5 medicinal herbs you can grow in balcony

As the trends of natural health solutions are rapidly rising in India today, many urban citizens are turning their balconies into herbal gardens. Medicinal herbs are among the easiest plants to cultivate, requiring minimal maintenance and very little space, making them perfect for growing in apartments. Besides bringing life and aesthetics to a balcony, using herbs allows people to take advantage of their healing and culinary benefits. According to professionals, just several pots properly taken care of would be able to bring fresh ingredients as well as refreshing fragrances to one's home.

How to identify bed bugs in hotel rooms before they hitch a ride home in your luggage and turn your bedroom into a stressful, full-blown infestation nightmare

Tulsi, also called holy basil, is probably one of the most popular herbs grown in apartments by Indian families. Thriving in pots and needing moderate sunlight and consistent watering, Tulsi has been traditionally used to treat ailments such as cough and cold, acting as an immune booster. Having rich green leaves, tulsi also smells nice and thus can help stylishly decorate one's balcony garden.

Mint belongs to fast-growing herbs, which means that it needs little effort on behalf of the owner to cultivate successfully. Having a nice smell, mint serves the purpose of decorating drinks, chutneys, etc. Partially growing in shady areas and needing regular water, mint should be frequently trimmed to encourage its further healthy growth and prevent it from becoming tall and fragile. Its bright green leaves also create a vivid impression of freshness.

Being widely used for skin moisturizing, aloe vera is a plant that requires little care on behalf of the person cultivating it. Preferring dry, loose soil and plenty of sunlight, aloe vera plants need little watering and can stay alive for many years in one pot. Thick green leaves, besides being a source of gel for cosmetic purposes, give a decorative effect to one's balcony garden as well.

Lemongrass is characterised by a fragrant smell, reminiscent of citrus. Having the capability to grow impressively tall, it also brings a refreshing fragrance to the air surrounding it. Being a great tea and cooking ingredient, lemongrass is capable of growing successfully in pots, given enough sunlight and regular watering. Lemongrass can add much freshness to one's garden due to its unique smell and aesthetic appearance.

Rosemary is a rather tough herb that grows successfully in pots in conditions of sufficient light and proper drainage. Its needle-shaped leaves emit a pleasant smell, allowing people to use rosemary for different types of dishes as well as infusions. Being drought-resistant, rosemary doesn't require much water and can serve as an excellent balcony decoration due to its evergreen properties.