An indoor herb garden for the apartment or complex lifestyle is an excellent addition. Not only do you save on having to purchase commercial herbs but also an excellent way to add quick and spurious flavours to your cooking!
Ahead, our most favourite herb choices;
Basil
This herb is an all-time favourite. Popularly used in Italian cuisine for pesto and tomato-based pasta dishes.
Basil has been touted to help reduce blood sugar levels and aid in treating symptoms related to anxiety and depression. Recent preliminary studies also show that this incredible herb can reduce the level of bacteria growth within the stomach walls.
Basil grows quite easily but also runs out fast so be sure to keep plenty of seeds or regrow off cuttings by placing them in water until a new plant propagates. Basil grows well under bright light so be sure to keep it on your windowsill. Snip a few leaves for dinner and regrow often!
Parsely
Parsley is rich in antioxidants which prevent the slow degradation of our cells and also carries essential vitamins like A, C, and K. It may also help maintain blood sugar levels and support the heart, kidneys and even the general health of your bones.
Parsley is also a favourite garnish for salads and pasta, but it’s so much more than just that. This delightful herb adds bountiful flavour to any dish it embellishes so keeping a stable supply in your indoor planter is a must!
Use all-purpose potting soil for your seeds and water twice a week whenever you feel the soil is getting dry. Once the herb begins to grow, keep it at room temperature and cut from the base of the leaf stem when ready to harvest, to ensure regrowth.
Sage
With a pungent smell and flavour, sage is surprisingly an easy herb to grow. Its has a strong flavour so always be sure to add just a little. Sage plants can grow for years and retain their flavour for just as long.
With its name derived from the latin word “salvere” which means “to save”, Sage is known to help improve memory and brain function with medical research indicating that it may even assist in combating alzheimers.
Grow your Sage by adding all-purpose potting soil to the planter and don’t forget to water once a week. Make sure that your sage stays in a cool and dry area. Pick individual leaves when ready to harvest.
Rosemary
An excellent addition to a beef, lamb or chicken roast, Rosemary remains one of the most common herbs for garnishing a Sunday lunch.
Did you know that Rosemary can also combat congestion and nasal related allergies? This is all thanks to an active ingredient called rosmarinic acid. This natural compound slows your allergic reactions and calms the airways.
Propagate Rosemary by placing a cutting in a glass of water until it develops roots. Move it to your kitchen windowsill so it can get a little sun. When planting, use sandy well-drained soil and let the topmost layer of the soil dry out completely before thoroughly watering. Harvest by cutting at the stem the moment your Rosemary is over six inches tall.
Thyme
A member of the mint family, Thyme is the best garnish for winter meals and is an immeasurably flavourful herb that suits practically any meaty meal. This versatile herb can be consumed either freshly cut or dried out over time.
With over 400 different varieties from all over the globe, Thyme has multiple health benefits ranging from boosting your immune system to even lowering your blood pressure. There is no reason why you shouldn’t have this immaculate herb as a permanent staple.
Thyme can be grown in a small container but be sure that it receives at least six hours of sunlight daily and mix with both potting soil and dry sand. Once the plant is ready to harvest, snip off the foliage for use and leave about 10cm of the stem.
Cooking, juicing, and beyond
The 90s gave rise to a number of health crazes, some of which are still in effect today. Rather than consuming daily fruit and vegetables through regular meals, some people took to blending them down to juice and drinking them instead. Juicing your roughage is a natural way to detox your body and has also been linked to helping reduce the risk of cancer.
Although there were definite health benefits, some of the downsides included the lack of natural fibres, the varying levels of juice quality, and the high sugar intake of mixing too many fruits. Not to mention the expense involved in buying all that produce. Recently, however, the focus has shifted to trend towards the idea of supplementing rather than replacing whole diets.
With herbs being one of the most nutrient rich types of flora, they are the perfect supplement to juicing. Not only do you receive the health benefits of crushed fruits and veggies, but the liquified contents allow for a much quicker release of the herbs’ properties as well.
Some of the most popular herbal benefits include vitamin A, iron and manganese rich mint leaves which aid in relieving IBS and indigestion.
Whichever way you look at it, the focus behind herbal juicing is to enhance flavour and rich nutrients. Test out different ideas with your herbal garden and always remember the number one goal…
Having fun!
Start your indoor garden!
Get started today with your very own indoor herb garden and try out one of these amazing starter kits! These kits make for excellent gifts too. Just be sure to gather it up in a bunch of heathers…
Breathe life and flavour into your cuisine and start your indoor herb garden today!
Need a bigger home for your indoor herb garden?
For more information about our leading homes visit our website at www.leadhome.co.za or give us a call on 010 590 3088.
Read more:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-herbs-and-spices
