Herb Garden Ideas
Fresh herbs are the ultimate when it comes to cooking and many people today love them. What better way to enjoy fresh herbs in your kitchen than those that take just a few minutes? There are no deep dark secrets when it comes to growing herbs. In fact, herbs are actually very easy to grow and you don’t need a large space to grow them either. Most herbs can be grown in an area no larger than a planter. Actually, a planter would be an ideal place to grow a kitchen herb garden. There’s enough room to grow parsley, basil, sage, or coriander and it can all be in a compact container right outside your kitchen door.
Many herbs can even be grown on a sunny window sill in the house. The trick is to keep the herbs picked and start new ones before the plants start to get too woody. Basil makes an excellent window plant. When growing herbs inside or out, remember two things: The first is that herbs don’t like fertilizers very much, and most herbs like moist soil, but it should dry out quickly.
How about a herb garden in a strawberry jar? Plant the top with a tall herb like dill, and then fill in the side with creeping plants like oregano, creeping thyme, or creeping rosemary. They will grow to the sides and hang down. just remember to keep creeping plants pruned to keep producing new leaves. You can substitute the top plant for another, such as sage, if you like.
When planting herbs like coriander and basil, it’s good to do successive plantings about 3 weeks apart so you have fresh leaves throughout the growing season. Cilantro and basil will seed quickly if they are not picked frequently and the flowers removed.
The main thing most herbs have in common is that they don’t like wet feet and they don’t really need fertilizers as I mentioned earlier. The fertilizer will change the growth habits of the herbs and affect their strength and flavor. Good soil will provide all the necessary nutrients to grow a productive herb garden. Also be careful what you plant as some herbs can get quite aggressive and take over the entire area and clog everything else. Mint is a perfect example. Mint is very invasive, so if you want to grow it I suggest you grow it in a container and never in the ground.
A good herb garden will pay big dividends as your family and friends will enjoy the great flavor that comes out of your kitchen. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are using fresh, homegrown herbs to feed them.