Why not get rid of that spice rack and replace it with an indoor herb garden: It’s an easy way to provide fresh herbs year-round for all of your culinary, aromatic and ornamental needs while also cutting out the wasteful packaging from store-bought spices. Here are some tips from the UNH Cooperative Extension Service on getting started:
Indoor plants will need essentially the same conditions as herbs grown outdoors – sunlight and a well-drained soil mix that is not too rich.
Select a south or west window. Different herbs have different light requirements, but most need a sunny location; in winter, “grow lamps” or fluorescent lamps are helpful in supplementing light.
When planting, mix two parts sterilized potting soil and one part coarse sand or perlite. To ensure sweetness of the soil, add a cut of ground limestone per bushel of soil – or 1 teaspoon of lime per 5-inch pot. There should be an inch of gravel at the bottom of each pot to ensure good drainage.
Consider the water needs of each herb. Growing plants need more water, as do plants in clay pots or hanging baskets. Misting and grouping the plants on a tray of moistened pebbles will help keep them in a humid condition. Don’t drench them – avoid getting herb roots soggy.
Annual herbs can spend their full life cycle in a pot indoors. Perennial herbs, however, will do better if you place them outdoors during the summer.
You can maintain an indoor herb garden indefinitely by periodic light feeding, yearly repotting, renewing annuals, seasonal moves outdoors for perennials and occasional pruning. Water plants as needed. Use several planters or a divided one to allow for different moisture needs of plants.
Beginning herb gardeners may have a problem deciding which herbs to plant because of the large number of herbs from which to select. A quick check of your supermarket shelf will give you some idea of the types of herbs used in cooking and also will serve as a planting guide. Many cookbooks also offer information on uses of various herbs as flavorings.
Following is a good variety of flavors and uses of recommended herbs for beginners:

• Strong herbs: winter savory, rosemary, sage
• Herbs strong enough for accent: sweet basil, dill, mint, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme
• Herbs for blending: chives, parsley, summer savory

As your interest and needs increase, you can add to the variety of herbs in your garden. Keep in mind that herbs can be annuals, biennials or perennials.

• Annuals: anise, basil, chervil, coriander, dill, summer savory
• Biennials: caraway, parsley
• Perennials: chives, fennel, lovage, marjoram, mint, tarragon, thyme, winter savory.