Trying to grow your own food can sometimes seem scary. I promise you you don’t have to dive in head first with a full outdoor garden and a variety of high maintenance vegetables. A few small pots on your sunniest windowsill are a great place to start, and easy, low maintenance herbs are the perfect occupants of those pots. Herbs have multiple different uses and are easy to harvest and care for. Here are my top five herbs that you can watch grow from the comfort of your own bedroom this spring.
- Basil
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Every year, basil is by far the herb I most look forward to getting to grow. It is super low maintenance and a single small plant produces so many leaves. Basil can be used for a ton of different things including fresh pesto (my favorite), salads and as a fun pizza topping. You can also pick it right off the plant, rinse it off and pop it right into your mouth as a snack while doing work or just relaxing.
- Sweet Mint
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Sweet mint is great and if you grow it on your windowsill it will make the room smell great too! Aside from it being a natural air freshener, it is great to use in drinks like mint tea or, if you’re over 21, all kinds of cocktails like mojitos. When the weather starts to get hotter you can also use it in a refreshing watermelon salad or, once again, chew on the leaves themselves.
- Dill
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If you like dill pickles, you have only scraped the surface of what you can do with this herb. Of course you can choose to use the fresh dill you grow to pickle your own cucumbers, but for an easier route, dill is a great ingredient in simple recipes for dinners and lunches. My personal favorite is a chickpea (or chicken if you eat meat) salad. Dill is also great for spicing up a salad or adding a little extra to roasted vegetables.
- Lavender
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Just like sweet mint, lavender will make whatever room you put it in smell amazing. Lavender also flowers beautiful purple petals that will make you smile just looking at them. Lavender can be great for baking and adding an extra little touch to something simple. Alternatively, you can dry it and use it as air freshener or do some research on how to use it cosmetically!
- Rosemary
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Rosemary is one of the most versatile herbs for cooking. Most commonly, you can pair it perfectly with roasted chicken, but it can also be tossed into many soups and salads. It is also, once again, perfect for adding a little something extra to roasted veggies.
Hopefully this article has made an introduction to gardening a little less daunting than it can seem. Growing easy, potted herbs is something I picked up during quarantine and absolutely fell in love with. In addition to getting to reap all the benefits of whatever you grow, herbs also look great and will act as great decor for any room. So instead of getting another succulent this spring, try for some basil or lavender, I promise you’ll be hooked in no time.