8 herbs to grow on your windowsill
You don’t need a big space to grow. You just need a little know-how, a sprinkle of time and a bunch of enthusiasm. Herbs are a great place to start as they’re fast-growing and reap tasty rewards.
The National Trust estimates that there’s over 600 acres of growing space going to waste in the shape of unused window ledges across the UK. This is a crying shame as the tiniest space can transform a dinner, brighten the pokiest kitchen and cut your spending on herbs right back.
There are thousands of herbs to choose from, but we’d suggest starting with something simple which will find a happy home in many dishes. As well as thinking about what you’ll cook with, you’ll also need to consider how much light and warmth comes from the chosen window. Choose herbs that you know will thrive in your space.
Here, we’ve chosen herbs which are delicious, low maintenance, high yielding. This should help you to clip away without any fuss.
1) Chives
Chives are one of the easiest plants to grow indoors year-round as they can make do with lower light and change in temperatures. Both the leaves and flowers are edible with a mild oniony taste for giving salads and other meals flavour. Chives can also be grown directly outdoors and as larger plants. The flowers give a lovely dash of colour to your home or garden. Good chives all around!
2) Parsley
Parsley will thrive with a moderate amount of light. Water the pot regularly to keep the soil moist to the touch but not soggy. Keep a saucer under the pot. Empty the saucer under the pot after every watering so that the roots don’t sit in water. Feed the plants every two-three weeks (we’d recommend an organic seaweed fertilizer).
3) Coriander
Because it's an annual, coriander is programmed to complete all it needs to do within one single season. Therefore, for a continuous crop, you need to sow fresh seed at monthly intervals. Remember to label the date of sowing. Water your pots regularly, but only when the compost has begun to dry out. Coriander doesn't like to be too wet, but like most edible green stuffs, it needs to grow fast. Scissor off the young leaves as you need them. The first leaves are like flat French parsley, but as the plant shoots up, the leaves become much more wispy and have a different taste.
4) Basil
Container grown basil should be planted in well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. As basil can drown easily, make sure your pot has enough drainage. Keep the soil moist, but never soggy; otherwise, the roots will be prone to rotting. Empty the saucer under the pot after every watering so that the roots don’t sit in water.
Basil growing indoors requires at least six hours of sunlight. Basil plants should be placed in a sunny window, preferably facing south. Basil growing indoors might need an occasional pick me up fertilizer (we’d recommend an organic seaweed fertilizer).
5) Thyme
Who doesn’t have thyme for thyme? Thyme is best sown in shallow soil because of its tiny seeds. It doesn’t need a lot of water. Thyme loves full sun and is small enough to grow in a window box, with pretty little flowers in early summer.
6) Sage
If you are growing sage indoors, place your pot near a sunny window. Sage is a fairly drought-tolerant herb, and even when the leaves look wilted, a little water perks the entire plant right up. Wait until the soil is dry to give it a thorough watering.
7) Mint
If you’re planting mint indoors, place your container where it will get a bunch of good morning light but where it will also be away from drying heating elements. Make sure you plant your mint in a pot or container as this herb can easily spread and overtake others if planted in a bed or shared pot.
8) Rosemary
Plant next to sage to help it flourish. A natural form of pest control, rosemary's insect-repelling properties benefit every plant in its vicinity.
Growing tip
Herbs don’t generally need much in the way of fertilising and some do better in poor conditions than others. In window boxes you should give them a bit of new soil or potting compost each year. Aim for about 30 per cent new soil or compost. Some herbs, including mint and lemon balm, can grow extremely prolifically so plant them in individual pots in order to prevent overcrowding.
Find out more about growing plants from seeds.
Need extra motivation to grow? Check out the story of shop-bought herbs
Shop-bought alternatives are transported long distances and subjected to artificial light. This is nothing short of a flavour killer. The conditions in which these herbs are kept reduce the plant's lifespan, resulting in wilted leaves. Meanwhile, the soil in which you’ll find potted herbs is not designed for long term growth. You don’t need us to tell you that they're expensive, with most pre-packaged herbs costing well over a pound, the price of a seed packet.