My herbs are up and growing. The chives (on the left) were first to show themselves, then the basil on the right. Finally, a couple of days ago, the shy little parsley seeds in between the others started coming up. The pots in back, being close to the window and therefore in a cooler climate, are behind the others.
I am terrible with house plants, so if I manage to keep these going until around the first of May without killing them, I'll probably set them out in my flower bed. Last year the basil and parsley were in the furthest end of my garden, which was too far to go when I was in the middle of a recipe. I figure I'll place these somewhere near my front steps.
This little window garden was just what the doctor ordered for the winter blahs. It's like a preview of coming attractions.
OK, I'm ready for a nap.I've been taking my herbs out every day, even leaving them out at night when there's no chance of frost. What I'd like to do is transplant them to my flower bed, but I don't know how hardy they are. If anyone has knowledge about basil, thyme, cilantro, parsley and other herbs, please let me know in a comment whether they are as cold-resistant as, say, lettuce and radishes.The last job Cliff and I did outside today was to put electric fence around our garden spot. We have neighbors who are too sorry to build a proper fence for their livestock, and their horses have already been traipsing across the garden spot a couple of times in the past month (same neighbors who like to trespass and steal morels; big surprise, right? Same ones whose trash blows across our pasture so that Walmart bags bloom like flowers in our treetops and meadow.)Anyway, I'm worn out and I think Cliff is too; and he still has ten hours to put in at work! Maybe I can get enough rest for both of us.
Someone asked how my herb garden is doing.
Click on the image to make it larger. I'll plant more chives outside, once it's time, because there are only about five plants; that's not enough. There are only three sage plants, but if I remember correctly from my childhood, sage grows pretty big. Three plants may be plenty.
I have decided to transplant all these outside when the time is right; then in autumn I'll perhaps bring some of them inside; I figure it's silly to subject them to my hit-and-miss way of dealing with house plants when I have plenty of places outside where they can thrive.
Parsley is the only thing that hasn't shown itself yet.
This morning I was reading Deb's "Keep it Cheap" blog and found instructions for a one-pot herb garden.I've been toying with the idea of having some herbs growing in the house for a long time, but considering my history of killing any and all house plants I touched, I pushed it to the back of my mind.However, reading that tutorial really gave me the gardening fever; and I already had the herb seeds here, waiting for spring. Unlike at my old house, there are some south-facing windows here! 
I made little signs so I'd know what's what, because I'm not all that familiar with what most herbs look like.I really hesitated to blog about this because I don't have much faith in these plants thriving, but I'm throwing caution to the wind. You folks can share the adventure with me, whether there's a happy ending or not.Patience will be required, because it can take up to ten days for the seeds to even germinate.Here's hoping!
