Grow Herbs Indoors And Enhance Your Cooking

They say the heart of the home is in its kitchen, and judging by the beautiful, modern kitchens featured in many South Bend homes for sale, that's still as true now as it was generations ago. Do you love to cook? If you enjoy trying out new recipes and cooking with fresh herbs, you'll appreciate having your own indoor herb garden! Here are a few tips to help your herb garden grow.

1. Do your research. First things first! Do a little research to see what herbs grow well indoors and what kind of attention they need. For instance, chives, mint, lemon balm, parsley, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme all can be grown indoors. Other herbs such as dill and fennel are too big for indoor container gardens. A few others, such as basil and cilantro, can be grown indoors with some special attention but do better outdoors with strong direct light.
   
   
2. Pay attention to different windows. As you start planning your indoor herb garden, start thinking about the different windows in your house and the "climate" in each one. For instance, south-facing windows tend to get sunshine all day, even in the winter when sunlight is at a minimum. West-facing windows only get sunshine half the day, but it's during the heat of the day, so those windows will get quite warm. East-facing windows get their half day of sunshine during the morning, so they'll stay a little cooler.
   
   
3. Learn about grow lights. Indoor plants can't always thrive without the help of grow lights, and that's okay. Your windows may just not provide enough sunlight for your herbs. Grow lights provide light and heat that you control, from the number of hours of light to how close the lights are to the plants. Seedlings and more finicky herbs do best when they have a light source close to them, instead of depending on the inconsistent light from a kitchen window.
   
   
4. Plant in separate pots. They may all be herbs, but they all need different amounts of water and sunlight. You'll be more successful if you plan each herb in its own pot so that you can give it what it needs. For instance, basil likes a lot of heat and sunlight and will do best in a south-facing window or under a grow light. Other herbs such as chives, mint, and parsley all like less sun and cooler temperatures, making them good candidates for an east-facing window.

Did you know that staging with indoor plants can help to sell your home? Our real estate agents say that an indoor herb garden does more than just add variety to your culinary adventures. The greenery can also help to create a homey, welcoming environment, which encourages potential buyers to imagine themselves living (and cooking!) in your house. For more staging tips or to list your home, contact us today.