Herself's Houseplants

Growing herbs indoors is a challenge. Herbs need lots and lots of light. Even the sunniest house window is often too dark for them.

But if you can get light to your herbs they will thrive as well inside as out.

I was window shopping a month or so ago and wandered into a cooking store. They had a set up with herbs thriving growing inside of gel and water with bright fluorescent lights over them. The set up looked a bit clunky but the idea was good.

So I picked up a bright fluorescent light at the big box hardware store, tossed some soil and worm castings into a couple of pots and tossed herb seeds on top. The picture is how they look a month later. The lemon basil and lime basil are going to town. The chives are a bit slower getting going but doing well all the same.

If you wish to grow herbs indoors you need a very bright window, or a very bright fluorescent light. The rest is easy.

See also:
Dish gardens in stainless steel bowls
7 tips to grow herbs from seeds indoors

More information:
For a refreshing break, try growing mints

So … how are those pots doing in the middle of the summer? The answer might well depend on whether we deadhead! . . .From the get-go, container plants need to be groomed in order to retain the fresh and healthy look of the newly planted. This is even more important for a collection of flowering plants, and especially annuals. Deadheading, as part of the grooming process, is a meticulous job, but one that I find extremely rewarding. The results show up immediately in good color, new growth, full blossoms and no unsightly dead ends.Deadheading is no more complicated than cutting off the dead heads, or spent blossoms, of the plants. At its most basic, you can just snip off the dead flowers at their base with a scissors, cutting shears, or your fingernail depending on how thick the stems are. In so doing you will at least remove the unsightly brown and dry former blossoms and improve your plant’s overall good looks. But there are other aspects of this process to consider. New growth will occur from the point where the cut has been made, so it is important to picture how that plant will look after you deadhead. Think also about longer life for the plant, another period of bloom, and/or having leftover seeds and slips for you to play with. . . .

In the Pot: Be a ‘deadhead’