Top Herbs for Windowsill Gardens
By Vanessa Richins
Is a windowsill the only space available for a garden?
Never fear, there are still options for you. Among other plants, herbs are some of the perfect plants to fit in small spaces.
An added bonus is if it is a kitchen windowsill - the herbs are right where you need them for cooking.
Be sure to harvest only some of the plant at a time so the plant can continue growing properly. Here are some of my top suggestions for windowsill herb gardens.
1) Cilantro/Coriander
Did you know that coriander comes from the seeds of the cilantro plant? You may want to have 2 different plants for that reason - with one of the plants, you would not want to pick the cilantro leaves so it would go to seed and produce your coriander. It gets about 18″ tall and needs to be spaced 9″ apart at least (though if just producing cilantro, the plants can be as little as 2″ apart)
2) Chives
This member of the onion family is very easy to grow. When you are ready to harvest, simply take some kitchen scissors and snip some off. It can grow up to 18″ tall and 1-2″ wide (if it grows for more than one year, it can get up to 10-12″ wide)
3) Dill
One of the most common uses of dill is in pickle recipes. It is also lovely in potato salads and a number of other recipes. It can grow up to 3′ tall and 2′ wide, though dwarf varieties are available.
4) Oregano
I think this is my favorite herb ever - I love Italian food. Partner this with basil and you have heaven. Oregano grows 1-2′ tall and 10-20″ wide.
Other herbs you could grow include rosemary, parsley, thyme, basil, sage and mint.
Have you grown any others in your windowsill?
July 15th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
[...] to start your own windowsill garden? Vanessa Richins of Urban Garden Casual recommends these four herbs. Keep them in the kitchen for easy access during meal [...]