Grow A Kitchen Garden In A Window Box

When a recipe calls for fresh herbs this summer, you'll be covered with a compact kitchen garden that fits right on a window ledge.

A kitchen garden window box of herbs is the answer for those who like the idea of a garden, but can't commit to a summer of tending a whole bed of plants. Or, those of us who forget to tend the garden until it's scorched earth. With a window box right on the kitchen sill, you'll be reminded to water the plants on a daily basis and will have the herbs at arm's length for easy enjoying.

So, what to put in there? I usually go for mint and basil (for mojitos and basil gimlets), because they create the illusion that I'm a fabulous gardener. Just leave them in a sunny spot for a few weeks and you'll come back to find amazing, heavenly scented bushes. Easy. But this month's HGTV's Family Gardening Club Project goes one step further and uses petite vegetables as window box filler. They recommend lettuce, radish and dwarf carrot, started from seeds. We say: Overachievers. But we're secretly envious of their patience. Here's the how-to.

Feel ready to start your own kitchen garden? Then check out...Time to Plant the (Kitchen) GardenPlanning a Kitchen GardenMinute Makeover: An Herb Garden in Your Kitchen