The benefits of spice and herb gardening are numerous. They grow like weeds, can be dried and used all year long; they smell great and add color to foods. Oh, and they’re the core flavors of every delicious recipe that’s ever been made!
Need other reasons to grow spices and herbs? They can be grown in containers indoors and outdoors. They thrive in the ground, in raised beds, and even along the perimeter of a yard. Many herbs will deflect bugs that are hazardous to your vegetables, like basil planted with tomatoes. They’re ideal companion plants that way, and they don’t require very much from you as a gardener.
They don’t usually even need mulch, with some exceptions. Some early-season spices and herbs, like garlic or chives, may start coming in during a warm spell. A layer of mulch can help insulate them against temperature drops. And some mulches, like shredded leaves or compost, will add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
When it comes to harvesting spices and herbs, that’s the easy part of spice and herb gardening. Trim them as needed for all of your recipes, and when the winter turns colder, you can cut them down to the roots to dry them or crush seeds into powders. Woody plants like thyme, sage, and rosemary dry well, while softer plants like basil and parsley are better frozen. Cumin seeds can be crushed into powder, while fennel can be used whole. For spices like ginger and turmeric, you simply unearth the root to enjoy it.
In the articles below, we share everything you need to know about spice and herb gardening. And you can learn even more in our How to Grow a Vegetable Garden: 10 Things Every Gardener Needs to Know Before Starting a Food Garden freebie. Enjoy!
How much water does basil need? I feel like I ask myself this every darn time I grow it (which is as much as possible, in case you’re wondering). I’ve had more than a few happy-looking basil plants turn wilty and depressed in just an hour or so. Basil has the ultimate “sad puppy look” down pat.
What goals do you have for the coming months or the entire year? One of mine is to try new varieties of herbs, fruits, and vegetables, whether in my garden or from a local farm. I also vow to keep my indoor herb garden alive and healthy, though sometimes there are toddlers or dogs who […]
I love cooking with fresh herbs. There’s nothing like the smell of chopped basil or the aroma of crushed thyme to get me in the zone to cook. That’s easy enough to do in the summer when my herbs are growing faster than Jack’s magical beanstalk, but since I live in New England, the herb garden is pretty much done by mid-autumn. What’s a cook to do? Bring the garden indoors and grow herbs in Mason jars.
There’s nothing like the fragrance of fresh herbs in the kitchen. I love the way they flavor a meal and add color to sauces. And I love how easy they are to grow. You can grow herbs like basil in a sunny windowsill, rosemary will stay fresh outdoors well into the colder months of the year, and I’m pretty sure mint would even grow on the moon. But can you help your herbs grow even better and stronger? Should you use mulch for an herb garden?
If you planted basil this year, it probably seemed like it took a month to establish, then all of a sudden you’re in pesto heaven. But how much pesto can one person really make, right?
Not gonna lie here. I love getting and giving homemade spice mixes for gifts. For the cook in your life, they’re the perfect gift. A spice mix is thoughtful, and it shows that you spent time and energy making something that reflects you as a person and as a cook or gardener. And, yeah, there […]
Imagine a stranger came up to you holding a bag of fish from the pet store and said, “Hey, you! Did you know you can grow a garden using live fish?” It’d be a little unsettling. But now imagine it’s me, your trusted gardening friend Amanda grinning at you while holding a bag of betta fish saying the same thing. I’m not selling this, am I? But it’s true!
I love the feeling of my hands around a warm cup of herbal tea. I love the aroma, and I love the way a hot cup of tea reminds me to pause for a moment, take some deep breaths, and enjoy the world around me. Fellow tea drinkers, have I romanticized this too much, or just enough?
No matter the weather, my daughter wants to be outside all day long, running, jumping, and usually getting quite dirty. As a toddler, she is a total sponge and loves to watch what I do in the yard and then practice it herself. When it comes to gardening tasks, it’s definitely a “monkey see, monkey do” situation. Choosing to plant a kids’ herb garden was a no-brainer for me, especially after I saw these adorable kid gardening gloves.
I love rosemary. It’s easy to grow. It’s hardy. And it tastes great in so many dishes. But I also regularly end up with powdery mildew on rosemary plants – especially when I bring them indoors. Even though this seems to happen more frequently indoors, it’s not unheard of to end up with powdery mildew […]
