A simple guide to get you started

Imagine adding freshly picked basil to your pasta or brewing a soothing cup of mint tea - all harvested from your own windowsill garden! 

Whether you're a novice gardener or have always had a green thumb, follow these steps to turn your kitchen windowsill into a lush oasis. 

How to get started:

1. Choose a sunny windowsill which gets at least 6 hours of sun a day.
2. Select your container or containers, ensuring plenty of drainage holes. If you're using a single container for all of your herbs, make sure to plant them a couple of inches apart. 
3. Use a saucer to avoid marking your windowsill. 
4. Start by putting a layer of potting mix in the bottom. 
5. Gently remove the herb plant from its original pot, loosening the roots. 
6. Finish with the potting mix, firming gently around the plant leaving space for watering. 
7. Water immediately and drain the saucer when excess water builds up. 
8. Feed your herbs weekly. 

Top 5 windowsill herbs

Chives

As these don't need much light, they can be grown almost anywhere. Just remember to regularly water and fertilise them. Use our coffee grounds as a natural fertiliser, simply ask for a bag of used Extract Coffee coffee grounds from our cafés! 

Mint 

Mint grows very quickly, making it a perfect herb to have in the kitchen. Place it in a partially shaded spot, water and feed regularly with your natural coffee ground fertiliser. To make mint tea, just pop it into a teapot and fill with boiling water or strain into a mug. 

Garden cress

Growing cress in any growing medium is almost always successful. This herb grows in both full sun and partial shade and only needs watering occasionally, unless in a very bright location. Use in soups, sandwiches and salads for more tanginess. 

Basil

Nothing beats the taste of fresh basil. Make sure you keep it in the sun and plant in nutrient-rich soil, feeding it frequently and watering as soon as the leaves begin to droop but never keep it submerged. To encourage the plant to branch out, always cut the stem above a new pair of leaves when harvesting. 

Rosemary

As a Mediterranean herb, rosemary is one of the easiest kitchen herbs to grow as watering and fertilising are rarely required. When harvesting, simply cut a few branches from the base and it will sprout again. Whole sprigs can be roasted with root veggies or sprinkled over Italian breads for extra flavour. 

Top tips

• Due to the limited light spectrum indoors, the plant can weaken so it's good for the herbs to spend some time outdoors from time to time - like on the other side of the windowsill. 
• If you're using small pots, only plant 2-4 individual plants of each herb species to make sure they develop properly. 
• Repot your herbs every Spring. When the plant becomes root bound - when its roots have filled the container and it stops growing well - divide the herbs or plant them in a larger pot. 
• Inspect your herbs for pests on a regular basis - an infestation is common in the Winter when the plants are weakened and the air is dry. 
• Harvest whole stems from your herbs on a regular basis to ensure healthy growth. 

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