Savoring Summer's Flavors This Winter

You can spend $4 or $5 a bunch for your favorite herbs off-season at the grocery store this autumn and winter.  You can forgo fresh herbs and go with traditional winter flavors.  Or, take advantage of Lamorinda's mild climate. Commandeer your best lit south-facing windowsill to keep your favorite spring and summer flavors going through the cold months.

Basil, thyme, sage, mint, parsley, oregano, lavender, chamomile, fennel, dill and chives work well indoors with very little maintenance.  Rosemary works well indoors too, but if you have an established plant outdoors, you should be able to continue to harvest even during the winter in Lamorinda. Fancy hydroponic gardens with plug-in lights are cool, but they take up valuable counter space and really aren't necessary. For your indoor garden, you can plant in any small pots or containers you find around the house, or buy decorative ones at the local hardware or home store. Here are some tips for keeping you kitchen "Herb" happy.

• Plant seedlings or divided plants from your garden - they'll thrive faster than starting from seed.  Bringing in a whole outdoor plant can be dicey because the shift in climate may cause the established plant to go dormant or fail.  

• Use small individual pots or a larger, rectangular one to house several herbs
• Use regular potting soil.  You should need to feed only once during a season.
• Water, but carefully.  Overwatering will kill your plant quickly. Water every one or two weeks.  Check the plant's soil - if it still feels moist, hold off.
• Just as with outdoor growing, pinch off flowers and snip lanky growth to encourage full, leafy growth.
• Good air circulation helps your indoor garden thrive.  A slow ceiling fan or cross draft can be a good thing.
• Plant in proportion to what you'll use.  Cutting one good bunch of basil, chives or parsley can decimate your supply, so consider planting multiples.  Mint grows like a weed, and unless you're drying it for tea, you won't need much.

Home Front Tip: Remember to use your herbs!  Harvest no more than one-third of the plant's supply at one time to keep growth going all winter long.