All you need is a medium-sized glass jar (Mason Jars are perfect for this) and fresh water to start cultivating your green thumb with these 12 herbs that don’t require soil to grow.

Cilantro

Cilantro is a tasty ingredient you’ll see in delicious dressings, rice, pasta, and a variety of other dishes. Your cilantro supply will be plentiful if you place your plant in a sunny spot. It won’t do too bad in partial shade either.

Peppermint

Peppermint is good as a fragrant herb (apparently sniffing it can make you work harder during workouts), makes a great tea, can be turned into an essential oil, and tastes good. You’ll want to grow it in a partially sunny or shady window.

Lavender

Lavender smells amazing and can be made into a tea or an oil. It is used to soothe depression, ease migraines, and cramping, and promotes good sleep. They are happy in sunny places with lots of fresh air.

Oregano

Oregano is a spice we toss on just about everything. These plants grow large, but you can snip at it with kitchen scissors to trim off the leaves.

Marjoram

Marjoram is most commonly used to bring flavor to chicken and beef dishes, but also in lotions and bath soaps. It grows best indoors in full sunlight.

Basil

The scent of basil is intoxicating and can be used in sandwiches, sauces, and just about everything else. It needs 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day to thrive.

Chives

This herb/onion is also a popular choice to bring in flavor and texture to dishes. Chives need a lot of water and sunlight for optimal growth.

Sage

Sage is used holistically and in egg, chicken, lamb, or pineapple dishes. Just be sure to put it in a spot where there is moderate sunlight.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm tea has a number of uses including relieving anxiety, improving digestion, and better sleep. It likes a lot of sunshine.

Stevia

Stevia is a great alternative to sugar when you need to sweeten things up. You can use the leaves in your coffee or grind up the leaves to make a powder. Stevia can grow in both sunny and shadier spots.

Rosemary

Rosemary is well suited to chicken dishes and grows nicely in full sunlight.

Thyme

Thyme is another tasty herb that also needs lots of sunshine to grow. You can harvest thyme and dry it out by hanging the stems before it flowers or you can eat the flowers too.

If you are anywhere in Chennai, do visit Harith Tharang, a spot for all garden lovers that sells exotic indoor and outdoor plants. It has several different pots for options that you can choose for keeping them on table.