Herb Garden

[dkramer]

I want to start an herb garden in pots on my deck. If you were going to have an herb garden what are the herbs you would without a doubt have? I don't use fresh herbs because I live in a very small town and they just aren't available but I really want to, so I'm just going to grow my own. Just not sure which ones are the ones I'll use the most, so I figured I'd see what everyone else would use and start from there.

TIA

Dawn

[SageMother]

I would start with herbs that I usually buy in dried form. Oregano, basil, mint, and sage come to mind. Be sure to check your hardiness zone and sunlight requirements before making any final decisions, though!

[tater03]

I have done good with mint and sage. Got a ton of it last year. I am thinking about trying oregano this year.

[Serenity]

I like parsley in soups and for decoration so I'd grow some of that. If you do a lot of Italian cooking like spaghetti sauces, oregano would be good. Plain ole chives are handy too. As SageMother says though, it's probably best to make sure you have the right conditions for the different kinds before making any final choices.

[justjoy]

I'm having great success growing parsley and basil indoors. Not only are they lovely to look at - i think they make the kitchen just look more warm - the basil gives off a wonderful aroma.

[Green-Moo]

Parsley, basil and chives do well in pots and are easy to care for. Mint and lemon balm are easy to grow but beware they don't take over all the available space. It's best to plant them in a pot or bucket to limit their spread.

I think the best advice is to plant the herbs that you use the most!

[SageMother]

There are little kits with seeds, soil, and pots or window boxes that are good for beginners. Sometimes, you can find them at hardware stores and garden centers.

A kit might be the best way to get started!

[Green-Moo]

Remember that you can dry your own herbs, to take advantage of the lovely spring and summer growth that you'll experience. Corriander is a summer only herb, but the seeds dry well and in my experience it's been very easy to grow.

[mbtaluka]

I had mint but due to the worst weather it is dead as we had been to my cousins place and were struck up at their place for almost 3 days and with snow being too much it filled up the pot and finally my mint plant is dead.

[reviewer]

Basil is the most important to me. Oregano I use a lot of as well, but suffers less in dried form. Parsley, chives, cilantro, and dill are also all very handy and much better fresh.

[riskey58]

I have always wanted to plant a herb garden, but never really new how to go about it. I thank everyone for all the help.

[msmeg]

got to have basil there are many varieties We like to make fresh pesto YUM

rosemary we use alot of it fresh and dried... we bring that pot in each winter

fresh dill need that for dill dip and fish

chives

oregeno, sage, I avoid mint as I don't use it and it took years to get it out of my yard after it escaped


You can also stick herbs in with flowers for a pot filler you can eat.

[felice206]

I am starting my herb garden soon, using loads of dill, peppermint, sage, oregano, and I'm sure a few other things I find whilst looking around the shop. Really depends on your taste, or what you find appealing.

[rigardengal]

I cannot do without Italian flat parsley, basil, and oregano. Because I make my own tomato sauce, these are used quite often. I use individual pots, no smaller than 8". The basil plant grows into a shrub and the parsley does well too. Oregano is good, as long as it doesn't get trapped in the soil. I harvest the herbs in large bunches and process all three herbs together in the food processor with a drizzle of olive oil(almost like making pesto). I then freeze spoonfulls in an icecube tray, store in freezer bags and when it comes time to make sauce I use one cube at the bottom of my sauce pan when sauteeing the garlic before the tomatoes, etc etc etc. Enjoy your herbs!