How To Grow An Herb Garden

Are you tired of spending so much money buying herbs from the grocery store? Would you like to grow your own herb garden? Many herbs are easy to grow and this could be a fun educational project with the kids too. Here are some helpful tips on how to create your own herb garden.

Decide which herbs you want to grow. If you cook a lot, you might want to have sage, rosemary and thyme.  How about dill, chives, and cilantro? Mint and lemon verbena would be great for medicinal use. Once you’ve chosen what you want to plant in your herb garden, you need to know a little bit about the herbs. For example, coriander, dill and basil die after one season (annuals). Parsley lives for two; and chives, thyme, mint, marjoram and tarragon bloom every year (perennials). Decide how large your herb garden will be and keep the annuals and perennials separate from each other. 

Drainage is the key to a successful herb garden.  After you choose the site for your garden, make sure you consider drainage and soil fertility.  You can improve drainage at the garden site by removing the soil to a depth of 15 to 18 inches. Place a 3-inch layer of crushed stone on the bottom. Mix some compost or peat and sand then refill the site higher than the original level to allow for the settling of the soil. Since the soil does not have to be fertile, it does not require additional fertilizer. Once the site and soil are ready for planting, you can purchase the seeds. Be sure to buy organic.

For parsley, sow the seeds in the latter part of spring directly into the ground. Work the soil surface to achieve a really fine texture; then wet it slightly. Sow the seeds in very shallow rows with soil over them. Do not sow the seeds too deeply. It is important to cover the seed bed with either wet burlap or paper to keep the soil moist during germination. Water the seeds with a fine spray to prevent the washing away of the soil. Maybe have the kids do this for you if they're capable.

In order to protect your perennial and biennial herbs, use mulch about four inches deep. Put the mulch down after the ground has frozen in early winter. Do not remove the mulch until the plants show signs of growth in early spring. Early removal could result in some early frost damage from a late Spring cold snap. You can check online or ask your gardening supply store for more information on what herbs you can grow now and later on in the year. Create your own herb garden and enjoy tastier meals and your own herbal remedies.

More tips on how to grow an herb garden including preparing the soil, harvesting and drying your herbs