How to Grow Herbs in Your Kitchen in Decorative Glass Containers

Buy herb seedlings or grow your own in a seed tray. Choose herbs that you regularly use in your cooking or that infuse a kitchen with their aromatic scent. Thyme, basil, parsley and coriander are all well suited to growing in confined containers.

Acquire a variety of large glass vases or jars. They don’t need to match exactly; in fact, your display might look better if they don’t. You may want a theme -- for example, blue glass or containers with animal designs -- or prefer a mismatched collection of attractive containers.

Wash the glassware and leave to dry.

Break an already cracked or chipped clay plant pot into pieces 2 or 3 inches across. Plant pot pieces aid drainage, which can be a problem in watertight containers.

Prepare a mixture of potting compost and perlite or sand. Approximately three parts compost to one part perlite produces a well-draining soil that suits most herbs.

Place a 2-inch layer of plant pot pieces in each container. Add the compost mixture until the container is nearly full and press down lightly. Make a hole with a pencil in the compost and plant one or two seedlings in each container. Water until the soil is damp but not soaking wet.

Position the glassware somewhere with good natural light, such as a windowsill. As well as encouraging healthy herb growth, good light also shows your glassware at its best.

Water the containers regularly, allowing the soil to dry out somewhat between each watering. Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer for houseplants as per the directions. Organic versions are available if you want organically grown herbs.

Wipe the containers down with a damp cloth as required to remove dust. While you do so, observe the roots through the glass. Once the roots start to circle round, transfer the herb to a larger container and plant a new seedling in the glass vase or jar.