The bad news: Buying herbs at the supermarket can get expensive and is often wasteful (use them once and then forget about them, anyone?). The good news: You don’t have to be green-fingered to grow your own indoor herb garden.
There’s a host of products out there that will help even the most serious serial plant killers get a continuous, fresh supply of herbs. Not only are herbs fantastic for taking your dinners from dull to delicious, they also help purify the air and make your kitchen look pretty at the same time.
LED and self-watering indoor herb gardens
If plants seem to shrivel up at the mere sight of you, a clever self-tending smart garden is a great option. These nifty numbers come with their own built-in grow lights to provide exactly the right amount your herbs need whether they’re next to a window or not. This often encourages optimum photosynthesis, meaning a rapid growth and an abundant harvest.
Many also come with self-regulating irrigation systems that filter the water through to the herbs over time and tell you when your plants need a refill. Some hydroponic products (plants grown with water and no soil) can be left up to three weeks, so you can book that holiday, grow and go.
Traditional indoor herb gardens
If you don’t want to splash out on a smart garden, there’s also some brilliant back-to-basics options. A number of herb garden kits will provide the planters, a choice of seeds, and instructions on where to place them and how to grow them effectively. Many also have easy-to-use watering systems making it simple to avoid those too much or too little moments.
Growing your own herbs is also a healthy option, as you can choose organic seeds and follow an all-natural process free from pesticides or hormones.
We’ve rounded up the best indoor herb gardens for your kitchen below so flavoursome food is always at your fingertips. Ready, set, grow…
Best indoor herb gardens
Veritable smart indoor garden kit
When life gets busy, plants tend to fall down the priority list. But you can still have an array of fresh herbs all year round with a no-stress smart indoor garden kit. This clever kit from Lakeland has its own LED grow light system, ensuring your herbs automatically get the correct amount of light, even if they’re in a dark corner.
There’s a self-sufficient water reservoir that makes it impossible to over or underwater your plants (all our prayers have just been answered), you just need to top up the two-litre water tank every three to four weeks and the smart garden does the rest, even letting you know when it’s time for a refill.
It comes with four organic seed packs – dill, sweet basil, thyme and parsley – and your herbs will be ready to eat in just four weeks. We’re sold.
Veritable Smart Copper Indoor Garden also available on Selfridges (£189)
Umbra Giardino indoor herb planter
Bit green when it comes to gardening? Don’t worry, this indoor herb garden set is perfect for rookies everywhere.
Its innovative two-tiered design features an integrated waterfall and drain system that prevents plants from getting overwatered (hurrah!). You can keep your herb garden organised with the three metal name tags included in the set, and its sleek, modern appearance will give your windowsill the wow factor.
Indoor Herb Kitchen Garden Kit
Go back to basics and keep things super-simple with a country kitchen herb box. This set comes with the rustic herb holder, four pots to pop inside it, peat-free compost to fill them, and four packets of herb seeds (basil, chives, coriander and parsley) to sow. All you do? Water, wait, snip, eat, repeat.
Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 Indoor Gardening Kit
Take your smart garden to the next level with Click and Grow’s super-sized indoor herb garden kit. You can grow your own herbs, salad greens and even edible flowers with this easy-to-use machine.
It comes with three mini tomato, three basil and three green lettuce pods, but you can purchase a range of classic Mediterranean pods like parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. All you do is plug it in, insert the plant pods, fill the water tank, and you’re good to grow.
Unlike many other hydroponic systems, this one doesn’t require you to add nutrients as the plant pods already contain and release all the nutrients needed to thrive. The plant pods use non-GMO seeds and are free from herbicides, pesticides or fungicides, making them a fresh, vitamin-rich option.
Also available from The Conran Shop
Sky planter small
Looking for something a little different? Short on kitchen counter space? This upside-down planter means you can simply reach up and pick your herbs whenever you need them as they hang prettily above you.
Not only does it look great, it’s made from recycled plastic and has an in-built irrigation system that filters water into your plants for up to two weeks between refills. Low-maintenance and lovely.
Set of three pots on a tray
These pretty pots are ideal for growing your favourite herbs indoors – and for adding style to your kitchen decor. The powder coated steel adds a modern country look, while each pot has a drainage hole to avoid waterlogging. They’re also the perfect fit for most supermarket herbs, making life easy peasy.
Miracle-Gro AeroGarden harvest
Shake up your salads, soups and sumptuous dinners year-round with this grow-your-own smart indoor herb garden.
The science bit: The nifty gadget is hydroponic, meaning plants are grown with water not soil. The LED lighting system encourages rapid, natural growth, and the easy-to-use panel tells you when to add water and nutrients (included in the pack), and automatically turns the lights on and off.
Includes Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil and mint for a whole season of tasty meal times.
Cole & Mason self-watering herb keeper
If you’re anything like us, you may forget to water your plants from time to time. This clever herb garden uses hydro felt pads to feed the plants.
All you need to do is add the water through the spout, and check now and again to refill when it’s empty. There’s room for three of your favourite herbs, and it’s created in a sleek white and grey colour combo to ensure it fits into any home decor style.
Also available from Cole & Mason
Click and Grow Indoor Smart Garden 3
Put your feet up and let your indoor herb kit do all the work for you with a forward-thinking smart garden. Featuring a specially formulated ‘smart soil’, inspired by NASA no less, it has built-in sensors that ensure your plants receive the perfect amount of oxygen, water and nutrients, while the grow lamp allows them to germinate quickly.
Et voilà – your own fresh, healthy herbs grown without hormones or pesticides right at home. We love the simple Scandi styling, too.
Windowsill herb growing set
A lovely little set for beginners, this mini indoor herb garden comes with two cool metal plant pots, rosemary and thyme seeds, and two wooden plant labels. Just follow the seed packet instructions, pop them on your windowsill, and get growing.
Verdict
For most of us with a busy lifestyle, an indoor herb garden that simply takes care of itself is ideal. The Veritable smart indoor garden kit, then, has it all. Its sophisticated technology means you don’t have to worry about where you put it or when to water it – it does all the hard work for you. The freshest, organic, home-grown ingredients made easy. And who wouldn’t love that?
As an affordable option the Cole & Mason self-watering herb keeper is the no fuss favourite. The best smart garden under £100 goes to the Click and Grow Indoor Smart Garden 3, a well deserved title.
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