Two Edible Plants Grow Well Indoors During Winter

Do you want to grow plants inside during the cold weather? If so, you may want to consider some plants that can flavor¹ your food and make your home smell nice at the same time.

We are talking about the herbs rosemary and bay laurel.

Both plants do well inside, near a sunny window in the cold weather as long as the temperature is warm and you keep them watered.

Both rosemary and bay laurel come from the part of the world near the Mediterranean² Sea. The area is cool but not icy during winter and it gets lots of sunlight.

Gardening expert Lee Reich of the Associated Press says it is important to keep these plants "happy and alive" in the cooler months.

So, how do you do it?

For rosemary, water level is very important. The plant needs soil that is a little bit wet all the time but never soaked⁴. Too much water will kill the plant. You can plant rosemary in a container with soil that is about 25 percent sand, perlite or vermiculite. Perlite and vermiculite help soil hold water.

Rosemary can add a nice taste to food but it also can make a room smell good. So if you have it growing inside, it is a good idea to place the container near an airflow source, like a door that is used often. That way the pleasant smell of rosemary floats through the air.

Bay laurel has dark, green leaves and produces a nice smell when picked. When added to food, Reich notes, it makes soups and tomato sauces taste better. You need to crush⁵ the leaves after you pick them to release⁶ the flavor.

If you want to grow the plants inside to make your home look good, you can cut unwanted branches from the plant as it grows and make it look like a small tree. You will not hurt the plant if you do this. Most plants that grow this way get a little bit taller than 65 centimeters.

Rosemary and bay laurel can live for more than 10 years if they are cared for.

Every two years it is a good idea to replace the soil and add the plant to a larger container.

You can move them outside when the weather gets warm. The plants will like the change. And you can welcome the rosemary and bay laurel back into your home for many winters to come.

Words in This Story

herb – n. a plant or a part of a plant that is used as medicine or to give flavor to food

soak³ – v. to make (someone or something) very wet with water or another liquid

soup – n. a food made by cooking vegetables, meat, or fish in a large amount of liquid

sauce – n. a thick liquid that is eaten with or on food to add flavor to it

crush – v. to break (something) into a powder or very small pieces by pressing, pounding, or grinding⁷ it

branch – n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

1 flavor   

n.味，滋味，味道；风味；vt.调味，加味于

参考例句：

• I like the flavor of chocolate.我喜欢巧克力的味道。
• Each flavor was totally unique.每一种味道都是独一无二的。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 soak   

n.浸，湿透，喝醉；vt.使…湿透，浸泡在液体中，浸洗，吸入，使某人喝醉，向某人敲竹杠；vi.浸入液体，渗透，感化（某人），无节制地喝酒

参考例句：

• Let the clothes soak for a few hours in soapy water.让衣服在肥皂水中泡几小时。
• The oil will soak into the wood.油会渗进木头里。

4 soaked   

adj.被湿透的，浸泡的；淋透的v.浸( soak的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• He woke up soaked with sweat. 他醒了，浑身大汗淋漓。
• He soaked himself in the atmosphere of the place. 他沉浸在那一场合的气氛中。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 crush   

v.压垮，压倒，压服，镇压；压碎，碾碎

参考例句：

• This machine is made to crush the rock into powder.这台机器是用来把石头压成碎末的。
• You can't crush so many people into the classroom.不能让这么多人挤进教室。

6 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

7 grinding   

adj.磨的，磨擦的，碾的v.磨碎，嚼碎( grind的现在分词 )；旋转开动；压迫，折磨

参考例句：

• The powerful lords were guilty of grinding the villagers under their heels. 那些大领主的罪过是以权势欺压村民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This old mill has been grinding away for over 50 years. 50多年来，这间老磨坊一直在磨粮食。 来自《简明英汉词典》