Indoor Herb Garden Ideas

Use these indoor herb garden ideas to grow fresh herbs right in your own kitchen! Tips for containers, which herbs grow best inside, care of the herb plants, and more.

About this time every year, the urge to dig in the dirt sets in. The thought of fresh air, new plants, and a refreshed garden is so tempting…but here in Ohio, the weather isn’t quite ready to cooperate. Since outdoor gardening has to wait, bringing fresh herbs into the kitchen is the perfect way to satisfy that craving. An indoor herb garden adds a touch of green to the home, fills the air with wonderful fragrance, and best of all, provides fresh ingredients for cooking. It’s a simple and rewarding way to enjoy gardening, no matter the season.

Herbs That Successfully Grow Indoors

• Mint
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Chives
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Lemon Balm
• Cilantro

Finding The Plants

Locating fresh herb plants before gardening season can be a challenge. I’ve had the best luck in the produce section of my grocery store. Stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods also have herb plants during the off-season. Or you can propagate your own:

• Purchase fresh, cut herbs at the grocery store. (Basil and mint are especially easy to propagate.)
• Pick out 4 or 5 nice herb stems.
• Strip the bottom half of any leaves, and give the ends a fresh cut.
• Place the stems in a jar of water.
• In two to three weeks, the stems will have new growth at the roots, and they can be planted in potting soil.
• It’s a good idea to change the water every few days, and place the jar in a sunny spot.

Herb Planter

• Begin with 3 or 4 herbs of your choice. (I used 2 mint plants and 2 rosemary plants.)
• Gather fresh potting soil and a container.
• Place a small amount of potting soil in the bottom of your container.
• Add the herbs, and fill in the holes with more potting soil. 
• Make sure your container has a hole for draining.
• If the hole is big, cover it with a small piece of paper towel or part of a coffee filter. 
• When your garden is finished, make sure to water it well. Here is my method: I put the herb-filled container in my kitchen sink, water it from the faucet, and let it set there until it’s dry enough to put back on the counter. 

Herb Gardening in a Basket

• To line your basket: cut pieces of Press ‘n Seal and applied them on the bottom and up the sides of the basket. I used a scissors to trim along the top of the basket and the end result was a nice, neat edge. 
• After the potting soil and plants were added, I added drainage by slicing four slits in the press ‘n seal on the bottom of the basket.
• I set the whole basket in my kitchen sink and used the sprayer to water it. When it was finished draining, back it went on the kitchen counter.
• Shop Longaberger market baskets on Etsy.

Indoor Garden Kit

• Supplies Needed:
  • Containers (I used a metal pot set.)
  • Fresh herbs
  • Organic potting mix
  • small pebbles (if desired)
• It took about five minutes to place the herbs into the little pots. There are small holes in the bottom of the pots, but just to make sure they had good drainage, I placed a small pile of pebbles in each pot before adding the soil.
• To water the pots, I simply place them in my sink, spray them lightly, and let them drain.

Herbs in a Colander

• Nothing could be simpler. Simply place a coffee filter inside the colander.
• Add potting soil and herb plants.
• Catch any water leakage by placing a plate or bowl under the colander.

DIY Herb Garden Markers

If you decide to put together an indoor herb garden, just print out these custom tags to add interest to your plants. Simply fill out the form below, download the tag sheet, and cut out the circles. Tie them to your pots with twine, or clip them on with a clothespin. One of the quickest and easiest little projects ever!