During college, I collected a few houseplants to help fill the void caused by not being allowed pets. Now, living in a small, no-pets apartment with my husband, I’ve collected a few more. Then there’s the issue of not having an outdoor space for a garden. My solution? Attempt to grow herbs indoors.

I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to get to a garden store for seedlings, so I’m growing herbs from seed. I’m using a method I’ve seen on Pinterest lately: starting seeds in egg shells. Apparently, residual nutrients inside the shell are supposed to help the seeds grow, and you can crack the shells some when placing them in pots or the ground to help the roots through. They do seem to make neat little portable pods.

I planted everything yesterday morning. I chose six herbs, ones I like to use in cooking and a few I just wanted to try: Italian parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, and tarragon. I’m kind of regretting not choosing sage because I’ve had Scarborough Fair stuck in my head a lot because of this project…

The parsley seeds are supposed to take 4 weeks or so to germinate, so I soaked them overnight to speed the process. I poked holes in the bottoms of the eggshells for drainage using a miniature screwdriver. Then I scooped some potting soil into the shells and carefully planted a few seeds per shell. I used the screwdriver again to push in the seeds or create divots for them–most of the seeds are tiny and it helped to have a poky little implement.

The earliest seeds to germinate should be basil, within 5 days or so. If all goes well, I will post some pictures. Once everything’s progressed a little, I’ll move things into pots.