Herbs are easy to grow, even if you don't have a yard, and they add wonderful flavor to all sorts of dishes. This article provides information on choosing containers, choosing herbs, how to plant and what to do with them once they're grown.
Herbs are a wonderful addition to almost any meal, and they are easy to grow at home, whether you have a huge back yard or just a sunny windowsill.
In fact, container gardening is great for herbs because you can keep containers close to or in the kitchen so you will use them more, they contain the herbs so you don’t end up with a garden full of mint, and they provide a lovely decoration for your back porch, sun room or kitchen window.
Choosing containers
The sky is the limit when choosing containers for your herb garden. You can plant each herb in a separate terra cotta pot or plant a collection in a long window box.
Your only limitation when it comes to choosing pots for herbs is that you need to use containers that are food safe. Some glossy or brightly colored pots are made with lead or other materials you don’t want in your food.
Plastic pots are always safe, and most plain terra cotta is safe. Containers that are not safe for food will usually have a warning label, so it should be easy to find something decorative that will not be harmful to your family.
Most herbs will do well in small pots or with three or four plants in one long window box. Large plants, such as an old rosemary bush, can be planted separately in larger containers.
Seeds or plants?
Most people like the instant gratification of plants in the garden, particularly when it comes to herbs. You can start using the herbs almost immediately if you start with plants, while you will have to wait a month or more to use herbs grown from seed.
But some plants grow quickly and easily from seed, so it makes sense to have a combination of plants and seeds as the foundation of your herb garden. Buy plants of the larger, woody herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano and marjoram. For instant gratification you can also buy plants like basil and sage.
Start your more grassy herbs, like parsley, chives, cilantro and mint, from seed. They grow quickly and the tender plants do not like to be transplanted, so you’re more likely to get a good harvest if you plant the seeds in whatever pot you’d like them to grow in.