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 […]
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 […]
Fresh herbs are a year-round necessity at my house. I use them to cook just about every dinner of the week. Sure, you can always find fresh herbs at the grocery store, but have you checked out those prices? I feel like half the time I buy grocery store herbs, they’re already past due, and a lot of the package goes to waste. So sometimes I’ll buy a whole plant at the store instead of the little packet.
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!
I love to cook, and I absolutely adore using fresh herbs in pretty much every dish. They’re easy enough to get in the summer, but since I live in New England, it’s a bit challenging to step out to the garden in mid-winter for a sprig of fresh rosemary or a few basil leaves. The solution? A countertop herb garden.
I love harvesting herbs. I love the aromas that slowly drift through the air as I pinch off a sprig of sweet basil or earthy sage. And nothing fills the home with intoxicating scents like fresh rosemary and garlic in a bit of olive oil over a low flame on the stovetop.
