Everything kitchen-related feels a little more exciting when you've got your own indoor herb garden.
Pouring yourself a gin and tonic? Why not add a freshly cut basil leaf from your kitchen windowsill's indoor herb garden? Mixing together a delicious salad or fish dish? A sprig of parsley from your indoor herb garden will brighten it right up. Add some freshly cut coriander to your Taco Tuesday nights, some refreshing mint to your morning cup of water or incorporate sage to those warming casserole dishes you're cooking up while the weather's so cold.
Basically, if you've got an indoor herb garden growing, everything you eat and drink becomes a little more impressive.
Indoor herb gardens come in all shapes and sizes depending on how easy or complex you want the process to be and how much time you have to dedicate to growing it. If you're looking to keep things simple, opt for a herb garden that takes all of the stress away from you, with inbuilt mechanisms that can water your herbs on a set schedule and give them the appropriate amount of light.
Some indoor herb gardens have space for just one or two different herbs, while others are cleverly built in a way that allows lots of different herbs to flourish, even if they all need slightly different sleeping and drinking schedules.
They may come with soil or make good use of hydroponics. The latter is thought to be easier for beginners, taking another level of stress out of the way, but the former might be a better option if this isn't your first rodeo and you have specific goals in mind.
We've rounded up all of the best indoor herb gardens.
Fleur Du Bien Indoor Herb Garden Kit with Planter
Fleur Du Bien’s Indoor Herb Garden Kit with Planter comes with 10 growing pots, 10 organic soil discs, 10 plant markers, 10 organic seed tubes (including basil, thyme, chives, parsley, coriander, dill, oregano, rosemary, rocket and mint), and a detailed manual.
Basically, if it’s something you need while constructing your first indoor herb garden, you’ll find it here. You also get a stylish bamboo planter, herb clippers, a plastic tray, and a durable spraying bottle. The best part? It provides locally grown, UK herb seeds that are hand-picked from small farms. This way, you get non-GMO seeds and support the local economy at the same time.
Buy now £67.75, Amazon
KioGro Hydroponics Growing System
Plants in hydroponics grow 20 per cent faster than in soil and this one promises all of the benefits with none of the stresses. Its self-watering feature not only takes the stress out of remembering what needs watering when but it’s also almost silent, meaning no random noises in the background.
The larger capacity bumper harvest design offers an indoor garden with 12 plant pods, meaning more space for growing herbs and flowers. All the factors needed for plant growth like light and simulated soil are included in this hydroponic growing system. Depending on what you’re growing, you can also make use of the three different light settings.
Buy now £75.99, Amazon
Plant Theatre Herb Garden Kit
Designed to sit on the windowsill and be within easy reach whenever you need a sprig of thyme or a few basil leaves, this indoor herb garden starter kit is great for beginners who want to dip their toes into the growing revolution.
With basil, parsley, thyme, chives, coriander and rocket seeds available in this pack - you can begin to get an idea of what’s possible (and realistic) without having to arrange plenty of space for a bigger indoor garden.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon
Oliphant Indoor Allotment Gift Set
Step things up a notch with the endlessly adorable Oliphant Indoor Allotment Gift Set Herb Garden. Designed to look a little like the picket fences from all good American high school movies, this spacious indoor allotment leaves plenty of room for all kinds of herbs and flowers.
Bring the outdoors indoors and grow up to three different herbs at once on your windowsill with this planter’s simple, stylish design. The wooden shed comes complete with a white fence, handmade and painted.
Buy now £37.77, Amazon
Veritable Indoor Garden Smart Edition 4 Slot Herb & Plant Holder
Veritable makes some of the most popular indoor herb gardens and the brand’s Indoor Garden Smart Edition 4 Slot Herb & Plant Holder is great for those looking to achieve impressive results without too much fuss. This Smart Edition has four slots for herbs, plants or edible flowers and provides automated light, irrigation and nutrients to your plants so they can thrive on a year-round basis.
This set includes four favourites for cooking and garnishing: curly parsley, chives, thyme and sweet basil. Plants are ready to be eaten in around four weeks and each ‘lingot’ guarantees regular harvest for four to six months.
Buy now £199.90, John Lewis
Grow Kit - Self Watering Herb House
Got children (or perhaps, less responsible adults) looking to jump on the indoor herb garden bandwagon? This simple yet effective Self Watering Herb House offers all of the joys of growing your own herbs without quite so much pressure to keep them alive.
Its self-watering design makes this indoor garden great for growing a mixture of herbs, as each one will only soak up as much water as it needs. The perfect gift for forgetful plant enthusiasts, this mini ceramic house can be filled with water and then left alone to work its magic.
Buy now £17.00, Prezzybox
Not On The High Street Grow Your Own Herbs Terracotta Herbs Kit
You know what you’re getting when you buy an indoor herb garden from The Terracotta Herbs Company and that’s, well, a variety of herbs presented in cute terracotta pots.
An easy way of growing your own herbs at home, this eco-friendly product is a little more relaxed and friendly looking than its hydroponic siblings. This recyclable and sustainable kit comes with exactly the right amount of everything you need to grow your own herbs at home. All you need is to add a little water.
Buy now £39.00, Not On The High Street
GrowGang Hydro Herbs Kit
You were probably dissuaded to join a gang during your former years but, when the gang in question is the Grow Gang, you may want to reconsider your membership after all. The brand’s Hydro Herbs Kit offers a brilliant introduction to the world of indoor herb gardens and contains all you need to start growing.
Each set has enough organic hydroponics nutrients to grow your herbs for approximately two years, by which point you may want to look into upgrading with a bigger set-up anyway. These sets are made in the UK from repurposed wine bottles, which means every part is either recycled or biodegradable.
Buy now £20.00, English Heritage
Urban Leaf Herb Garden Starter Kit
Urban Leaf’s Herb Garden Starter Kit makes a great gift for anyone looking to live a little more sustainably or venture into growing their own herbs, fruits and vegetables. Designed for people who may have attempted growing herbs before without much success, this higher-quality non-GMO seeds, a sturdy reusable planter made from renewable Paulownia wood, and soil enriched with worm castings and water-retaining crystals.
So when you grow your thriving new herb plants, you’ll have nature on your side. The pack also comes with handy QR code walkthroughs, so you’ll have help every step of the way.
Buy now £19.95, Amazon
Urban Plant Growers TerraGarden Combo Kit
Urban Leaf’s TerraGarden Combo Kit is perhaps the ultimate indoor garden for the urban gardener. Its unique set-up means it handles all the fuss for you, leaving just the fun parts like delicately garnishing a round of cocktails and smoothly slipping into conversation that, actually, you did grow the basil yourself.
It’s also a little faster than most. Its powerful automatic grow lights and water aeration pumps not only make gardening hassle-free, but accelerate their growth. Better yet, there’s room for up to 12 different herbs at any one time.
Buy now £84.99, Urban Plant Growers
Verdict
Fleur Du Bien’s Indoor Herb Garden Kit with Planter takes the stress out of setting up your indoor herb garden by bringing together everything you could need throughout the growing process.
