Herb garden in the kitchen: how to design your herb bed

With their intense aroma, fresh herbs are just the thing for refining delicious dishes. In addition, the plants smell and provide more green in the area. Therefore, a herb garden is very popular in the kitchen. Be it in balcony boxes, in terracotta pots or in hanging containers, even small apartments offer space for herbs in the kitchen.

Find out here which herbs are suitable for the kitchen herb garden, which pots are recommended, how much soil and water are required and how to use the herbs in the kitchen. You will also receive practical step-by-step instructions for creating the garden.

Which herbs fit into the herb garden kitchen?

The kitchen herb garden is particularly suitable for herbs that can grow indoors. Depending on the light conditions, you should choose particularly hardy, undemanding plants. The following herbs are recommended:

• Parsley: The popular herb requires eight hours of sunlight a day. Therefore, place it near the window.
• Basil: Basil also needs a lot of light and prefers warm temperatures. This must-have of Italian cooking grows well near a heater.
• Sage: Sage likes it dry and needs regular pruning. The undemanding herb thrives in almost all conditions.
• Thyme: Gritty soil and spray moisture are easy to provide in the kitchen for thyme to thrive.
• Chives: Kitchens with lots of light and cool temperatures are very suitable for chives. The balcony is also an option.
• Lemon Balm: This fragrant herb is easy to grow. It goes particularly well with salads and in lemonades.
• Oregano: This pizza ingredient needs a loose base and partial or full sunlight.
• Rosemary: Again, make sure the soil is well-drained and shouldn’t get too dry.

Many of these herbs can be harvested all year round. If necessary, you can help with a special lamp. Because the more light the herbs receive, the faster and better they grow.

By the way: micro greens such as cress and succulents such as aloe vera are also very suitable for the kitchen. They have even fewer requirements than herbs and complement your garden perfectly. If you are also looking for an eye-catcher that purifies the air, an easy-care spider plant is a good choice for the kitchen.

Where are herbs best in the kitchen?

Herbs need sufficient sunlight in both summer and winter. They are therefore best kept on the windowsill. Make sure, however, that the pots should not be placed directly above the heater. Because this dry heat from below can cause the plants to die.

It is also important that the heat does not accumulate. Accordingly, the pots need some distance from each other and from the window. A southern or western orientation is ideal for Mediterranean herbs. Some herbs are more comfortable in east and north orientations. These include chives, parsley and basil.

As an alternative to the windowsill, you can also use a shelf for the herbs. This should also receive a lot of sunlight, but at the same time not get too warm. If necessary, help with fluorescent light. Then the herbs in the kitchen also thrive on the table, the kitchen counter or on the wall.

Herb garden in the kitchen: which pots are suitable for herbs?

For your herb garden in the kitchen, you should pay close attention to the right containers. Terracotta pots are ideal for herbs because they are air permeable. Most pots have a small hole in the bottom that allows excess water to escape. It is caught by the coaster.

Important: The pot must be large enough for the herbs. If necessary, you can repot the plants.

If you are new to herb growing, start with mature plants. This is easier than growing seeds. Check how much root space each plant needs. Each herb should have its own pot. Because, for example, thyme robs other plants of space because it spreads at the roots, but also at the top.

What kind of soil and how much water do the kitchen herbs need?

Kitchen herbs thrive best with normal potting soil, as they are generally quite undemanding. But you can also use special herbal soil. Pay attention to the requirements of the respective herbs. With Mediterranean plants such as thyme or oregano, it makes sense to mix some sand into the soil to prevent waterlogging.

Water the herb garden in the kitchen regularly. Press the soil of the herbs to test. If it sticks to your finger, it’s still wet enough. On the other hand, if the soil fills up dry, the herbs need water.

If water collects in the coaster, you should dispose of it. Alternatively, waterlogging forms, which damages the plants and can also lead to fungi.

Tip: If necessary, you can add fertilizer to the herbs once a month. It is best to mix it with the irrigation water.

How do I use herbs in the kitchen?

The herb garden in the kitchen not only looks beautiful and spreads a delicate fragrance, but also offers added value to the dishes. Harvest herbs regularly and use fresh, freeze or dry.

The herbs are used according to personal taste. Mediterranean herbs go best with Italian, Spanish or Greek dishes. They are also very good in salads and sometimes even in drinks.

Our recommendation: Let your herbs in the kitchen inspire you to try out new dishes and sauces.

Step-by-step instructions

Here is an overview of how to create your own herb garden in the kitchen:

1. get potting soil
2. Get pots and pans
3. Fill in the soil almost to the edge and use your fingers to press in deep holes with sufficient spacing. Insert cuttings and tap into place.
4. Pour it on and keep a close eye on it, especially in the first few days
5. Water regularly from below or immerse the pot in water
6. If necessary, fertilize with coffee grounds or organic fertilizer
7. Harvest and enjoy!

Conclusion: enjoy the herb garden project

A herb garden in the kitchen is a wonderful project with results that will delight the whole family. Breeding is very cheap and quite uncomplicated. As a result, you get fresh ingredients that you can use to refine your dishes. In addition, the herb garden is beautiful to look at. We hope you have fun!