Cottage Living
Every cottage kitchen I have ever loved had something growing in it. A pot of thyme on the sill, a jar of mint rooting in water, a bay tree that has been there so long it feels like furniture. Herbs are the easiest way to bring the garden indoors, and they have a way of making even a small, drafty kitchen feel tended and alive.
But if you share your home with a cat, the kitchen windowsill needs a little more thought. Cats love to nibble. They will chew on leaves, knock over pots, and sit directly on top of whatever you are trying to grow. The good news is that many common kitchen herbs are perfectly safe for cats, and a few are even enjoyed by them. With a bit of planning, you can have a green and fragrant sill that both of you can share.
Basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, thyme, rosemary, and sage are all considered non-toxic to cats. Mint is a little more complicated. Most mint varieties are safe in small amounts, but cats often react strongly to the smell and may try to roll in or chew the plant. If your cat is a dedicated plant pest, mint may be more trouble than it is worth indoors, though it thrives in a pot outside the kitchen door.
Avoid anything in the lily family, which is highly toxic to cats, and be cautious with ornamental plants that sometimes get sold alongside herbs, like certain ferns and flowering bulbs. If you are unsure about a plant, check with your vet before bringing it home. It is a small step that prevents a very large worry.
Plant in shallow pots with good drainage. Cottage kitchens often have deep sills, but even a narrow one can hold a row of small terracotta pots. Group them together so they shade each other's soil and create a little microclimate. Water from the bottom when you can, setting the pots in a shallow dish and letting them drink for an hour. This keeps the surface dry, which discourages fungus gnats and makes the pots less interesting to a cat who likes to dig.
The simplest solution is to give the cat their own plant. A pot of cat grass, which is usually wheat or oat grass, satisfies the urge to chew and keeps attention away from your basil. Place it on the floor near the kitchen door or on a low stool where the cat can reach it easily. Refresh the pot every couple of weeks, or sow a new one before the old one gives out.
For the herbs themselves, a few gentle barriers help. A row of smooth stones on top of the soil discourages digging. A small wire cloche, the kind used in gardens, can be placed over a delicate seedling until it is established. And if your cat insists on sleeping in the middle of the thyme, consider a wall-mounted shelf or a hanging basket at a height they cannot reach. In a cottage, hanging herbs near the window is both practical and pretty, and it keeps the sill clear for the cat who has decided it is theirs.
There is a particular pleasure in snipping a few leaves of parsley into a pot of soup while a cat dozes on the chair beside you. The kitchen smells of green things and supper, the window is fogged with steam, and the whole small room feels like it is working exactly as it should. That is the cottage kitchen at its best, and the herbs are what make it so.
