Gee Barb, you've been waiting for an idea for a while.
The only herbs I had inside years ago on a sunny windowsill became spindly. I gave up inside, & put a few pots right outside the backdoor and they did much, much better. It was only a few more steps to get them and worth it.
Hey, doesn't Jamie Oliver grow his in a windowbox outside his kitchen window, which he just opens to pick his herbs? Maybe this could be the answer.

sooze

Thanks Sooze - I thought no-one would answer! Thanks!!! I think you're probably right - and I do have some outside so I think I might keep swapping them over. Jamie Oliver has that strange view that keeps changing - one minute it looks like the River Thames and the lights of London at night, but the daytime shots are of an unlovely conglomeration of backs of buildings and drainpipes. Haven't actually seen a herb garden at all - must have a closer look!
Barb

Sooze, so glad that someone finally helped out here. Everytime I saw this query still sitting rather forlornly unanswered I felt for Barb not receiving a reply. I have never had much success growing herbs indoors. All I could suggest is information garnered from one of Jackie French's books, and that is that herbs grown in pots will only be as good as the soil they are planted in and as that is only a little it needs to be really good. Feed herbs in pots at least once a year when they are actively growing, or every few weeks if used regularly. Make sure that the herbs have at least three hours of sunlight but also make sure that they do not get too hot and burn. Suggestions for windowsill herbs include basil, chives, chilli, parsley and mint. Sooze's suggestion of having the herbs outside the backdoor is probably the best solution, though maybe you could have several pots and change them round as needed.

I should have replied too, but there have been a few similar postings recently and I was beginning to sound like a broken record!!

In short, windowsill gardens are an absolute failure, usually. Partly because windowsills tend to be small, and can accommodate only small pots, and plants like large pots and plenty of room to grow and spread. They choke themselves and remain severely stunted, the smaller the pots are. In addition to that, the plants only get such light as is filtered through glass, and are deprived of all the different sun's rays that they need to do well. Then you've got drainage problems - most herbs protest by dying when their feet are constantly kept wet, so those 'saucers' are out for them. So you're left with dripping, dirty water on your windowsill. And if you investigate the top of your kitchen cupboards, you'll notice a greasy residue - if it can get to the top of your cupboards, you can imagine how easy it is to cover the leaves of your plants, and suffocate them.

Forget windowsill gardens and weak, puny, stunted plants. Give them a decent chance of survival and put them outside where they'll be much happier. They might survive inside, but there's a difference between surviving and thriving.

Speaking of Jackie French, I wonder if she knows about this site? Her advice on lots of stuff would be fantastic!

Saintin

P.S. Sorry that this was off-topic ;)

One of the Two Fat Ladies used to grow her herbs on the fire escape in London. I've never been in a house yet with window sills that could take anything wider than a clothes peg!! Aat least my new place has an E facing back so no problems planting herbs I can get to.

Thought I'd add my three cents worth to this. I have a dead end dry patch of dirt near the gas meter and a few other dead end slivers of dirt bordering old concrete paths that have become herb havens for me. Treat em mean keep em keen is how I treat my herbs and it seems to be working.

Mum used to grow herbs in pots, mainly common parsley, oregano and rosemary. She started off in big pots with good soil. Parsley was a problem as it always died and when switched to a pot with a wider neck and a narrower bottem it only did slightly better.

Apparently if you grow parsley and mint together the parsley will die. Old wives tale it may be but having done both I now do not plant the two within coo-ee of each other and both thrive
Leyla

I had an amazing herb garden growing on window sill which the morning sun used to pour through. I had more herbs than I could use!

I have had some bad experiences with growing herbs indoors as well. Which I think are mainly due to poor drainage - the plants went discoloured.

Just found an indoor herb garden online called the 'Herbie', which is coming out later this year. You can view it at www.clevashop.com. It uses LED assisted lighting to grow herbs indoors. It waters itself as well. Might be a good enough reason to give herbs another go indoors.

Here is a link that might be useful: CLEV-A SHOP