Winter is that time of the year when people get over-excited about Christmas, spending time with the family, making snowmen outside their homes, winter breaks and many memorable moments that bring us all together.
Magical as it may sound, I don’t think that people in love with gardening will share the opinion. For starters, all of the plants in the backyard are dead or wilt and winter seem to take forever that you just can’t wait to see your garden alive and colorful once again.
The bad news is that winter won’t pass overnight, however the good news is that you can still enjoy your gardening by planting some herbs which thrive perfectly in your home.
Here’s a list of 7 herbs which grow perfectly in your home during the winter:
1. Basil
The warmth of your home as well as the light from your window will be the perfect atmosphere for the basil. You’ll have fresh basil at all time and the effort that you need to put into the preparation is nothing compared to the result which you’ll get at the end. Purchase some basil seeds and place them in a pot and put the pot next to your kitchen window, so it can enjoy the sunny days during the winter.
2. Chives
Chives are so simple to handle and they can easily survive the cold, long-lasting winters. Transplant the clump of the chives in a pot and place the pot in a cooler place in your home, until the leaves die back and it’s ready to be placed next to the basil pot.
3. Oregano
Who doesn’t want to grow their own oregano and spice up their home-made pizzas! Well, it seems that this isn’t a hard thing to do, especially since oregano is so easy to grow inside your home and to be precise, it will be great if you could find a special place next to your window. You can find a tip from oregano grown outdoors and place it in a pot next to the other herbs.
4. Rosemary
You can’t love rosemary, not only does it look beautiful, but it also has an attractive fragrance which will turn your kitchen into a fresh and aromatized area in your home. It’s also a herb that requires a lot of light, so next to the window will be the perfect place for it. Root a rosemary in a soilless mix and plant it in a pot. You friends will be jealous of this herb in particular, because your home will smell beautifully.
5. Thyme
Don’t worry if you’re used to growing the thyme outside and don’t know what to do with it once the winter and the cooler temperatures approach. You can either pot your outdoor plant or you can cut the soft tip of the thyme and pot it once it roots. Thyme will grow perfectly in your home, especially since it’s a sun-lover, you can add it to your collection decorating your kitchen window.
6. Parsley
The moment you hear the word parsley, you can’t stop but imagine a bowl full of salad, complemented with fresh parsley. Yummy! However, during the winter it’s hard to find fresh, healthy parsley. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on parsley, on the contrary, you can grow parsley in your own kitchen and have fresh parsley at any time of the year. You can grow parsley from seeds or plant a clump dug up from your garden. It thrives best if you put it next to the other herbs on the window.
7. Bay
If you give this plant some space, it will grow perfectly in areas where the air flow is great. However, unlike the other herbs, the bay doesn’t require any special light or sunny spots in the house. You can leave the pot on the counter or on your desk, as long as it has a good air circulation.
Pot decoration
To make your home even more pleasant and appealing, you can decorate the pots by spraying them with paint and after they dry, use a chalk to write the name of every herb you’ve planted so far. In this way, you’ll know what’s in the pots and you can re-name the pots after you’ve finished growing them or decide you want to plant other herbs in the pot.
Start the planting process
Make sure to gather all the needed information about the herb you want to plant. See if the local garden supply center has all the needed herbs or their seeds so you can purchase them immediately. If not, you can always order them online, at the Seed Shop.
Preparing the planting process
Since your pots are decorated and ready to be used, you can start by filling them with soil. However, try to purchase soil from your gardening center, instead of using soil from your backyard. Fill ¾ inch gravel at every bottom of the pots and then add the rest of the soil.
Dig a hole so you can make space for the root of the plant. Press the soil around the plant and if you are starting from scratch, with seeds, first fill in the pot with soil and later press the seeds into the soil. Moist the soil a little bit and the growing process can start.
Be careful about the following things:
- Don’t overwater you herbs, because overwatering can be as harmful as letting your plants dry. Check your plant once in a while to see signs whether or not you’re doing this wrong.
- Avoid leaving your plants unattended. So, if you notice dry soil, yellow and wilt leaves, get rid of them soon and moist your plant properly.
- Gather all the needed information about the maintenance properties of every plant you’re growing inside. Your local supplier will inform you about everything you need to know.
- Don’t put all plants in one pot, regardless of the size of the pot, every herb and plant need their own special place.
After you’ve finished all the steps, it’s time for you to prepare your pots, plants and seeds and enjoy the winter without worrying about fresh spices and herbs at all time.
