Has anyone had experience with growing their own herbs inside the house?
I was reminded the other day that cilantro is the plant part of the herb that produces coriander, the seeds. Once upon a time, I grew coriander in a mixed flower and herb garden by the back steps of the house where I grew up. Along with a few other things, like mint and parsley.
The biggest thing I remember is how disgusting and long-lasting was the smell imbued in my fingers by handling the coriander seeds.
At that point I’d never heard of cilantro, nor had I eaten anything that could seriously be considered Mexican food. Not unless you count tacos from Jack in the Box before they all closed around here. Even Taco Bell was, around that time, a rapidly growing company spreading west to east like wildfire, expected to be so huge that its stock was supposed to be a great investment.
Remembering the herb growing experiment made me think of growing them inside. Thus the question…
I haven’t tried growing them inside, but I did have a herb garden at one point years ago. I grew flat parsley, basil, thyme, dill, mint, and oregano. I think I tried sage, but hardly used it. I mostly used the parsley and basil. I used the thyme with chicken a lot and the dill with seafood. Mint was for tea, salads, and desserts.
Here’s my experience:
1. Buy herbs.
2. Watch cats eat herbs.
3. Never buy herbs again.
There are some really good, easy to follow tips for starting your own indoor herb garden at http://www.myeasygardening.com/indoor/. The house my husband and I moved into recently has a stream running through the property where fresh mint grows along the banks. We made some tea from the fresh mint and it was so much better than anything from the store. We’re considering creating an indoor greenhouse to grow our favorite fruits and vegetables year round. Fresh herbs are worth the effort!