There's nothing like a home-cooked meal flavored with fresh cut herbs from your garden. The best part is that you don't have to designate part of your vegetable garden to grow herbs. Even if you have only a small space on your patio, your porch, or even a windowsill, you can successfully grow great herbs in a container.
A large terra cotta pot, a window box, or even small individual pots for individual plants will work for a herb garden. Get creative with your selections. See the photo above. This small but delightful herb garden created by my daughter is planted in a 12" diameter bowl container and is designed to resemble a small English garden with a small picket fence, a cobblestone path, and a miniature bench. It is planted with basil, thyme, oregano, and a mini rosebush to carry out the English Garden theme.
Materials needed and steps for planting an herb garden.
Container - Choose a container with drainage holes. The size of the container will depend on the number of herbs you decide to plant. For instance, an 18 inch diameter pot provides enough space to grow a variety of herbs. You may also select a number of smaller pots and plant a single herb in each one.
Potting soil - Fill the container with a good bagged potting soil.
Choose Herbs - Select a few of your favorite herbs that you commonly use in cooking, but don't forget to try a few new ones. Adding a few ornamental versions of culinary herbs will add visual appeal to your herb planter. Purchasing plants from the nursery will give you instant results rather than starting the plants from seeds.
Plant your herb garden! - Moisten the soil thoroughly. Arrange the plants so the taller growing plants such as basil and lemongrass are in the center and the cascading variety of herbs, such as thyme and oregano, are along the edge. The herbs can easily be planted close together.
Water and Fertilizer - Water frequently to keep soil evenly moist, but not sopping wet. Use a fertilizer as needed.
Harvest Regularly - Once the plants show new growth, you can begin harvesting. Snip off whole stems rather than individual leaves to encourage bushy new growth. Never take more than one-third of a single plant at a time. By following this pattern, your plants should supply you with seasonings through the entiree growing season.
