Isn’t the month of July a pretty one!
It seems EVERYTHING is in bloom. From colorful ornamental trees to azalea’s and geraniums, to tiny impatiens and salvia, to tomato and green vegetables, ready to plant all around your home, there isn’t anything that doesn’t want to burst forth this month.
Where I live, it might be nice if the sun would follow suit. Some days are perfectly fine; the sun is so BRIGHT, and then the clouds come and it’s a rainy day where once it was so sunny.
So, to overcome the cloudiness, it’s SO nice to bring a little Spring indoors.
I used to love planting a small garden in my backyard; in fact, just outside my back door was an herb garden. It loved the shade and coolness of that part of my backyard; around the corner from that was a patch of lavender that we had planted years before. It came back faithfully every Spring.
If you’ve never tried “gardening” — now is the time to go small! Windowsill herb gardening is some of the best ways to introduce greenery into your home. And they look so nice on the windowsills. 🙂
No matter where I was or where we were living, I always made room for fragrant herbs in my kitchen. I recall when we lived in New Hampshire that I went down to a garden center just outside of Wilton. It’s called House By The Side of The Road and it’s right on Rt. 101.
They have the most BEAUTIFUL flowers and scented geraniums! You have your choice of (get this!) chocolate mint, apricot, attar of roses, lemon, nutmeg, peacock, pinewood and strawberry geraniums! They all smell exactly like they say.
Another herbal paradise in southern NH is known as Pickity Place in Mason. You’ll feel as if you’ve gone back in time! After all, the little red cottage goes all the way back to 1786. Whether you want to pick up some antique flowers or find herbs not found anywhere else, or have lunch from a menu pack-jammed with herbal goodies, Pickity Place is for you!
Now, I don’t have the space nor the time right now to devote to a full garden outdoors. But, there’s nothing like windowsill gardening.
Windowsill herb favorites are always on my Summer to-do list!
That’s because they are so easy to start and easy to maintain. Best of all, they don’t take up much room at all. It’s up to you if you want to expand your herbs into bigger pots or leave them small and just for the Summer season.
There is NOTHING like using your own fresh herbs for cooking or baking. Even when the weather turns colder, you can still benefit from those gorgeous herbs growing contentedly on a sunny windowsill.
One of the things I love doing is taking a trip out to a favorite greenhouse or gardening center. This way if you enjoy growing herbs from seeds, you’ll find them there, or you’ll always have your choice of baby herb plants to choose from.
Be sure to make room for your indoor windowsill garden in a sunny spot. A southern exposure is great, but an eastern or western window works well too. Especially with the days that have been growing longer, your herbs will enjoy the warm Summer sun until sunset.
Any container will do for your windowsill herbs; just make sure they have proper drainage. I like to use clay pots with holders to catch the water. Always plant your herbs in good potting soil. Many herbs LOVE the sun, so there’s no problem there! The only dilemma you may run into is how many herbs to plant and when to stop!
Here’s some of my windowsill herb favorites:
Lavender
Of all the beautiful scents in this world, lavender is one of the sweetest of all! Can’t you just smell those gorgeous flowers! Lavender grows nicely in your garden on the hot, sunny side of your house. And it will return every year without you doing a thing! But, lavender is the perfect windowsill herb favorite!
Try rubbing a few lavender flowers on your temples to help you sleep at night. Or sprinkle a few dried flowers onto your favorite desserts. How pretty on vanilla ice cream! Don’t forget to make lavender sachets to place in your dresser drawers for the cleanest, freshest scent you’ll experience every time you open them!
Basil
When you think of herbs, doesn’t basil come to mind first of all? Basil leaves are low in calories and contains no cholesterol. Rich in minerals, basil is an excellent source of iron. You can use basil either fresh or cooked.
Basil can be used in just about every dish you make. From sauces to poultry, meat, egg dishes, soups and salads, you’ll be discovering new ways to use this king of herbs.
Oregano
A fragrant herb, oregano has many medicinal and culinary uses. Very powerful in fighting off diseases, oregano also has no cholesterol. What it has are anti-oxidants in abundance.
Want to spice up that spaghetti sauce or pizza? Just add more oregano! You can use it in pickling, soups, omelets and more. This versatile herb can be used cooked or fresh.
Parsley
A healthy alternative to salt or other unhealthy additives, parsley is delicious no matter how you cut it. You can find parsley in flat or curly leaves, and it’s always rich in antioxidant vitamins including Vitamins A, C and E. Parsley is also one of the best herbal sources for Vitamin K.
Parsley has always been used as a garnish, but there’s so much more you use it for. You can add it to green sauces such as pesto, and you can also flavor chicken, vegetable, meat and stew dishes with it.
Rosemary
This highly pungent herb has benefits you may not be aware of. Rosemary herbs whether fresh or dried are rich in mineral sources. Calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium are all found in rosemary. You are also getting a good dose of iron when you add rosemary to your diet.
Rosemary is so aromatic and makes an excellent addition to breads, meat dishes, salads, soups, and with many vegetables. Just a few finely chopped leaves look and smell so delicious on whatever you’re making.
Sage
Here is another one of those very popular herbs. Fresh sage leaves are wonderful sources of Vitamins C and A. When cooking, who doesn’t love sage stuffing? You can include sage in salads, soups, chicken dishes, sausages or fish.
Sage also doubles as a garnish. Fresh, cooked or dried, sage leaves will make all the difference in your cooking. One of the things I love to do with sage leaves is to drop them in hot olive oil until they turn the texture of potato chips, then eat! You will love them!
Mints (Peppermint and Spearmint)
Just put your nose up to peppermint and you’ll get a sweet surprise. This very popular herb is used in so many diverse ways. Peppermint leaves are great to chew on when you have an upset stomach. They also are wonderful in mint tea.
You can also purchase spearmint leaves, too. Both herb types are delicious in teas, ice creams, soups and salads. Fresh or dried you can use mint leaves to drink healthy water, too.
Windowsill herbs are one of my favorite things to grow in the summer months. They will continue to proliferate as you use them, and provide you with all the freshness you need on those hot summer days.
Growing windowsill herbs is one of the best things you can do to liven up your kitchen! And the best part is, that you now have fresh, fresh, fresh herbs for everything you make. Basil and oregano are perfect for spaghetti sauces, mints for your lemonades and teas, sage can be cooked in olive oil until they are the texture of potato chips, and they are delicious that way!
You’ll find a thousand uses for these windowsill herb favorites. Many of them go great in teas and lemonades; or simply sprinkle on your favorite foods. Just another way to
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