How to Create Your Own Windowsill Herb Garden

It’s Earth Day! And to celebrate we’re sharing one of our favorite (and easiest and tastiest!) ways to go green: making your own windowsill herb garden! Today Rheney Williams from The Home Depot is sharing how she turned her windowsill into a flavor-filled culinary haven for home cooks.

I have a confession to make: One of my weaknesses is salt. I love the stuff and pour it on everything to the point that it has moved from an appreciation to an addiction that needs to be cured immediately (salt pun intended)!
Seriously, all health arguments aside, I had to find a way to stop those shame-inducing looks from family members that say, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed” every time we sat down for a meal together, and I immediately reached for the white stuff! And honestly, at that point, it was just a bad habit cultivated from years of covering up bland food and not so much something I wanted to do.
Fortunately, there is a better way to bring out the flavors in the food you love and keep your sodium intake at a reasonable level. And it all starts with a casement window: If you have a sunny windowsill, a container garden filled with your favorite herbs and spices can be yours to brighten up your kitchen and enhance the flavors in your favorite dishes even if you consider yourself to be “gardening challenged.”
So pick your flavors and pick your sun-filled window spot, and let’s plant our way to enlightened and elevated eating!

I picked up a bag of organic potting mix from Miracle-Gro that is specifically designed for indoor container herb gardens. Although you can make your own potting mix with equal parts soil, vermiculite or perlite and sand, don’t dig up the dirt in your yard for your containers as this could introduce soil-borne diseases and pests to your plants.
I settled on rosemary, basil and oregano as these are three easy beginner herbs to grow, and they were available in pre-planted versions that simply needed to be relocated to my containers at home. In other words, using transplants meant no long drawn out germination periods that would make me wait all winter before I could start snipping and eating.
Finally, since I’m planning on moving the plants outside in the spring, I selected 6-inch pots and saucers that would easily fit on my casement windows and thrive on the sill until it’s warm enough to move them outside. Just make sure that the containers you choose have sufficient drainage and space for the roots to spread.

Begin by filling your container 1/3 of the way up with potting mix. Carefully remove the plant (I started with the rosemary) from the plastic container and gently squeeze the root ball to loosen it.

Place the plant into the pot and fill in the sides and skim the top with more mix. Press firmly but don’t pack it in because you want the soil to have some aeration. Leave about a half of an inch of room below the rim.

Continue the process with the rest of your herbs before watering them thoroughly and using a fork to gently “till” the soil around the edge of the pot after saturating it with water.
Place the pots in the sunniest window you have — south-facing is the best — and make sure they receive at least six full hours of sun daily.
Water them as needed, when they appear almost too dry, and ensure you do not allow them to sit in standing water. Herbs are especially susceptible to root rot if they have “wet feet” and stay too moist.

Be sure to dust off their leaves occasionally and rotate them in the windowsill so they receive equal sun on all sides. Snip from the top as they grow and enjoy the fruits of your herbs!
What are your favorite herbs and spices that you want to grow in your windowsill container garden? —Rheney Williams