Summer is winding down, and we’re mourning the end of farmers market season and our backyard gardens. From earth to table, we just can’t get enough of the fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash and zucchini the season provides.

But just because summer is coming to a close doesn’t mean we can’t continue to experience the joy of fresh flavors in our foods. You see, fresh herbs can lend a delicate and bright zing to any dish—and it’s easy to grow them inside year-round using indoor grow kits.

Why to grow fresh herbs at home

Sure, you can go to the grocery store and buy a package of fresh herbs, but there are many benefits of growing your own at home using indoor grow kits! First off, you’ll save money and reduce waste. When you grow herbs at home, you can clip off exactly the amount you need for a dish. No more rushing to use store-packaged herbs before they go bad—or throwing away what you couldn’t use. Secondly, clipping herbs and immediately using them means they’ll not only taste fresher and better, but they’ll also have more nutritional value and provide more health benefits than herbs that have been sitting on a grocery store shelf for weeks.

Besides the economical, nutritional and flavor benefits, we’re excited to say that herbs are also fun and easy to grow at home—especially when you use indoor grow kits! Our Garden Jar kit, for example, comes with everything you need to grow your herbs at home, including non-GMO seeds, a cute vintage-inspired glass jar, growing media and a self-watering design that eliminates worry about over- or underwatering.

Top 5 herbs to start growing inside

Now that we’ve convinced you that growing your own herbs is the bee’s knees, here are five herbs we recommend getting started with:

1. Basil is the most commonly used herb in the United States. It’s a staple in Italian dishes, like pesto, and Southeast Asia dishes, such as red curry. Fresh basil has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
2. Mint is a common ingredient in Thai foods and Middle Eastern dishes, and it’s also often paired with lamb. On the sweeter side, mint is often used in chocolate desserts and jellies, and it’s popular in cocktails like mojitos and mint juleps. Mint is known for calming upset stomachs.
3. Cilantro is common in Indian, Vietnamese and Mexican dishes. Salsa, anyone?! Cilantro provides a healthy dose of vitamin A and provides anticancer effects and improvements in skin health.
4. Parsley is a popular garnish, but it can do so much more than that! Its clean, light flavors are good in pasta and egg dishes. Parsley is also a good palate cleanser. Not to mention, parsley can help with pain relief and stomach issues; it has anti-inflammatory properties; and it can help control cancer, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Oregano has a sweet-yet-spicy warmth and is common in many cuisines globally, but especially Italian and Greek. Oregano is extremely high in antioxidants and is antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer and antibiotic.

Ready to get your indoor herb garden going? Shop our selection of indoor grow kits and get growing! https://www.46spruce.com/collections/indoor-grow-kits/products/organic- garden-jar