Norann Oleson, Editorial Director of Food Gardening Network

Welcome to the satisfying, savory world of chives!

Chives are often one of those overlooked herbs. People think chives are good for nothing more than sprinkling on a baked potato. But truly, chives are greatly underestimated. And when you have them fresh from the garden, there’s no going back!

You can start growing chives in your garden, on your deck, or even on a windowsill with very little fuss. We’ll walk you through the whole process.

First is the collection’s Introduction, where you’ll learn some of the basics about chives and how to choose the right variety to grow. You’ll also get the history of this versatile herb.

Next, in the Feature Articles, you’ll get specifics about chives growing—from the four types of chives to the best way to start growing them (seed? starts? clumps?) to watering, fertilizing, and winterizing your plants so they stay healthy and productive year after year.

There’s a lot to know about growing chives, so even if you’re a veteran, you might learn something new. We aim to gather everything there is to know about growing chives into this single collection!

We have six fun Plant Profiles with the more popular varieties listed, including options for gardeners around the country and those who want to grow chives in containers.

There are dozens of varieties of chives throughout the world, not all of them are available in the United States. We’ve chosen these six chive plant profiles because these are some of the most commonly grown,. If you’d like us to include another chive variety that appeals to you, please let me know by commenting below.

After all, this is Food Gardening Network, and we want to include the knowledge of all our gardening readers in everything we do. Your input is just as important to us as anything we come up with on our own!

We do think you’ll love the chive Recipes we’ve compiled for enjoying the fruits of your labor. They cover some traditional uses of chives, plus some new approaches to using chives you might want to try.

Go beyond basic garnishes and let the flavor of your homegrown chives shine through! Our Cheese & Chive Frittata is a great way to showcase the harvest from your herb garden. We have other recipes that you can make for everyday meals, with tips for dressing them up for fancy dinners.

After that, you’ll be interested to learn how chives can benefit your health in Nutrition Facts about Chives. Chives have great antioxidant properties, and they’re loaded with vitamin C!

Then there are the Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Chives where you’ll learn how chives are thought to help heart health, prevent cancer, and contribute to better digestive health. We’ll also share some warnings about how chives might irritate your digestive system.

Because we want you to have everything there is to know about chives at your fingertips, we’ve included a Resources section that’s complementary to this collection. Learn more about tools specific to growing chives, and kitchen tools that will come in handy after you’ve harvested your chives.

As always, we’ve included a brief Glossary in case you need a deeper explanation of any key terms. Be sure to let us know if there’s something else you need explained.

I’m off to make some fancy Chive Butter right now, but I hope you’re ready to dive in and become a master chive grower!