The Kitchen Garden

It’s not every day you see basil, rosemary and oregano lining countertops, after all. So what are you waiting for? We are here to impress. Grab a mason jar and some dirt; it’s time for your green thumb to shine.

The Basics

A teacup herb display on your kitchen window sill? A mason jar lineup beside the refrigerator? The first step to becoming a gardening guru is finding the perfect indoor spot for your greenery to sprout. Choose a location in your kitchen that gets close to five hours of sunlight daily. Once you’ve found a suitable area, the rest is cake.

Depending on your container, keep the soil from spilling out of the drainage holes by covering the bottom of the container with a thin layer of gravel or screen mesh. Sit your pot in a saucer to catch the drainage.

Fill your pot with two-thirds organic potting soil mix, adding more in once a month as needed.

Visit a nursery that specializes in herbs to buy your plants. Choose herbs that need similar amounts of sunlight. For example, rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil and oregano all need five to six hours of sunlight daily.

Place taller herbs, like rosemary, in the center of your pot and the others around the sides. Place them at about the same depth they were growing in their nursery pots.

While planting, gently loosen the soil around each root ball and fill the pot with more soil, to about 2 inches from the top.

Soak once or twice a week, and allow the soil to dry out before watering again.

Once the herbs are ready, be careful to only clip the outer leaves as you need them, leaving plenty of growth on the plant.

Herbs To Consider

Now that we have a game plan, it’s time for a reward. Ready, set, dig!

ROSEMARY

Not only will you have home-grown herbs to marinate with, but according to various studies, the smell of rosemary may even improve your memory— remember that!

BASIL

If this herb is not a necessity, we don’t know what is. Aside from making a killer spaghetti sauce, you can use this plant to calm your nerves.

THYME

A long-time contender and herbal remedy for respiratory problems such as bronchitis, thyme is an herb you’ll want on hand. Even better, add this flavorbooster to any soup or salad.

PARSLEY

Parsley is more than just a pretty garnish. It’s is full of nutrients, containing vitamins A, C and K.

Cilantr0

A staple in both Mexican and Asian cultures, cilantro draws toxic heavy metals out of your body’s tissues.