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!
It may not look like an overwatered basil plant. It’s wilty and drab. The leaves look yellow or brown. It certainly looks like it could use a tall drink of water. As a good plant parent, you grab the watering canister and drench the soil. That should do the trick, right? Give it an hour […]
Have you ever gotten so overwhelmed with a cherry tomato plant that you let it go, and then the next spring you had a million little cherry tomato plants trying to sprout? People will tell you that tomato plants don’t grow that way, but I had a field of tomato seedlings in late June one year that says otherwise. I mean, I wouldn’t put it on a list of self-seeding vegetables because you probably can’t depend on it to work, but it can happen!
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?
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 […]
I’m taking a leap here. Anytime you offer your opinion of “the best,” whether it’s savory herbs, kitchen utensils, or watering cans, you risk missing some good stuff. And since best is a rather objective term, your idea of the best savory herbs and mine might be completely different. And that’s okay. With that caveat, […]
It starts innocently enough. A seed-starter tray sitting in a sunny spot on your counter. Until you realize that you forgot to label them and now have to wait until the seedlings sprout to play Guess That Herb. I’ve been there, my friend. I’ve also been in my garden, mid-season, pacing around in circles looking for the chives that I know I planted earlier that spring.
Taramasalata, Tzatziki, Moussaka, Avgolemono…if you know these dishes and don’t think I just swore at you in another language, then prepare to be inspired. Having an herb garden makes it easy to spice and dress up your dishes all season long, and that’s why the savviest of gardeners plan theirs according to the types of dishes they love to make at home. If you’re Greek or love Greek recipes, then creating a Mediterranean herb box garden is just natural!
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?
Who doesn’t love the taste of fresh herbs? There are plenty of ways to grow herbs outside where they’ll grow like weeds, but growing herbs indoors with hydroponic herb gardening means you’ll always have a supply of vibrant flavors right at your fingertips, no matter the season. Plus, there’s something about having those herbs within […]
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!
