scott Baldelli Gardening & Design

Here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, we got a taste of summer in February with a few 70+ degree days. Scott was outside playing in the dirt, of course. Today, we were hit with snow showers, with even more expected in the coming days. While we’re antsy to start the outdoor growing season, we can’t rush nature. Our gardens will have to wait.

If you want fresh herbs to cook with now, without having to wait for the ground to thaw, you should grow an herb garden in your home! There are lots of neat planters that you can hang up right in your kitchen, including this one from Ikea that we have in our home. A cute little pot in your kitchen window is all you need, though.

We’ve put together a list of 5 great herbs to grow inside, along with some growing tips for each one. Happy planting!

CHIVES

Chives are both easy to grow and delicious to eat. We like to pick a few leaves and snip them with scissors directly into our potato dishes, including baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and potato salad.

• Be sure to water evenly and keep soil moist. If the leaves turn yellow, the soil is too dry.
• March is a good month to sow chive seeds. Use any good potting mix. You should see sprouts in 1-2 weeks.
• Cut off the flowers to promote more growth. The flowers are edible – and beautiful – add them to your favorite salad!

OREGANO

Oregano is one of our favorite herbs. It goes perfectly in any Italian or Greek dish. Add it to your pasta sauces, salad dressings, and on top of pizza.

• Oregano is an herb that can be difficult/unpredictable to plant from seed. You may want to purchase a seedling from your local garden center (or from us) instead.
• Plant in well-drained soil or use cactus potting mix.

PARSLEY

Parsley is a rather hardy plant. In fact, we have one parsley plant in our vegetable garden that has survived through the winter! We put parsley in everything. Our favorite dishes that use a lot of parsley are vegetable soup and tabbouleh.

• Soak seeds in water overnight before planting. This will help them germinate faster. It can take 3 weeks for seedlings to sprout.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary is a fragrant, delicious herb. We use it in a lot of our hearty, comfort food dishes, like casseroles, stuffing/dressing, and baked chicken.

• Rosemary requires good air circulation. If there is poor air circulation, the plant will start to grow a powdery mildew.
• Water the plant well, then let the top 2 inches of soil dry before watering again. If you overwater, the leaves will turn brown and fall off.
• Use cactus mix or a mixture of soil with sand or perlite.

BASIL

Who doesn’t love basil? We use a lot of basil throughout the year – especially during tomato season! We use fresh basil leaves in our Caprese salad, on top of pizza, and in various cocktails.

• Water basil plants thoroughly, then let the top 1 inch of soil dry before watering again.
• Mist basil leaves with room temperature water to control proper humidity.
• Basil is easy to grow from seed. Use cactus mix or a mix of soil with sand or perlite.

If you don’t want to grow these herbs from seed, you can purchase seedlings from us here!

What are your favorite herbs to grow indoors? Leave us a comment to let us know!