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One of the great joys you can bring to yourself and your family is to maintain an indoor garden. Especially one with herbs. And especially in the winter.

Fresh herbs add wonderful flavor to your home cooked meals.

This year, I’m growing two types of mint and lavender. I created a plastic baggie hothouse for the lavender. And I love pinching from the mint to use in teas or green peas or other dishes.

Herbs grow very well and with little care in containers that are 6 to 12 inches deep. Long containers with multiple herbs also work great.

Soilless potting mixes helps avoid soil born diseases. To make your own, mix together:
8 quarts sphagnum peat moss
1 quart perlite
1 quart vermiculite

There are several other things you can do to make your indoor garden a success.

Place your herbs in a sunny area. Windows facing south or southeast and that get at least 5 hours of sunlight offer the best opportunity for growth.

If you do not have a sunny window, use florescent or full-spectrum lights. Place them about 18 inches away for about 10 hours a day.

Herbs dislike wet soil. So water sparingly in the winter.

Use your herbs frequently. Sniping from your plants often encourages them to become larger.

And feeding them once a month with the type of fertilizer recommended for food will also get them to flourish.

Start small, growing one or two plants at first. Once you gain more experience, increase the size of your indoor winter garden to include more herbs and even some vegetables.

Wishing you the best,

¸.♥´Mom