The pleasure of growing herbs in a home garden is sufficient enough to justify the labor involved. The wonderful selection of herbs at most grocery stores can still come in handy for the varieties that you choose not to grow yourself.
By definition, an herb is a seed plant that does not produce a woody stem like a tree. But an herb will live long enough to develop flowers and seeds. They are primarily used as a food seasoning as well as for medicinal, aromatic, and ornamental purposes.
Popular Culinary Herbs
- Parsley
- Sage
- Chives
- Thyme
- Savory
- Marjoram
- Mint
- Basil
Popular Aromatic Herbs
- Mint
- Marjoram
- Lovage
- Rosemary
- Basil
Popular Ornamental Herbs
- Valerian
- Borage
- Chicory
- Thyme
- Mint
- Lavendar
- Chives
Growing Herbs
Choose your site in an area that receives at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day. Use a spade to work the ground to 12 inches or so below the surface. Soil that remains real wet will not work well. Consider adding compost or use raised beds if your soil has poor drainage. Since herbs do well in soil with low to medium fertility, you should not need to apply fertilizers.
Try going with a theme if you are having difficulty deciding on which herbs to grow. A scented theme might include mint, lemon balm, silver thyme, and rosemary. For a culinary theme try thyme, sage, dill, basil, and tarragon.
You can successfully grow herbs in containers to take advantage of limited space or to beautify your deck or patio. Any container with a drainage hole should work. Clay pots work particularly well because they are more porous than plastic.
Plants grown in containers will dry out faster than in the ground. When the top layer of soil feels dry, water the container until a small amount seeps out of the bottom drainage hole. Pinch the plants back during growing season to keep them bushy. Remember also to remove dead or diseased leaves.
For the winter you should not have to worry too much since most perennial herbs are able to survive the cold weather. Prune your plants in the spring and summer then only mildly in the fall. Plants such as Rosemary and Greek Oregano should be brought indoors for overwintering. The easiest way to do this is to grow your marginally hardy herbs in containers so that they do not have to be dug up to be brought in.