How To: Container Herb Garden for Indoors or Patio

Sunshine, Sunshine, Sunshine
The majority of herbs love sunshine, so for optimal growth place herbs in a place where they will receive between 6-8 hours of full sun each day. For this reason, herbs can be grown indoors in the sunniest of spots, but they will preform best outdoors. If you want to grow your herbs indoors, try putting them outdoors on a sunny day or two each week. In really hot places (such as Houston in the summer where this girl is), during the hottest times of the day, herbs may be brought into shade to prevent baking in their containers

Use Pots with Good Drainage 
Herbs don’t need too much love. Water wisely! Most herbs actually prefer dry conditions, while some need more moisture to survive. Check the tag/description on specific herbs to best meet individual herb needs. I suggest using potting-mix soil for optimal drainage and a pot or container that allows water to flow out through drainage holes; you can always drill your own if your pot so herbs down drown in their containers.

Choose Container-Friendly Herbs
Herbs really have a life of their own and their individual needs vary in terms of sunlight, water requirements, and their ability to spread. Therefore, when planting in containers for smaller spaces, such as an apartment patio or indoors, do your research on herb needs. For instance, basil, cilantro, chives, and terragon are all great herbs to plant together in a container. Mint, on the other hand, is an invasive herb that spreads rapidly and will do best by itself or with greater space.

Harvest the Herbs
Your herb garden is more than something that just looks beautiful on your porch or windowsill. Harvest those herbs! The rule of thumb is that the more you pick, the more you get, so go ahead and pick your herbs! Pinch off your herbs to use immediately, or save herbs for future use. Herbs can be dried out and kept in glass or ceramic containers away from light and head to best retain the flavor. My favorite way to save leafy herbs, such as basil and cilantro is to chop them up, put them in ice cub trays, fill with water or olive oil and freeze until needed.

If you are looking for several different ways to use specific herbs in cooking, this website provides many examples on what type of foods to pair with.