Lawn Care & Grass

My mom was a gourmet cook and also had a green thumb. It seems she always had fresh herbs right outside our kitchen to use in her latest test recipe.  I have discovered that growing an herb garden really isn’t that difficult.  In fact, it doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment or have a large yard.  The type of soil you have doesn’t matter either and growing an herb garden can be done anytime of the year.

The best time to grow an herb garden starts in early spring with tiny seeds.  As the weather becomes warmer, the young plants could be transplanted outdoors.  For the seeds, these would be grown in four inch pots and then placed in a location with lots of sunlight.  Keep in mind that while standard containers work well, any type of container could be used as long as the seeds have room to grow.  Most important, if you choose anything other than a new container, use a mixture of three teaspoons bleach to a gallon of water to wash it out carefully, rinse, and then dry to kill any organisms.

Some people will choose a larger container and grow two, three, or even four herb plants together.  To ensure the best flavor is produced, flower heads must be pinched off.  Many types of herbs such as oregano, basil, and parsley are annuals, which means they only last one year.  If you have room outdoors, you could grow an herb garden consisting of larger plants such as lavender and rosemary, which produce sprigs to last years.  Herbs such as sage, mint, and chives are perennials, which means they continue growing year after year but will require some attention to ensure ongoing growth such as cutting them back.

If you have healthy soil, great but if not, perhaps you may be dealing with clay or sandy soil where any type of herbs will not grow.  In this case, you could choose buy or build a raised garden box in which to grow the herbs.  As long as the boxes have good drain holes and rich soil is added, the herbs will do well.  Garden boxes can be purchased or made in any size to work in the designated area of the yard such as under a window.  In addition to using the raised garden bed for herbs, you could also use a portion for vegetables or flowers.  Remember, herbs must get a lot of sunlight regardless of where the plants are located.

As you can see, methods on how to grow an herb garden is actually relatively easy.  Therefore, if you love the flavors of mint, oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, chives, sage, tarragon, lavender, rosemary, and other herbs, this would be a great option for an Italian herb garden.  Without doubt, cooking with fresh herbs creates a wonderful flavor that does not come from dried herbs.