Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden: 14 Easy Indoor Grow Ideas for Fresh Herbs All Winter
The Michelle Obama kitchen garden began with a shovel and a lot of curiosity. On March 20, 2009, the first lady broke ground on an L shaped plot of about 1,100 square feet on the South Lawn, with help from fifth graders from a local elementary school. It became the largest White House vegetable garden to date and grew more than 55 kinds of vegetables, fruits and herbs, from lettuce to Thai basil, according to Wikipedia. Here is the sweet part: she had no gardening experience when she started. You do not need a lawn to borrow her idea. A sunny window, a few jars and some scraps from the fridge are enough. So pour a warm drink and gather your empty cans and teacups. These 14 cozy, budget friendly projects keep fresh herbs growing on your windowsill all winter long..
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Inspiration: A Sunny Windowsill Herb Box
The Michelle Obama kitchen garden idea starts small on your own windowsill. Pick the brightest window in the house, ideally one facing south, and line it with three easy herbs: basil, rosemary and parsley. Mix your containers for charm, like a glass jar, a painted can and a pretty teacup. Snow outside and green leaves inside is a lovely winter sight. Turn the pots every few days so the plants grow straight instead of leaning toward the glass. Which herb would you plant first..
You will need: three small herb plants, a glass jar, a clean tin can, a teacup, potting mix, small pebbles, a spray bottle.
How to make it: 1. Add a layer of pebbles to the bottom of each container for drainage. 2. Fill with potting mix and plant one herb in each. 3. Set them on the sunniest sill and water when the top of the soil feels dry.
Mason Jar Herb Garden
A row of glass jar herb planters looks fresh and costs almost nothing. Save jars from pasta sauce or pickles, peel off the labels, and fill the bottom with an inch of pebbles so roots do not sit in water. Tie a bit of twine around each rim for a farmhouse look. Basil, mint and thyme all do well this way. If you love jars as much as we do, our mason jar Christmas crafts gallery has more ideas. How many jars are hiding in your cupboard?
You will need: three clean glass jars, small pebbles, potting mix, herb seedlings, natural twine.
How to make it: 1. Put about an inch of pebbles in each jar. 2. Add potting mix and plant one herb per jar. 3. Tie twine around the rim and water lightly once a week.
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Trick: Regrow Green Onions in a Glass
This Michelle Obama kitchen garden trick is the easiest one on the list, and it starts with scraps. Next time you use green onions, keep the white ends with the roots still attached. Stand them in a short glass with about an inch of water and set it on a sunny sill. In a few days new green shoots pop up, and in about a week you can snip them again. Change the water every couple of days and they keep going. Have you ever tried this little bit of magic?
You will need: green onion ends with roots, a short clear glass, fresh water.
How to make it: 1. Cut the onions about an inch above the roots. 2. Stand the ends roots down in a glass with an inch of water. 3. Change the water every two days and snip the shoots as they grow.
Hanging Wall Pocket Planter
Short on counter space? Go up instead. A fabric pocket planter hung on a wall turns a plain corner into a living green picture. You can buy one ready made or sew a simple version from a canvas shoe organizer. Line each pocket with a plastic bag poked with a few holes, fill with soil and tuck in basil, parsley, mint and oregano. Hang it near a window and water each pocket gently. It is a wonderful idea for small apartments. Which wall in your home gets the best light?
You will need: a canvas pocket organizer or wall planter, plastic bags, potting mix, four to six herb plants, a sturdy hook.
How to make it: 1. Hang the planter on a strong hook near a bright window. 2. Line each pocket, fill with potting mix and plant one herb. 3. Water slowly so it soaks in, and keep a towel underneath the first time.
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Style Microgreens Tray
Michelle Obama kitchen garden fans who want fast results will love microgreens. These are tiny seedlings of plants like radish, peas or sunflowers, cut when they are only a few inches tall. Sprinkle seeds thickly over damp soil in a shallow tray, cover it for two days, then move it into the light. In about one to two weeks you have a little green carpet ready to snip onto sandwiches and soups. It is the quickest harvest you can grow indoors. What would you sprinkle on first?
You will need: a shallow tray, potting mix, microgreen seeds, a spray bottle, a second tray or lid to cover, small scissors.
How to make it: 1. Spread an inch of damp potting mix in the tray. 2. Sprinkle seeds thickly, mist them and cover for two days. 3. Uncover, place in bright light, mist daily and snip in one to two weeks.
Ladder Shelf Herb Garden
An old wooden ladder or a leaning ladder shelf makes a charming stand for a whole herb collection. Each step holds two or three pots, so you get many plants in very little floor space. Put sun loving herbs like rosemary and thyme on the top steps and softer herbs like parsley lower down. Terracotta and white pots look neat together. Check that the ladder is steady and add a tray under each pot to catch drips. It feels like a small greenhouse corner. Would yours go by a window or a door?
You will need: a sturdy leaning ladder shelf, small terracotta and white pots, saucers or drip trays, herb plants, potting mix.
How to make it: 1. Place the ladder in a bright corner and check that it does not wobble. 2. Pot each herb and set a saucer under every pot. 3. Arrange sun lovers on top and turn the pots weekly.
Painted Tin Can Herb Planters
Empty food cans become sweet little planters with one coat of paint. Wash them well, remove the labels, and ask an adult to tap a few drainage holes in the bottom with a hammer and nail. Paint them in soft colors like sage, cream and blush so they look like they came from a farmhouse shop. Plant basil, parsley and chives and line them up on a shelf by the window. For more ways to reuse cans, see our tin can crafts. Which color would you choose?
