Grow herbs on your window sill

Fresh herbs can really boost the flavors in a salad, your favorite soup, fish and chicken...really anything that you prepare. And they have multiple health benefits on top of containing vitamins and minerals. According to Ellie Kreiger's blog, herbs have "plant compounds with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Piles of studies show that polyphenols in herbs help combat such diseases as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and more. Polyphenols are anti-microbial, so they can help protect us from harmful bacteria as well."

Oregano and parsley growing in a sunny window.

But they can be really expensive in the market, particularly when you don't use the whole bunch and it rots in the fridge. I have been growing oregano and parsley in my sunny kitchen window for a couple of years now so I have access to at least two varieties of herbs all year long. Last week we had some really cold weather but I rescued the parsley from the summer vegetable garden and stuck it in a small pot for the kitchen window. I have also seen whole herb plants in the produce section of my grocery store. They are perfect for putting in a pot and growing in your house all winter long.

Bringing herbs in for the winter

There was an ugly frost this week here in zone 7, after some very mild temperatures. The annuals that were still hanging on, like the zinnia, batchelor's buttons and marigold, were toast. I was keeping the zinnia and marigolds in the ground waiting for the flower heads to dry so I could gather some seeds. But they are all dead now and I pulled them all out today. Even the mums got zapped!

The herbs survived though, like parsley and oregano, so today I dug them up and brought them inside for the winter. Here is oregano hanging in the west-facing kitchen window. Now I will have fresh oregano, parsley and rosemary over the winter.

Oregano in the window.