All of us herb gardeners have seen those cute little herb kits with miniature pots for sale in home improvement, discount, hobby stores, etc.

I have been growing many different herbs for over 40 years. I find it impossible to believe that the herbs included in these kits -- mostly Mediterranean herbs that require a minimum of 6 hours of full sun in open ground -- will look anything like the photo and provide "easy, year-round access to sweet basil and other fresh herbs," especially if put into a (probably screened) kitchen window and more especially in winter!!

The basil, parsley, & chives in my outdoor summer garden grow from 24"-36" high, dill is even taller. I have seen kits showing multiple basil plants in a single pot. Basil needs at least 12"-15" between plants to do well. Parsley should have at least 6-8" or more between plants and has a pretty deep tap root. Yet the pictures often show multiple plants of basil & parsley growing in little pots or strawberry jar pockets. One such pot had mint in it. Anyone who has grown mint knows how it could take over the jar!

Another kit supplied Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro/Coriander, Lemon Basil, Dill, Oregano, Sweet Marjoram, Chives, Savory, Garlic Chives, Mustard, and Sage and boasted, "Start a herb garden in your own kitchen. Our indoor culinary herb garden kit is designed to help you start herbs in your own kitchen or windowsill with a neat little 12" x 12" x 5" greenhouse. This herb greenhouse provides the perfect climate for fast herb propagation and growth. In just a few weeks you will have herb plants."

It takes a few weeks just to get parsley to germinate!! And few, if any, of the herbs listed would be at all happy to continue living in a peat pellet once they were more than a few inches tall!

One can purchase a lot of fresh herbs for what many of these kits sell for (some upwards of $30, plus S&H, of course), or a number of seed packets. Yes, some kits come with a guarantee that allows an unhappy customer to return goods, but consider the hassle of packing up a bulky (and often heavy) object and paying return postage. One such guarantee I saw said that if the customers simply was dissatisfied, but the item was not considered defective, $6.95 would be deducted from the refund! I imagine most folks would not throw good money after bad & so would not even bother to return the item.

I feel companies who put these kits together are taking advantage of unknowing consumers and dooming them to real disappointment. In the herb programs I have given as a master gardener, I advise people to avoid all such pre-packaged plant kits from sellers who make these glowing promises of success and explain why.

I would be interested to hear from gardeners who have tried any of these kits.

Did the seeds germinate?

If soil was included, was it good soil (or "like sawdust" as one reviewer described the medium that came with her kit)?

Did the herbs reach a useable size?

Did they grow successfully indoors in winter so that you were able to actually harvest them regularly for use?

--Or any other comments you might have. I am giving another herb course soon and would like to include the information I get from you. I am happy to change my advice if I hear that there are reliable kits to be had!