You will need: clean empty cans, chalk or acrylic paint, a brush, a hammer and nail with adult help, potting mix, herb plants.
How to make it: 1. Wash the cans and check the rims for sharp edges. 2. With adult help, tap three small holes in each bottom. 3. Paint, let dry, then fill with soil and plant.
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Lesson: Regrow Lettuce From Scraps
Lettuce was one of the many greens grown in the Michelle Obama kitchen garden, and you can coax a little of it back from a scrap. Save the bottom two inches of a head of romaine and set it in a shallow dish with a bit of water. Keep it in a sunny spot and change the water every day or two. Fresh leaves start growing from the center within days. It will not become a full head, but it is a fun, free experiment. Who in your house would like to watch it grow?
You will need: a romaine lettuce base, a shallow dish, fresh water, a sunny window.
How to make it: 1. Cut the lettuce about two inches above the root end. 2. Set it cut side up in a dish with half an inch of water. 3. Change the water often and pick the new leaves when they are a few inches tall.
Bookcase Herb Shelf With Safe LED Grow Lights
Winter days are short, so a bookcase herb shelf with LED grow lights is a smart fix. Choose ready made plug in LED light bars that stick under each shelf and plug into a timer, so there is no wiring to do. Set the timer for about 12 to 14 hours a day and the herbs stay green even when the sun sets early. It also gives a soft, cozy glow in the evening. Keep pots on saucers so water never reaches the plugs. Which bookcase could you turn green?
You will need: a bookcase, plug in LED grow light bars with adhesive clips, an outlet timer, saucers, potted herbs.
How to make it: 1. Clear the shelves and stick one LED bar under each shelf. 2. Plug the bars into a timer and set it for 12 to 14 hours. 3. Set herbs on saucers and keep cords away from water.
Teacup Herb Pots
Mismatched teacups from the thrift store make some of the prettiest planters you will ever see. Thyme, oregano and small succulents are perfect because they stay compact. Add a spoon of pebbles to the bottom since cups have no drainage, use a light potting mix, and water sparingly. Group a few on a tray for a table centerpiece, or line them along a sill. They also make wonderful little gifts for a friend who loves vintage china. Do you have a lonely teacup without a saucer somewhere?
You will need: vintage teacups and saucers, small pebbles, cactus or light potting mix, small herb plants or succulents, a small spoon.
How to make it: 1. Add a spoonful of pebbles to the bottom of each cup. 2. Fill with light potting mix and plant one small herb. 3. Water a little at a time so it never pools at the bottom.
Self Watering Bottle Planter
This clever planter waters itself, and it is made from a plastic bottle. With adult help, cut the bottle in half. Thread a strip of cotton cloth or a shoelace through the cap, fill the bottom half with water, then flip the top half upside down into it so the wick hangs in the water. Add soil and a basil plant to the top. The wick pulls water up to the roots as they need it. It is great for anyone who forgets to water. Who on your list needs one of these?
You will need: a clean plastic bottle, a craft knife with adult help, a strip of cotton fabric or a cotton shoelace, potting mix, a small herb plant.
How to make it: 1. With adult help, cut the bottle about one third from the top. 2. Poke a hole in the cap, thread the wick through and screw it back on. 3. Fill the base with water, set the top in upside down, and plant.
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Meets Christmas: A Rosemary Topiary Tree
The Michelle Obama kitchen garden spirit fits the holidays too, because a potted rosemary shaped like a tiny Christmas tree is pure cozy charm. Many garden centers sell them in December, or you can trim your own plant into a cone. Wrap it with a small red wooden bead garland and top it with a light paper or wooden star. It smells wonderful every time you brush past it. After the holidays, keep it in a sunny window and snip it for cooking. Where would your little tree sit?
You will need: a potted rosemary plant, small sharp scissors, a small wooden bead garland, a lightweight star topper, a white pot.
How to make it: 1. Trim the rosemary gently into a cone shape, a little at a time. 2. Wind the bead garland loosely from top to bottom. 3. Add the star and water when the top of the soil is dry.
Herb Drying Rack From a Branch
When your herbs grow faster than you can use them, dry them on a rustic branch rack. Find a straight, sturdy branch on a walk, brush it clean, and hang it level on two hooks. Tie small bundles of rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano with twine and hang them upside down. In about two weeks they are crisp and ready to crumble into jars. The branch looks beautiful on a plain wall, almost like art. It is also the perfect way to save a summer harvest. Which herb would you dry first?
You will need: a straight sturdy branch, two wall hooks, natural twine, fresh herb bundles, clean jars for storing.
How to make it: 1. Clean the branch and hang it level on two strong hooks. 2. Tie herbs in small bundles and hang them upside down. 3. When crisp after about two weeks, crumble the leaves into jars.
Michelle Obama Kitchen Garden Gift Kits in Jars
End the Michelle Obama kitchen garden season with a gift that keeps growing. Fill small glass jars with soil, plant a few herb seeds or tiny seedlings, and push in a wooden plant marker with the herb’s name written by hand. Wrap the jar in burlap and tie it with a red ribbon for a cozy Christmas look. Add a little card with simple care steps. In 2012 she even wrote a book about the garden, American Grown, so a growing gift fits the story perfectly. Who would love one?
You will need: small glass jars, pebbles, potting mix, herb seeds or seedlings, wooden plant markers, burlap, red ribbon, small cards.
How to make it: 1. Add pebbles and soil to each jar and plant the seeds or seedlings. 2. Write the herb name on a wooden marker and push it into the soil. 3. Wrap with burlap, tie a red ribbon and add a care card.
