Plant Your Own!

Afforable Herb-an Garden

BY MARISSA OSWALD A peruse through the pricey organic produce section of any market may leave you disheartened.  When it comes to that sprig of cilantro garnish for tacos or mint for mojitos made for two, you could easily be forced to shell out five  smackers for a shrub of herbs that end up shoved in the back of your refrigerator – and forgotten.

Here’s a better idea: growing (naturally organic!) herbs on your very own apartment windowsill.

All it takes is some common-sense planning before setting your planter on your south-facing sunny windowsill, and, of course watering once a day.  The most common and useful herbs include mint, thyme, cilantro, basil, rosemary, sage, and dill.  But since indoor herb gardens have limited space, here’s an outline of the top 4 crops.

Mint: Think tea brewed with mint, mango mojitos, a light accent to spicy foods, a cure for a sour stomach, or even for natural breath freshener.  Mint is so versatile and pungent, in both the kitchen and in soil. Mint plants are perennials, meaning they come back each season after being planted.  So if you plant mint in your indoor herb garden, it will probably surpass your pet in years.  But be cautious where you place it; it’s very haughty and won’t let other plants get in it’s way.  Plant on the outermost corner of a large pot if it’s planted with other herbs, or simply let it grow in it’s own pot of soil.  It’s not easy to wake up in the morning and see strangled coriander.  There are also many types of mint you can purchase, such as Chocolate Mint, Orange Mint, and Spearmint.  My personal herb garden contains Pineapple Mint, which gives my iced tea the slightest hint of tangy sweetness.
Cilantro: A must have for Mexican and Indian cuisine.  Dried cilantro is a cheap substitute for the  curly emerald leaves which add zest to salsas, curries, and stews.  Although fast-growing cilantro is an annual, which means it grows for one season and died.  But thankfully, you can plant it once and munch on fresh salsa by next week.
Basil: Who wouldn’t want to be able to pluck a few basil leaves and spread atop crusty french bread drizzled in olive oil?  Sweet and fresh, basil adds Italian flavor to any dish.  Also an annual, basil blooms quickly and becomes very lush.  My own basil plants grow so tall they often flop over, but just like a haircut, it’ll grow better if trimmed back every once in a while.
Parsley: So light-tasting, it hardly gets the street-cred it deserves: parsley can be used as garnish, but is much more useful blended into dressings and soups.  It creates that cliche “herb-y” taste Kraft injects into crackers, although real herbs are probably used.  A biennial, parsley blooms for two seasons and its weak taste mirrors it’s ability to grow.  Some direct daily sunlight, water, and rich soil is needed to it to grow into little sprigs that will make your ranch dressing meow.