How to Build a Window Garden

A windowsill garden lets you to enjoy wonderfully fragrant and healthy fresh herbs that you grow yourself. All herbs grow indoors relatively well, given the right conditions. Some examples of herbs that have healthy benefits and can be used in cooking or in teas are rosemary, various kinds of mints, dill and basil.

Things You'll Need

• Small flower pots or containers that fit on windowsill
• High-quality potting soil
• Herb seeds
• Large spoon

Instructions

1. Fill the herb pots about four-fifths of the way with high-quality potting soil. Do not use dirt from an outdoor yard, because it may not contain the minerals herbs need to grow.

2. Water the soil in each container. The soil should be left moist, but not wet. Remember that this is an indoor window garden, so the plants will not need as much water as those grown outdoors.

3. Place the seeds on top of the moist soil. Plant one herb per container. Some herbs don't grow well together.

4. Gently spoon 1/2-to-1 inch of soil over the seeds. Do not tamp down the soil, as this could affect the seeds' ability to push through during the sprouting phase.

5. Sprinkle water on top of the soil, dampening it. Dampen soil daily until the seedlings start to emerge. At this point, you can water normally.

6. Place the pots or containers on an eastern- or western-facing windowsill. This will provide the seedlings with maximum exposure to the sun. During daylight hours, keep the curtains or blinds open.Close blinds and curtains to protect them from freezing outside air.

7. Harvest herbs from the indoor window herb garden as needed. Even if you don't need any, it's a good idea to snip some off every week or so to promote growth as well as to prevent the herbs from going to seed. When herbs go to seed, they produce seed pods, and this change in the focus of their energy affect the flavor of the herbs.