news&views Autumn 2018 | Page 18

Gardening Gerald Filipski Indoor Herbs One of the nicest things you can do for yourself or give as a gift is to grow indoor herbs. Being able to take a snip of a fresh herb to add to your favourite recipe is a simple pleasure normally reserved for harvesting from your outdoor garden. You can easily grow your own herbs indoors with very little effort. If you start now, you should also be able to have a nice herb ready for Christmas gift giving or for adding extra flavour to that special holiday meal. Personally, I like nothing better than receiving a homegrown gift. You can start with either seeds or living plants. I prefer to use the living plants because it allows you to get things going far more quickly since herb seeds can be hard to germinate. It is simple to take a trip to your local greenhouse and fi nd good selections of herbs from which to choose from that are already happily growing. Your choice of pots may require a little extra thought, because the herbs will be prominently displayed in your window. There are some unique containers on the market now that can make a striking statement in any home décor. You might also consider using containers that have been recycled from other purposes. Old teapots, old tea tins, or even cake tins can all be repurposed for plant pots that make a statement. 18 | arta.net Most herbs will require from four to six hours of direct sunlight daily to perform their best. An unobstructed south, west, or east exposure will provide the best light for your plants. Some herbs such as mint, watercress, and chervil require a bright, north-facing window. If your windows do not receive full sun, you may want to consider using an artifi cial light source such as a gro-light. Regardless of your light source, you should turn your plants frequently to make sure all sides get good light exposure. Be careful during cold weather days to ensure that your herbs are not too close to the glass. They can be easily damaged by getting too cold or can even freeze from touching the window. You will need to pay attention to water and humidity requirements. Diff erent herbs require diff erent levels of moisture. For example, basil, parsley, mint, chervil, and arugula do best if kept moist but not wet. Let Mediterranean plants such as rosemary and lavender dry out slightly before you water again. As a general rule for most herbs, water when the top of the soil feels dry, and then allow to dry out again before watering. The choice of pots will aff ect the amount of watering as well. Plastic or ceramic pots will retain water better and you will need to water less often. Terra cotta, on the other hand, tends to allow the soil to dry out more quickly requiring watering more frequently. If you are using repurposed containers, just make certain that you drill a few holes for drainage. For repurposed ceramic containers like glazed teapots, you will need to use a