An herb garden adds convenience and versatility to your cooking. Pluck a sprig of basil, rosemary, or parsley from its garden for that final flourish on any dish!
Most herbs thrive when planted in full sun and receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day, although cilantro and basil thrive with less sunlight exposure.
Recipes
Herbs add fresh, flavorful accents to foods while decreasing salt, fat, and sugar intake. Growing herbs in your kitchen garden is simple and enjoyable. Even if you can’t plant an entire vegetable patch, a window box or a few pots can still contain herbs you can reach out for when needed.
Having herb plants close at hand means not having to run out into the heat of summer to collect basil, thyme, or chives for recipes. It also means being able to quickly harvest them for salads, marinades, or sauces directly from their plants for increased flavor than those purchased dried and shipped from faraway locations.
An herb garden can be planted in containers or on the ground, but for best results, select herbs you use often and place them where they receive plenty of light—most herbs need at least six hours of daily sunshine without obstruction from shaded windows or trees.
If you are still deciding which herbs to grow, consider what kinds of meals you most enjoy eating. Cilantro goes well with salsa, tarragon adds zest to chicken salad, and chives complement baked potatoes beautifully. Rosemary adds depth to roasts, while thyme adds depth to soups and stews.
Most herbs, like parsley and chives, can be quickly grown from seeds. Others, such as basil, dill, and mint, are easy to propagate from clippings – although for best results, wait until late winter or spring to plant those more difficult-to-grow plants.
Start Your Herb Garden Today—Rodale’s Herb Garden to Table kit includes Genovese basil, Sweet Italian parsley, rosemary, dill seeds, gardening stakes, soil starter, and tips. Alternatively, please stop in at your local nursery or gardening department; they should have everything needed for success.
Techniques
Growing herbs is a gratifying hobby for any gardener – whether experienced or just beginning. Following a few fundamental guidelines makes growing fresh-tasting, flavorful herbs in your backyard simple.
Access to your herb garden is a beneficial resource for meal or cocktail preparation. Picking out fresh rosemary or basil sprigs from your herb garden and adding them to salad dressings, marinades, or sauces can instantly boost the flavor of any dish you make!
Your herbs require both water and sunlight for proper growth. Regular fertilizing with chemical compounds that provide essential nutrition helps ensure the best development possible. When selecting fertilizers, look for natural sources such as composting, mulching with organic material, or using cover crops.
Herbs require rich, porous soil with adequate drainage. A healthy herb garden requires a 50-50 solids/open space ratio, with clay silt and sand as the foundation and organic matter such as ground corncobs, wood chips, hay grass clippings, or straw. You may also add 3 inches of coarse sand for improved drainage in your herb garden.
A well-planned herb garden should feature beds or rows arranged symmetrically around a central point, reflecting the ancient philosophy of balance while being easy to maintain. Herbs may be planted between formal garden borders such as formal and patterned ones, or in simple edgings like boxwood, hebe, or santolina for maximum aesthetic effect.
Some herbs, like sage, rosemary, parsley, and chives, tend to bolt in late summer as a survival mechanism that shifts energy from producing leaves to developing seeds. This process may alter their flavor by making them bitter or more challenging than before.
Jekka offers several helpful Herb Gardening Tips to avoid bolting when planting herbs. Plant them in spring or autumn with light soil to flourish in. Dried herbs can also extend their shelf life; once fully dry, they can be stored in airtight jars for up to one year.
Storage
Imagine reaching out your window or strolling down your garden to gather fresh herbs at the right moment to add them to a dish, salad dressing, or refreshing summer beverage—even urban and suburban areas can support lush herb gardens! With some effort, any space can become home to an aromatic garden of herbs!
Herbs are ideal for beginners gardening, providing children with an introduction to gardening at an early age. Their low water needs and heat tolerance make them the perfect way to teach children healthy eating practices while inspiring more meals at home! Plus! By adding herbs to their backyard gardens, parents also get an opportunity to teach their children more about cooking at home!
Though full herb gardens are beautiful, many herbs thrive indoors when grown in containers on sunny windowsills or windowsills with direct sun. South-facing windows work best, although west-facing ones that catch afternoon sunshine also work.
Containers for herbs can range from mason jars planted in rows to an old wooden ladder transformed into a vertical herb garden. Salvage yards or vintage shops may offer even more creative ideas for planters, such as old bathtubs, troughs, or metal buckets with ribbons, printed tags, or handwritten labels to give your container more style while remaining easy to use.
Vertical herb gardens provide the ultimate compact gardening solution and make an impressive display. A wall planter from any garden center or hardware store can be purchased and used to hang from railings as a vertical trellis, while for added rustic charm, you could build your shelf out of planks of wood and metal brackets to hang on either walls or fences.
If your kitchen lacks space for a table, hanging herb pots from a utensil holder or bookshelf may help save counter space. Another option would be growing them in a small trough or planter attached to a window sill for easy reach while cooking or creating beverages.
Inspiration
Herbs can be integral to any garden, from adding fragrant fragrances and brightening color schemes to benefiting other plants. They can be planted anywhere—along a flower and shrub border, filling a window box, or being grown on your kitchen terrace or balcony. And their beauty can match that of any other plant!
Herb gardens are easy to cultivate and make an excellent addition to any home or kitchen. For an eye-catching display, plant herbs in mismatched pots in an eclectic and colorful display. Avoid placing too much order or height control onto these displays by mixing sizes and colors that complement each other; let the mix of sizes complement one another rather than being forced together as some kinds of trees may do. Herbs flourish best in sunlight, so plants close together regularly for maximum sunlight exposure and water to maintain moist conditions within their habitats!
Bright herb garden ideas will help you create your culinary paradise regardless of space constraints or limited outdoor area.
An herb wall constructed with stacked terracotta pots or wooden crates can provide an eye-catching and functional solution for gardens with limited space. A trellis is also an effective way to support tall trailing herbs like rosemary or summer savory.
Another fantastic idea is to make a beautiful herb garden with hanging baskets in your backyard or patio. These baskets can be attached via hooks or fixed to railings and make an attractive display ideal for herbs that prefer partial shade, such as mint, or those more likely to climb, such as thyme.
An herb garden is an invaluable addition to any kitchen, whether for garnishes on dinner plates or freshening up drinks. Make it more engaging by creating labels using image transfer paper (available on Amazon). Vintage metal spoons make ideal labels—print out their names, stick them onto each spoon using a transfer medium, and admire!