I grew many herbs outside and veggies, that is until I got my puppy. He dug so many holes in my garden that I removed it entirely. I transplanted my herbs to a long rectangle container on my deck. The stinker tore that up too, so I give up. I don't have much room to have them inside, but the ones I like best for cooking are cilantro, chives, basil, oregano, and rosemary. I have learned that oregano has to be in it's own separate pot or it will take over the garden. Cilantro dies down to nothing, you think it's dead then it comes back to life. The others died back with the winter snow then came back, so I don't know what they would do inside. I LOVE cooking with my fresh herbs. It makes me feel like a great CHEF :). I would think if you found your sunny location first then you could find containers to fit the space. Good luck!

Trader Joes has little herb gardens in pots w/ most of the common herbs. I bought those because they gave a nice little mix and I didn't have to do anything except transfer them to a bigger pot. They've been growing nicely in my sunroom. We also have outdoor herb plants, but this is a nice supplement in the colder months for commonly used herbs and is a very easy way to get started.

I grow most of mine outdoors. I sometimes think about bringing some inside but around the time of first frost I am busy protecting a lot of stuff or ready for a break from gardening. I have lemon grass in a pot that comes inside and it limps along until I take it back out. I really should bring a division of chives in. Oregano stays outside partially because I prefer it dried. A lot of the Middle Eastern recipes I like often recommend dried mint over fresh so that stays outside too. Thyme would probably do okay inside with sufficient light and rosemary may limp along for a while. The first question would really be what do you prefer to use fresh?

Parsley, basil, chives, lemon thyme, dill. Sage and Rosemary are a bit strong for my kids so we do not use them as much. I like cilantro but I only use it in pica de gallo and my black bean – roasted corn – mango salad, so not enough to grow it.

beagles, lol, back to tjs!

Dill I thing would be difficult to grow inside as it gets so tall...unless there are different varieties...in the garden, it looks a lot like queen anne's lace to give you an idea of size and shape.

What herbs are you thinking about growing?

Mine are all outdoors. If I want dill in the warm months I have to buy it. Same with basil in the cool months. So, that typically doesn't happen. I tend to cook with the seasons. The only herb I prefer dried is oregano. I think it's too strong fresh.

I used to grow herbs inside but the only ones that lasted through the winter were parsley and rosemary. I think the others were too delicate to be by a window through the coldest months? Or my thumb is complete black. You have such gloriously sunny rooms-- and don't you have a window box in the kitchen? I bet you'll have more luck!

I love rosemary and it is so hardy-- it is definitely a go-to through the winter for me. I love to get the ones shaped like a Christmas tree around Thanksgiving. I decorate them with ribbons and use them for hostess gifts through the holiday!

Parsley - is the same as above. I should add that I've only grown curly parsley-- I believe it is more hearty and more resilient than the (much better) flat leaf parsley. It will definitely stand up to a winter window box--- I remember getting parsley from outside when there was snow on it!

Basil and oregano-- two herbs I use a lot in winter. Well, umm... truth is... I use the freeze dried versions from Lite House. To be honest, excluding caprese salads or similar, I prefer the freeze dried to fresh! It retains the color and flavor of fresh with the concentration and shelf life of dried. (I do not say the same about the freeze dried parsley or chives-- skip them if you give their products a try).

Cilantro - I've had a difficult time growing it to sufficiently serve my recipes (which often call for a lot). In the summer, it thins out-- in the winter it goes yellow and dies. I buy fresh cilantro-- but so many of my recipes use 1/2 or more of the bunch so I don't mind.

Thai basil - I've never tried this inside so I can't give you any tips. I grow it outside and it never seems to flourish but it provides enough for my needs. I never see it in the stores and nothing compares to its flavor. I will definitely give this a try indoors.

Sage - I don't like it fresh but I have to say that home dried sage is wonderful! I don't use it enough to grow it but my friend grows it and gives me a bundle of dried each year for christmas. Yum!

Can't provide experiences on chives, marjoram, thyme, etc.

It's pretty late in the season to find herb plants at the garden stores. You might be able to find a pre-planted herb garden at a specialty store.. or hey, doesn't Terrain sell herb plants? Of course, you could grow from seed.

Sorry , that was a long post! Hope you get something from it! Good luck!

The chives and thyme would probably do okay inside. Basil I do not think would last all that long. Parsley, I think it depends. If you use a lot of parsley, it is not likely to do well enough inside to be worth the effort. Basil is a heat and sun lover and I would not anticipate it doing well over the long-term. I grow basil during the summer outside and puree it with olive oil and garlic and freeze it in ice cube trays. I will be doing something similar with Thai basil but will use a different oil. The cubes are then popped into tomato sauce, soup, etc. when I need them.

I cook with lots of fresh herbs. I have large pots of them in our veggie garden. But, that still seemed inconvenient so I planted a big pot with assorted basils, parsley and cilantro closer to the house. But they still weren't handy enough. My grocery store sells gallon pots of herbs very inexpensively. I bought a few ceramic pots to drop them into and put them on my kitchen window sill. When they start to look less than stellar I replace them. If I need bigger quantities (pesto) I still harvest ftom the garden. Works for me.

I don't have much luck growing herbs indoors but outdoors I have several, especially in summer. I have a rosemary 'bush' that I've had for several years. Mostly I use a little chopped now and then or use the bigger pieces for skewers. I also have fresh dill, basil, chives, cilantro (now gone to seed), and parsley (also gone to seed). The basil is huge and I usually clip several pieces and keep it in a glass of water in the kitchen to snip when I need it. I've already made my pesto so the plants are now just in maintenance mode.