If you've gotten used to snipping some leaves of basil or a few sprigs of thyme, you don't have to let the chill of fall rain on your parade. Growing an indoor herb garden can produce herbs all winter long to impart a fresh, bright taste to autumn and winter's soups and stews.

"I think a lot of times people think of gardening as a summer activity," says Janis Kieft, a horticulturalist at Botanical Interests, a Broomfield-based seed company. However, Kieft says, growing herbs indoors doesn't require exotic equipment or much of an investment, especially considering the pleasure of something fresh in the deep of December or January.

"It's nice if you're cooking and want a little bit or fresh basil or chives," she says. "If you grow a pot of herbs indoors, you have that as something fresh all the time."

Kathy Bradney, foliage herb manager at the Flower Bin in Longmont, says she has seen an increased interest in herbs.

"I've been in the department six years and have increased my numbers every year," she says.

Bradney says the Flower Bin keeps herbs year-round. Currently she offers six kinds of basil and two or three types of oregano. In addition, she puts together "herb gardens," pots that combine several popular herbs.

Bradney says many culinary herbs do double duty as medicinal herbs; peppermint, for example can flavor food or be brewed into a tea to help with digestion. She says basil is the most popular herb with chives, thyme and oregano serving as the runners up.

To keep the herbs happy during the winter, a sunny spot is necessary, Bradney says, and grow lights can be useful, as well. For those who don't want to create an elaborate setup, a desk lamp with a grow light shined on the pots can do the trick, she says.

Many herbs are easy to grow from seed, says Kieft of Botanical Interests. She suggests using a seed starting medium, available in local nurseries, which is made of a light material that allows the seed to sprout easily.

"Once you have a couple of leaves, transplant it to the container where you're going to grow it in potting soil. It has more nutrients."

Kieft says herbs will do better with a grow light or a fluorescent light. She advises purchasing a an inexpensive shop light fluorescent setup.

"You always get better (results) when you use a grow light or fluorescent," she says. "Even in a sunny window, you don't get a long day length period to get the best growth."

She advises keeping the lights on for about 16 hours a day and using chains to hang the light a couple of inches above the seedlings.

Kieft says people often aren't aware of what can be grown and of unusual uses for herbs. An example of the latter is steeping rosemary in boiled water and adding it to a bath or inhaling the steam from the water to help with a cold.

Kieft adds that an unusual herb that can be grown inside is stevia. Typically people dry it before using as an alternative sweetener to sugar.

Whether your herb plans include baths or just a few snips of something aromatic to add to your cooking, a pot of something fresh and fragrant growing in the winter can brighten your spirits as well as your tastebuds.