Herb Gardens
Container herb gardening is becoming more and more popular. Herbs are an essential part of health. They enhance the taste of our food and provide nutrients unavailable from other natural sources. They can be culinary, medicinal, ornamental or a combination of the three. You can buy herbs in your grocery store or in your local health food store, but now, more than ever, people are discovering it's nice to have a fresh supply at your fingertips.
Where to plant your herbs
Your herb garden doesn't have to be a designated plot in your yard, or container area on your patio or balcony. Herbs are well known for their pest and disease resistance, making them ideal companion plants for your vegetable garden or flower beds. Know the growing requirements of the herb you plan to plant and tuck it in among your ornamental flowers for visual texture or height or contrast. Or plant throughout your garden among your vegetables. Another great place to plant herbs is between the stones in a flagstone path. Low growing chamomile, wooley thyme, or corsican mint are great plants for this purpose. Remember thyme is thyme. Whatever variety it is, it's culinary and medicinal properties are very similar.
Plant type
Herbs can be annuals which grow for only one season:
Many times annual will reseed themselves, dropping seed in the soil and producing a new "volunteer" crop the next year, but most of the time new plants must be bought, or new seeds have to be planted every year.
Some popular annuals are basil, calendula, cayenne, chamomile, coriander, dill, garlic, summer savory.
Or they can be perennials which go dormant during cold weather and come back the next season:
Some popular perennials are fennel, mint (all varieties including hyssop) lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, winter savory terragon, thyme. I've listed lavender and marjoram here as perennials, but I've seen both of these listed by some authors as annuals. Talk to your local plant nursery. It may depend on the variety or the growing zone.
And then there are the biennials like parsley which grow two seasons then die. The first season they produce foliage, the second season they produce flowers and seed. Parsley self propagates freely. If you buy a parsley bedding plant, you'll probably have parsley for the rest of your life.
Growing needs
Although all herbs require a poor well drained soil and a great majority of them like full sun, (at least 7 or 8 hours a day) there are some, like the mint family, that like damp soil and only partial sun. The latter will not be able to stand evening sun and are best planted on the east side of a house or wall. These herbs that like damp soil and partial sun also like a more neutral to acid soil, while those that like full sun will thrive in a neutral to alkaline soil. Most of those that like full sun also like to dry out well between waterings and are prone to root rot and/or powdery mildew if they're kept too damp.
If this all sounds too complicated and you're getting discouraged, bear in mind that herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow and will usually reward even the brownest of thumbs with a harvest.
Where to plant your herbs
Your herb garden doesn't have to be a designated plot in your yard, or container area on your patio or balcony. Herbs are well known for their pest and disease resistance, making them ideal companion plants for your vegetable garden or flower beds. Know the growing requirements of the herb you plan to plant and tuck it in among your ornamental flowers for visual texture or height or contrast. Or plant throughout your garden among your vegetables. Another great place to plant herbs is between the stones in a flagstone path. Low growing chamomile, wooley thyme, or corsican mint are great plants for this purpose. Remember thyme is thyme. Whatever variety it is, it's culinary and medicinal properties are very similar.
Plant type
Herbs can be annuals which grow for only one season:
Many times annual will reseed themselves, dropping seed in the soil and producing a new "volunteer" crop the next year, but most of the time new plants must be bought, or new seeds have to be planted every year.
Some popular annuals are basil, calendula, cayenne, chamomile, coriander, dill, garlic, summer savory.
Or they can be perennials which go dormant during cold weather and come back the next season:
Some popular perennials are fennel, mint (all varieties including hyssop) lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, winter savory terragon, thyme. I've listed lavender and marjoram here as perennials, but I've seen both of these listed by some authors as annuals. Talk to your local plant nursery. It may depend on the variety or the growing zone.
And then there are the biennials like parsley which grow two seasons then die. The first season they produce foliage, the second season they produce flowers and seed. Parsley self propagates freely. If you buy a parsley bedding plant, you'll probably have parsley for the rest of your life.
Growing needs
Although all herbs require a poor well drained soil and a great majority of them like full sun, (at least 7 or 8 hours a day) there are some, like the mint family, that like damp soil and only partial sun. The latter will not be able to stand evening sun and are best planted on the east side of a house or wall. These herbs that like damp soil and partial sun also like a more neutral to acid soil, while those that like full sun will thrive in a neutral to alkaline soil. Most of those that like full sun also like to dry out well between waterings and are prone to root rot and/or powdery mildew if they're kept too damp.
If this all sounds too complicated and you're getting discouraged, bear in mind that herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow and will usually reward even the brownest of thumbs with a harvest.
