Heather’s Gardening Service

Written by Heather Morren

You may or may not know that I had a pet rabbit, Alfie, for nearly seven years. Some of his favorite foods were parsley and cilantro. For years, I thought about how easy it would be to grow herbs in my downtown apartment for a fraction of the cost of buying them weekly—but I never did. 

Turns out, it would have been incredibly easy to do! 

Alfie, enjoying some fresh parsley and cilantro.

Choosing the Right Location

The wonderful thing about herbs is that they don’t need much space. As long as they get 4–6 hours of sunlight daily, they’ll thrive almost anywhere. No sunny window? A grow light from Amazon or your local greenhouse works just as well.

Another perk—they grow year-round! In summer, place pots on your deck, balcony, or even a railing. In winter, keep them on a countertop, windowsill (if it’s not too cold), or among your houseplants. Another option is to use hanging baskets, wall-mounted planters or shelves you already have in your home to save space.

Herbs also thrive in almost any container, including terracotta, ceramic, or plastic pots or even repurposed jars and cans. Just remember to add drainage holes.  

A shelving unit used as an indoor growing space complete with grow lights and bottom watered individual pots.

Selecting Herbs

Choosing your herbs can be a difficult decision to make. If you plan to use your herbs in your cooking, try to be cognizant of the kinds of herbs you use the most. I personally use dill in many dishes and plan to grow my own this year. You may also choose herbs for infusing with oils (like lavender) or making herbal teas (like chamomile, lemon balm and peppermint). Not only are herbs useful in the kitchen, but they also add beauty and a fresh, natural fragrance to your home.

To maximize space, consider companion planting:

• Moisture-loving herbs: Basil, parsley, chives, cilantro
• Drought-tolerant herbs: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage
• Pest-repellent (outdoor planting): Mint, chives (Be careful—mint spreads aggressively!)

Maintaining Your Herbs

Growing herbs is the easy part. The challenging part is keeping them healthy and productive. Here are some tips:

• Trim your herbs (no more than one third of the plant) regularly to prevent legginess and encourage fuller, bushier growth.
• Pinch off flower buds (especially for basil and cilantro) to keep herbs producing flavorful leaves

Harvesting Your Herbs 

Most herbs prefer to be harvested in the morning, before the sun is too strong and will be most flavorful if picked before they start flowering. Here are some tips and tricks for harvesting some common herbs:

• Basil – pinch off leaves regularly
• Mint – snip stems just above a leaf node (where leaves grow)
• Rosemary – cut sprigs from the top
• Thyme & Oregano – trim stems just above a leaf pair
• Chives and green onions – cut leaves at the base, leaving at least 2 inches for regrowth
• Cilantro & Parsley – harvest outer leaves first, cutting at the base for continuous growth.

Green onions growing in a ceramic pot in front of a window.

Storing Your Herbs 

There are three main options for storing your herbs: fresh, dried or frozen. 

• Fresh: Keep in a glass of water (like cut flowers) or wrap in a damp paper towel in the fridge.
• Dried: Hang small bunches upside down in a dark, dry place.
• Frozen: Chop and freeze in ice cube trays with water or olive oil.

The most important things to remember are to start small (you can always add another pot — or three). Remember to be consistent so as to not over or under water your herbs. And, most of all, have fun experimenting! 

Photos in this article were taken by Andrew and Heather Morren. Featured photo by alleksana: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-assorted-herbs-4113898/. Information was sourced from a wide variety of online resources. Please ask, should you wish to see a full list.