Growing Your Own Herbs — How Easy
Photos by: Michelle Day
This past weekend we planted herbs in the container pots on my upstairs deck. Elisabeth and I have done this for several years now. Growing your own herbs is easier than growing flowers. It only takes some dirt, a sunny location, a container (if you don’t have a garden location), and a quick trip to the nursery. This is not a long endeavor either so kids of any age will enjoy helping out. Let them pick their own herb, and maybe a pot to keep it in. Planting is not arduous therefore a fun family activity. And get your kids to help out. They can keep an interest merely by watering through out the season. This way they see the plant’s growth as well as partake in how much better FRESH HERBS make food taste!
At the nursery we shopped at each herb cost the same as a single packaged bunch does at our local Super Market. And what we planted will produce all summer and fall. Very cost-effective. Plus since I can use my own herbs the day I pick them all the nutritional benefits such as flavinoids, vitamins and antioxidants are at their peak. (Herbs, because of their volatile oils, have higher concentrations of disease-fighting antioxidants than fruits and vegetables.)
The herbs I prefer for home growing are the ones I use the most. Which is convenient. These are Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary and Marjoram. Chives are good too but we couldn’t find any. I keep mint in a pot because it overruns everything in the garden. I also like potting Lavender because it thrives in dry conditions and has a great look. It does not winter well in New England so I have to replace it annually therefore I treat is as an annual. (The same is true for Rosemary). And the scent both these plants exude makes the deck an oasis. Sage is another wonderful herb for cooking and visual interest because it comes in a range of colors from silver to green to variegated to purple.
Herbs are more resistant to neglect and tougher than flowers so less care and skill is required. A few tips are all you need to know. First, I like using ‘organic’ soil. Since I’m not sure what sort of chemicals will make a ‘miracle’ out of my flowers, I am hesitant to use that sort of enriched soil in what I will be growing to ingest later. So I stick with organic or pure top soil and use a fertilizer specifically for vegetables. In an outdoor garden you can compost and supplement with manure or a manure and soil amendment available at all garden centers. Next I like to plant ‘like-minded’ herbs together. That’s a simple thing to figure out. For instance — plant herbs that tend to go well in Italian food in the same container. The next tip is to put herbs that require about the same amount of water in the same container. Which means the Rosemary went in a smaller terracotta pot by itself. I put the Basil and Parsley together in one large container and the Oregano (we bought 3 varieties for taste and visual appeal) Thyme and Sage in another large container.
The last tip is plant for visual appeal. So arrange your plants in the containers so that their texture and growth create interest. There is no reason why your herb containers cannot be as beautiful as your flower pots. They are just a better return on investment!
It just occurred to me that I don’t have enough herbs — so Elisabeth and I will have to go get more before Mother’s Day!
