Growing Herbs in Your Apartment
It doesn’t matter whether you live in an urban high rise, brownstone or suburban-style apartment you can have a beautiful herb garden and enjoy many of the benefits herbs have to offer. In my first apartment, I started slowly with a couple of herb plants in pots mixed in with a few flowers on my front stoop—just your basic kitchen necessities like basil, oregano and parsley.
In addition to those outside, I added some indoor herbs. I lined up many small herb containers around the only window that faced south, such as lavender and lemongrass. The two plants combined to make a wonderful scent throughout the apartment.
When I lived in an urban high rise I had a balcony that was totally fenced in by a big grate—which also put my entire balcony in shade almost all day long. So I built a flower bed made from chicken wire, leaves, newspaper, pine needles, peat and sod to hang outside the grate and I filled it with my kitchen herbs, plus some chamomile and other flowering plants and some cascading vines. It looked great, but needed to be watered too frequently.
You can enjoy the same successes that I have had if you take a few of basic rules of thumb to herb gardening and apply them to your apartment or living space.
Think about your room to determine where you could grow your herbs—do you have a stoop, front porch, balcony, deck, window or anywhere else that you could put your herbs? All you need is plenty of room for a container or two. Some herbs, like chives, only require a container about the size of a coffee cup to thrive and do well.
Check out the lighting to see what can work. The correct amount of lighting is essential to your plants’ growth. Not enough natural light or the wrong type and you will have some pretty pathetic plants. I lived in a cramped tiny apartment in the city where I only had two windows. Because one of them faced east (not enough sun) I cultivated my herb garden in the bathroom. I actually believe it worked out quite well, because the herbs really seemed to benefit from the moisture and steam in the bathroom.
Once you determine where you can create your herb garden and the quality, type and amount of natural light that your chosen area has, you’re ready to decide which herb plants you want to grow. I could go on for days about which herbs to select, but the bottom-line comes down to how you plan to use the herbs. Are you looking to raise culinary herbs, florals, first-aid or healing herbs? Maybe you’re looking for the right ingredients for your lotions or shampoos. For just about every need you have, there is an plant out there with your name on it. Start by flipping through a book on herb gardening and focus on herb plants that have the sunlight needs that your space will respond to. Very soon, you will be all set!
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Windowsill Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
