The Indoor Garden : Herbs Go From Flower Pot to Kitchen Pot : Plants: Not only are herbs beautiful to look at, but using them in cooking will add special flavor to your meals.

One of the greatest joys of indoor gardening is growing herb plants.

Not only are herbs beautiful to look at and fun to grow, but as both .ey go froma professional gardener and an amateur cook I can assure you there’s nothing more rewarding than seasoning your favorite dish with a bit of oregano, thyme or sage that you grew yourself in your very own kitchen windowsill.

The difference between herbs and spices?

Well, most herbs are fleshy, succulent plants that grow in relatively temperate climates and whose leaves and stems can be used for culinary purposes, for giving off delightful fragrances, have proven curative powers or can be used as natural cosmetics or dyes.

Herbs can also be dried to make beautiful wreaths or breath-taking potpourri.

A spice, on the other hand, is generally a very aromatic part of an herb plant, ground from the root, fruit, flower or bark.

For instance, the plant coriander is an herb, generally known as cilantro or Chinese parsley, while the ground seeds of coriander are classified as a spice. The same with ginger--the plant itself is an herb; the root is a spice.

And spices prefer a more tropical environment than herbs.

The culinary herbs, those used for flavoring food, include savory, rosemary, basil, dill, parsley, mint, anise, bay, chervil, chives, fennel, mustard and many, many more.

They can be used either fresh or dried. Just remember that dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs--one tablespoon of fresh herbs equals one teaspoon of dry herbs.

Also, you should add fresh herbs relatively late in the cooking process so that you don’t cook out all the subtle, delicate flavor.

Although almost all herbs are scented, the most fragrant include bay, lavender, scented geraniums, lemon verbena, patchouli and tansy. Among herbs used for dye and color are indigo (for blue), agrimony (for yellow) and madder root (for red). And people have been using herbs for medicinal purposes since the beginning of time, such as chamomile for tea and aloe vera, applied topically, for rashes and burns.

The most rewarding route toward growing your own herbs is to start them from seeds. You’ll find a large variety of packeted herb seeds in nurseries, garden centers and discount stores.

Follow the directions on the seed packet, which will read something like this: Fill a pan or a low, wide pot with one-half commercial potting mix, one-quarter vermiculite and one-quarter perlite. Plant the seeds in rows about four inches apart and about half an inch under the soil. Keep the soil moist and in a bright, warm spot.

The seeds should sprout within two weeks. As the individual plantlets reach heights of 3 to 4 inches, weed out the smallest, scrawniest seedlings and plant the strongest into individual small pots about 2 inches in diameter.

Keep them in bright sunlight and keep the soil moist (this usually means daily watering). Within a few weeks you should have flourishing plantlets that are anywhere from six inches to a foot tall and ready to be transplanted into and cultivated in four-inch pots.

As fresh herbs become more and more popular in cooking, people are also buying established herb plants, usually in 3- or 4-inch pots. You can find high-quality plants in better nurseries and garden centers in our area almost all year long.

Although you can buy perennial herb plants during the fall and winter, the best time to buy is now, during the summer, so that they can get a good root hold in your house or apartment. When buying herb plants, make sure they’re healthy: A good plant is full, bushy and free of drying leaves.

The general rules for growing herbs indoors, to keep them thriving even during the winter months, are:

Light: Herb plants need at least five hours of good sunlight a day, although they should be protected from direct sunlight during the hot summer months. If you can’t provide enough natural sunlight, herbs will do very well under artificial lights.

Water: Most herbs should be kept moist at all times, although some need to be drier than others. (See specific care instructions.)

Soil: A regular commercial potting mix is fine, but I suggest you add a bit of perlite to create a lighter soil and ensure extra good drainage.

Food: Herb plants need very little food--a once-a-month feeding with an 8-7-6 liquid houseplant food is plenty.

Harvesting

Whether you’re growing your herbs for cooking, fragrance or medicinal use, you’ll want to harvest them frequently. I’d suggest cutting a couple of inches off the tops every time your herb plants grow that much. This will not only keep you well-supplied with herbs but will help encourage bushy new growth as well. You can harvest herbs using scissors or by just pinching off the tops any time you like.

I’ve tried lots of herbs indoors, but I’ve had the best luck with these five, all perennials, ensuring growth year-round:

Oregano

Almost interchangeable with another delicious perennial, sweet marjoram, oregano ( Origanum varieties) has a slightly sharper flavor and makes a wonderful container plant. It grows into a shrub about two feet tall with dark, green, oval leaves. Oregano should be grown in full sun, kept moist, and can be propagated from seeds, cuttings or root division.

Oregano is an especially good addition to dishes such as pasta, soups, salads and tomato-based dishes.

Thyme

Thyme, Thymus varieties, (pronounced “time”) is a perennial that will thrive in full sun when kept lightly moist in a well-drained soil. All varieties do well indoors, but you should clip (or harvest) your thyme plant frequently so it won’t develop woody stems. Propagate by seed or stem cuttings. Thyme can be used effectively with meats, poultry, stews, sauces and soups. (I make a mean zucchini loaf flavored with thyme.)

Savory

Among the many varieties of savory ( Saturega varieties) the two most common are winter savory (S. montana) and summer savory (S. hortensis.) Winter savory is a hardy perennial that will grow almost two feet tall and will do very well on a bright, sunny windowsill. Summer savory is an annual that has a slightly more delicate flavor than winter savory but which I don’t recommend you try to grow indoors. Both varieties have small, needle-like leaves and produce tiny, pinkish-white flowers. Winter savory prefers a more sandy soil than its summer brother and is propagated by division or root cuttings. Savory is delicious is salads, soups and stews.

Sage

Another hardy perennial, sage ( Salvia varieties) is a member of the mint family. Besides its culinary value, sage has long been used as a medicinal herb for everything from upset stomachs to baldness. In medieval times, sage was even thought to improve the memory. Among the many varieties of sage you’ll find at your nursery or garden center, the showiest is the variegated s. “tricolor” and the most interesting (if you can find it) is s. elegans, or pineapple sage, whose light-green leaves have a strong pineapple aroma. Sage can be propagated by seed or stem cuttings and goes well with sausage, pork chops, vegetables or pasta sauce. The most traditional use for sage is at Thanksgiving, in turkey stuffing.

Rosemary

Rosemary ( Rosmarinas varieties) is more woody than the average herb plant, thus we often see it designed as a topiary or a bonsai plant. Rosemary is said to alleviate headaches, heal wounds and induce sleep, but it’s most prized as a flavorful addition to meats, soups and vegetables. And for a summer treat I sprinkle rosemary leaves on my homemade fruit salad. Rosemary should be kept away from cold drafts during the winter, and although it needs full sun, it should only be watered when the soil is dry.

Using fresh herbs as flavoring can often turn a very good dish into a gourmet delight. But, even if you choose to dry some of the herbs you grow and harvest, you’ll get a great deal more satisfaction from sprinkling home-grown rosemary into a recipe than adding the same herb from a store-bought jar.

If you want to know more about growing herbs, there are lots of excellent books available on the subject, ranging from “Herbs” by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead (Potter: $35.00), a beautiful coffee-table tome, to the bargain of the batch, “Herbs--An Illustrated Guide” (Sunset: $6.95).

So there you have it. It’s time for you to join the ranks of those of us who have discovered the pleasure of growing our own herbs.

Whether you start your herbs from seeds, cuttings, or buy the plants already under way in 3- or 4-inch pots, good luck, happy growing, and bon appetit!