Windowsill Herb Gardens

By Joanne Camas, Epicurious.com

For thousands of years, herbs have been used in myriad ways. Their taste, smell, and healing properties have made them integral to the home, whether they are used in beauty products, taken to fight illness, or simply added to enhance the flavor of food. While shakers of the dried variety will do in a, er, pinch, there's nothing quite like fresh herbs to add character and flavor to recipes. Luckily, growing your own herbs is easy, and you can test your green thumb whether you live on acres in the country or six flights up in a city building.

So where do you start? We put that question to Renée Shepherd, owner of Renée's Garden Seeds company and author of two kitchen garden cookbooks, Recipes from a Kitchen Garden and More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden.

"The key is to have your herb garden close to where you're cooking," she says. "Even though I grow an extensive backyard herb garden, I still plant my favorites for everyday use in four or five pots set outside the kitchen patio so I can get to them quickly whenever a recipe needs a little herbal zing." She recommends pots with a diameter of 12 or 18 inches. While they will fit snugly on a fire escape or in a window, she cautions that it's crucial to make sure there's enough sun and also exposure to light in general. Another plus for growing herbs in containers is that they need little weeding and can be moved easily and brought inside if the weather turns chilly.

For a simple how-to guide on growing and maintaining a windowsill or backyard herb garden, including recipes for ten different herbs and extra tips, read on.