Herbs are a great starting point for any budding gardener. They’re an easy way to teach young children about home grown food, and more than possible in a window box if you haven’t yet found your dream garden space. And they’re used in everything from cocktails to roast dinners.
Embarking on your own herb garden, however, does take some time and preparation, especially with temperamental weather.
So, where do you start? If you’re a beginner to the humble herb, follow along for some essential tips and advice to begin and maintain your thriving herb garden.
1. Selecting the Ideal Spot
If you can, it’s recommended to plant your herb garden as close as possible to your kitchen. If you don’t yet have a garden, you can always create a window box in your kitchen, which will make adding a sprig of thyme to that roast a lot easier.
If space is limited, a herb garden will do just as well in a large container. The most important thing with herbs is that they love the sunshine. They need at least six hours of sunlight daily — so a sunny patio will do very nicely. Make sure that the soil you choose is well-draining, as waterlogging will harm your herbs
2. Selecting Suitable Herbs
You have your trowel, your sturdy kneepads, and it’s a sunny Bank Holiday. Time to get digging. You’re probably going to want to start with perennial herbs: rosemary, chives and oregano. You might remember cress from childhood memories, and it’s definitely one to start with as a beginner as it’s very easy to grow.
Mint, however, can swamp other herbs so you might want to separate it. If you’re feeling confident, annual herbs – such as coriander, basil, and parsley can also be an option, but they aren’t always the best for beginners as they require more care. Too much sun, for example, can actually cause these herbs to flower and seed.
3. Maintenance and Care
As herbs can grow in pretty much any planter, why not get creative and upcycle an old tin bath or anything else that needs using up?
Make sure to check where your herbs are from, as some are from a Mediterranean climate, so they don’t need a lot of water (unless it’s a heatwave). This and regular pruning will help your herbs keep for longer.
Top tip: why not let herbs such as oregano or rosemary flower to attract bees and add some more vibrancy to your garden!
4. Planting and Soil Preparation
Most herbs will function in your everyday garden soil, but if you want to go the extra mile, add some compost to your soil to help improve the drainage.
Planting is where things really come into play, as you’ll want to make sure that there’s adequate space around your herbs to prevent disease.
If you don’t have a lot of space, a herb spiral might help you get a lot of different herbs to thrive in a small area.
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!
I’ve always been interested in growing herbs and growing them in pots near the kitchen means I remember to water them. I think every meal we have has herbs in it, some in packets as they won’t grow here.