A windowsill herb garden is one of the best ways to freshen your home, bring a little spring to the dark of winter, and add zest to your home cooked meals. Sitting by a window, with green fresh smelling herbs framing the cool white of a winter morning is a great way to unwind after a long week at work. Home-cooked meals with fresh herbs make any foodie’s day.
With so many reasons to make a windowsill herb garden, how do you get started?
You can start an herb garden from seeds or from live plants. They can be a part of your room, on the windowsill, or made special for your house. Herbs can be bought in pots or grown from seeds.
Some tips on making your own windowsill herb garden (In Beatles song titles, because, why not?).
Imagine
This is the moment when you build all your inspiration for the herb garden. What do you want to see, feel, or taste from the garden? Is this primarily for food or for decoration? The first part of designing a windowsill herb garden is all about planning and motivation. Plan which windows will look best. Discover what motivates you to want plants inside your house.
Here Comes the Sun
All plants need sunlight, but some need more than others. Ideally, place a plant in a south, east or west-facing window. This will allow for the most use of the winter sun.
A window can act as a magnifying glass for sunlight, so if your plants have been too dry or start to whither, consider moving them back from the direct light through the window, into more ambient lighting situations. Water and sunlight go together in the life cycle of plants.
Make certain that they do not get too dry in the windowsill, and that the plants can drain in your pots so they are not always wet. Moldy planting pots is a great way to ruin a good garden.
Come Together
Different plants need different amounts of space. Research your plants’ needs before placing them in your windowsill herb garden. Some flowers, like African Violets, need space around each of them or they will not bloom. Some herbs, like cilantro, will grow like a weed in close proximity.
Knowing the temperament of the individual plants you are putting in your windowsill herb garden, you will need to plan the space in your sill (and possibly change the size of your window) in order to bring all your plants together in harmony.
A Hard Day’s Night
Depending on your window’s insulation properties, you might need to consider methods of protecting your plants against the cold night air seeping through. Some warm weather herbs love the sun, but will whither in the cold nights. These plants need to be set by a window with a high insulation value, or be designed so they can be moved further into the house at night.
Let It Be
After you have analyzed sun (and water), plant density, and temperature variations, it is time to get the plants, set them in your windowsill, and let them be. Plants take time to grow, time to produce, and time to rebuild after harvest. The time of growth in your window sill will help you relax and breath as you wait for the spring outside your window to match the spring inside your home.
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