Not everyone has a garden or, especially in the big city, even a balcony. Fortunately, a small herb garden can also be easily set up in your home, as most herbs thrive in pots.
How to create a herb garden in your apartment?
An indoor herb garden can be created on the windowsill, in hanging baskets or in indoor greenhouses and consists of potted herbs such as lemon verbena, lemongrass, curry bush or rosemary. For optimal growth, the plants need a bright, south-facing window and, if necessary, plant lamps in winter.
Cultivate herbs in your home all year round
The different types of herbs can be kept indoors all year round on the windowsill, in hanging baskets or even in a DIY indoor greenhouse. Naturally, the right place for such a mini herb garden is in the kitchen, because this is where the scents and aromas are most needed. However, this only works if the site conditions are right: As a rule, herbs (with a few exceptions) need a lot of sun to be able to develop an intense aroma. The kitchen (or wherever else you want to place your herb pots) should face south if possible. During the winter months it can sometimes get too dark for the plants, so we recommend installing plant lamps (€89.00 on Amazon). If, on the other hand, you cultivate primarily annual species anyway, the problem of overwintering is solved from the start.
Popular potted herbs for indoors and outdoors
The following table gives you an overview of various popular potted herbs that also work well as houseplants at home. Some of them can be quite large and extensive, but are also ideal for the winter garden, for example. All of the species listed need to overwinter in a light and cool place - not necessarily in a heated living room.
| German name | Botanical name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Verbena | Aloysia triphylla | shrubby growth; for tea and desserts |
| Lemongrass | Cymbopogon citratus | horshy growth; for tea and Asian dishes |
| Curry bush | Helichrysum italicum | evergreen scented plant with silvery leaves and yellow flowers |
| Laurel | Laurus nobilis | evergreen spice plant |
| Flower Lavender | Lavandula stoechas | Popular scented plant with purple flowers |
| fragrant geraniums | Pelargonium spec. | fragrant leaves; for desserts and drinks |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis | aromatic kitchen spice |
| Fruit Sage | Salvia dorisiana | Leaves smell fruity; for teas and desserts |
Care for potted herbs and overwinter properly
Many perennial species cannot be cultivated all year round but require a winter break. This serves as a recovery phase for the plant so that it can sprout again in spring. Simply place the plants to be overwintered in a bright and cool room, water them little and stop fertilizing. One- or two-year-old herbs, on the other hand, can be cared for continuously until they die on their own anyway.
Tip
Ensure that you always have fresh offspring in good time by sowing new herbs and growing the seedlings. This is particularly important when cultivating primarily one- to two-year-old varieties.
