There are lots of herbs that will do just fine coming into the house with you over the cold winter months. Herbs like thyme, parsley, basil, lemon grass, rosemary and dill, as well as many others, do great growing in small containers on the windowsill. Here are some tips to help you grow your herbs inside.

1. Use good soil. Herbs do best in a good soil that drains well. Although you shouldn't fertilize until growth starts in the spring.
2. Don't overwater. Too much water can rot a plants roots and bring disease. Many indoor plants die from too much water. You should water your herbs only when the soil feels dry, which should be about once a week or so. Make sure to pour out any water that collects in the saucer so that roots will be able to breathe.
3. Large containers. If you have your herbs planted in containers already, just bring them in. If you are taking them out of the ground you should plant them in a large container. It is actually recommended to plant herbs in pots all year, this will prevent damage to the root caused by being dug up.
4. Lots of light. Put herbs in the brightest window possible. They are used to lots and lots of sunlight outdoors in the summer and do best in bright light. If you don't have a really bright window consider getting a grow light. This is a special flourescent tube with a wide spectrum of light. You should keep the plants in it for 12 hours a day.
5. Not too much heat. While herbs like light, they are not a big fan of too much heat. Never place containers near radiators. Keep the room that they are in as cool as possible. They do best in a room no warmer than the mid 60s.
6. Get them used to the indoors slowly. Moving herbs inside will be a shock to them so do it slowly by bringing them in just at night at first and put them back outside during the day. Slowly lengthen their time inside. Do make sure not to have them out in a frost.
7. Wash them. Before bringing them in, give them a good cleaning with the hose or put them in the shower to get rid of any bugs. Some people will spray the herbs with a soap like Safer to kill the bugs and eggs.
8. Prune them. When you bring them inside cut the plants back by about half.
9. Let them hibernate. Your plants won't grow as much as they did in the summer. It is typical for herbs to slow their growth in the winter.
10. Fertilize. Wait until early spring, when the days start getting longer. During this time plants will begin to grow a little more. Now it's ok to give them a small amount of organic fertilizer with watering. It's also ok to water them a little more frequently.

Follow these tips and you'll be enjoying your herbs for many years to come.