By KARAN MINNIS, Guardian Lifestyles Reporter, karan@nasguard.com

The fresh breezes and warm sunshine that arrive in the spring and summer months seem to bring out a little of the gardener in everyone. But if you have little experience with plants or if you just don't have the space to grow them outdoors, a simple indoor herb garden may be just the solution for you. It requires very little maintenance, and their aromas scent up a room.

You also have a steady stock of herbs to use in cooking.

Lily Saunders, 43, who loves to garden has several indoor herb gardens, as well as an outdoor garden says she feels more attached to her herbs than her roses.

"I love having an indoor herb garden," she says. "It helps me cut back on buying them, plus it adds a little life to my food and my kitchen. Another benefit is that it takes less work to maintain than if it was outdoors.

"My roses require a lot of maintenance and I have a lot of them, so you can imagine how much time I spend in my garden, but when it comes to my herbs I don't need to worry about them at all."

If you are looking to create an indoor herb garden, she says to ensure that it thrives you have to give your plants the right start.

"I suggest people start their indoor gardening adventure at the local nursery or perhaps the gardening section of your food store. Either way, the choices you make will affect the quality of your herb garden when you get home," she says. "Buying healthy seedlings can be an easier way to start an indoor garden, but many people still prefer to start their indoor herbs from scratch. In this case, be sure to select quality seed packets that have not expired. Also buy extra seeds, since sometimes only a fraction of the seeds you plant will actually flourish. I have found that herbs like mint, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, basil and oregano thrive well on the indoors."

You should also be mindful about the pots you use, according to Saunders. "Indoor herbs will grow just as well in the many spare containers you'll find lying around your home. The important [aspect] of selecting containers for your herbs will be to ensure that the container has proper drainage," she says.

Proper soil is also crucial to growing indoor plants, and she suggests mixing potting soil with sand and a small amount of lime to give your herbs the best soil conditions for growth. Before adding the soil to your container, she says, layer the bottom with gravel to ensure suitable drainage.

"Almost any container will work for planting herbs This includes terra-cotta pots, old copper buckets, and even wine barrels. A window box is also a handy way to grow kitchen herbs."

She stresses that the size of the container is more important than the type used. If the pot is too small, the soil will dry out quickly and the herbs will soon become "root-bound."

The avid gardener says in hot weather small containers may require watering several times a day, and that wood containers hold moisture better than clay pots, but clay works well if you splash water on the outside of clay pots whenever you are watering the herbs.

"Another good point to make is that where you choose to place your indoor herb garden will greatly affect your garden's success," says Saunders. "Most herbs require at least a moderate amount of sunlight, so a place near a window or skylight is ideal. Most windows facing south provide the best sunlight, while windows facing north will supply less adequate lighting. And if you think your herb garden may not be getting enough light, you can supplement by using fluorescent lighting. Plus a little time outdoors can give your plants a boost."

Adding that when herbs receive the right amount of water, they will flourish and thrive, Saunders says that while it's important to make sure your herbs are getting enough water, over-watering can also be harmful to your garden.

"I suggest that you keep an eye on the moisture level of your soil. This will give you a good idea of how often you need to water your herbs. Typically, once every one to two weeks will be plenty. Water just enough to keep the soil moist as too much water can deprive your plant of oxygen [and] yellowing of the leaves is a sign of over watering."

Saunders says while you don't have to worry too much about your herbs grown indoors you still have to remember to water them and check on them, because if you don't they will die.