We're already wishing for the warmth and freshness of springtime, but having an indoor herb garden is one practical way to breathe new life into your home year-round.
Whether you're a natural-born green thumb or just want to add some freshness and greenery to your kitchen or living space, an indoor herb garden looks and smells beautiful. From simple jarred herb kits to high-tech hydroponic potted gardens, there are tons of smaller-scale options that will liven up your windowsill, office shelf, and dinner menu.
Here are our favorite top-rated indoor herb gardens that take the guesswork out of indoor gardening.
It may seem obvious, but the first thing to consider when looking for an indoor herb garden is how often you'll actually use it. Are you planning to clip herbs every week? Do you only use herbs every now and again? Or are you looking to have fresh herbs on hand all the time? If you don't want to use it very often, don't invest in an expensive garden system. There are plenty of options under $100, but they come with fewer bells and whistles.
How often you use herbs will determine the size of the indoor herb garden you need — whether it fits nicely on your countertop or takes up lots of floor space. And speaking of size, you'll want to consider just how much space you have: If you’re an apartment dweller with minimal space, a huge countertop garden probably isn't the way to go. But if you have a house and can spare a couple of square feet, do it!
You'll also want to think about just how much effort you want to put into growing your own herb garden. If you don't always have the best luck keeping plants alive, a system that automatically waters your plants is the best choice. If you feel like you're ready to venture out into something a little more challenging, you can try a hydroponic system: It requires you to add fertilizer to the water and monitor your sprouts more closely.
From beginner plant parents to experienced green thumbs, there's an indoor herb garden for everyone.
If you're looking for an indoor herb garden that is both easy to use and pretty to look at, check out this AeroGarden Harvest Elite model. Finished with sleek stainless steel for a modern look, this indoor planter can grow six 12-inch tall plants at a time without the use of messy soil — just water.
This unit features a 20-watt LED grow light, a sleek digital display with illuminated push-button controls, and built-in settings to remind users when to add more plant food and water.
With its compact 4x4-inch size and slim footprint, Window Garden's aquaphoric indoor herb garden tub is the perfect fit for a kitchen windowsill. Using a simple passive hydroponic watering system, the fiber soil in the base of this tub absorbs the proper amount of root-zone water and oxygen to feed the herbs or plants inside.
Just add enough water per the built-in water-level indicator (you'll only need to water sparingly) to create the perfect growing environment for your indoor herb garden. This kit is ideal for culinary herbs like rosemary and thyme, smaller house plants, and succulents.
A bamboo box dresses up this hydroponic system so well, you wouldn't even know that it's not a regular planter! Inside that box is a plastic reservoir for water and nutrients, and another perforated tray you plant the herbs in. A tiny pump keeps the water moving through evenly.
Basically, a hydroponic system means you don't need any soil to grow your herbs — just water and some fertilizer. A tiny pump keeps the water moving so no gunk like algae can form, keeping your plants' root systems happy and healthy.
For those who are trying to create a full-sized herb and produce garden indoors, this is the ultimate option. The best part? It only takes up a couple of square feet in your home, making it ideal for apartment and other small-space dwellers. TIME even named it one of the best inventions of 2020.
Because the plants grow vertically, you can grow up to 30 plants at once in the planter. The system works by pumping water up two tubes that have openings where pods (the containers holding the seeds and some soil) sit. A pump circulates water and nutrients that are held at the base of the system. There are even LED lights in arches that go over the tubes, which provide the necessary light to the plants.
If that's not fancy enough, the system also connects to an app, which monitors the plants' growth, water levels at the base, and the length of the plants so you know when they need to be trimmed. (This is all thanks to a couple of cameras that sit at the top of the unit.)
If you already have your herb garden started, but need a little extra light to keep them growing, this LED frame could be for you. It doesn't come with pots or plants, but the frame is a lifesaver in dark rooms or kitchens lacking light.
It's small enough to keep on your counter, measuring only 4.5 inches wide, but long enough to hold about three small plants. The lights simulate natural sunlight, and the planter has a timer that automatically turns the lights on for 16 hours, and then off for 8. Just like real life.
Simple, streamlined, and elegant, the Click & Grow Smart Herb Garden 3 is basically the Keurig of indoor herb gardens. Simply plug this unit in, fill the water chamber, and insert your plant cartridges of choice. (Note that the unit will arrive with three basil starter cartridges.)
This maintenance-free smart system comes with its own built-in, energy-efficient LED grow light, sensors, specialized soil, and tracking software that helps monitor the plant's growth and keeps it healthy and strong. We love how sleek, minimalist, and even futuristic this smart indoor herb garden looks in our kitchen.
This self-watering plant-in-a-jar kit uses a simple built-in hydroponic system that brings nutrients up to the plants' roots while regulating moisture from a lower reservoir, so you don't have to worry about over-watering, leaky pots, or spills.
These sturdy and chic tinted-glass Mason jars will add a warm touch to any living space, and they also make an especially thoughtful housewarming gift for green thumbs.
Choose from individual herbs like basil, cilantro, mint, or oregano, and get ready to garden!
Ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, this simple plastic garden planter set with a tiered, stackable design can be used to grow flowers, herbs, and even strawberry plants. Thanks to its clever construction with built-in water reservoirs in each layer, users can water just the top tier, and the planter will evenly distribute the water throughout the lower levels.
If you're looking for a versatile herb planter for your kitchen windowsill, this option will provide a gorgeous home for fresh herbs, strawberries, succulents, and more year-round.
Note that this kit comes with just planters, so you'll need to add soil, water, and your favorite seedlings to start your stunning tiered garden.
9
Best for Repurposing Herbs
Cole & Mason Self-Watering Indoor Herb Garden Planter
This self-watering potted herb keeper will keep your basil or thyme fresh and hydrated, so you won't have to worry about busting out the watering can night after night.
Thanks to a clever hydro-pad that soaks up water from a reservoir and allows herbs to draw water as needed, this herb keeper requires minimal maintenance and up to 40% less watering than a standard herb garden.
Suitable for one single round or square seedling pot up to 3.5 inches in diameter, the only drawback of this model is its smaller size. Still, reviewers rave about this planter's ability to repurpose herb stems, roots, and ends that might otherwise get thrown away.
Why invest in a basic herb garden when you can get an awesome water garden/fish tank hybrid instead? Upgrade your fishbowl with this self-cleaning tank that grows organic microgreens like wheatgrass, alfalfa, or sprouts right on top.
This simple yet super cool tank works like a scaled-down interactive aquaponics ecosystem, where waste from the fish in the tank actually fertilizes the plants, as the plants simultaneously clean the water. It's science!
This makes for a fun housewarming gift, but also a great way for little ones to learn about gardening, growing food sustainably, and how different ecosystems work.
Katherine PittmanAssociate EditorKatherine (Katie) is the associate editor of Best Products, where she gathers unique gift ideas, tests out buzzy products, and puts too many items in her cart for research — her work can also be found on MyDomaine, Byrdie, and Oprah Daily.
Danielle St. PierreSenior Food & Drink EditorDanielle is the former food & drink editor for BestProducts.com, where she put her knowledge as a cocktail consultant and connoisseur to use; her work can also be spotted on Thrillist, Food & Wine, and Delish.
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