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Starting a herb garden is easy, and it requires very little space, so it’s the perfect way for a beginner gardener to test out her or his green fingers. Choose your types of herbs, how to plant them, and how to care for your new herb garden. A first tip: start your herb garden with young plants rather than with seeds – it’ll be much simpler.

Starting small

You can start a herb garden anywhere where you have patch of soil. If you don’t have a garden available, that’s no problem: simply start your herb garden in a container, or grow different types of herbs in individual pots with good drainage. When planting the herbs, dig a hole for the roots that’s about double the size of the root ball.

Let the sun shine in

Herbs love the sun, so choose the sunniest spot in your garden to plant your herbs. If you’re planting them in a pot or container, then place them on a sunny windowsill.

Water, water everywhere

When it comes to watering your herbs, take it easy: herbs’ roots can rot if they’re over-watered, and their leaves are susceptible to mildew. Remember that not all herbs need the same amount of water, so you’ll want to give rosemary, thyme, and sage just a bit of water, while basil, mint, and parsley are happiest if their soil is slightly moist at all times. In general, you won’t need to fertilise herbs – they’ll develop a better flavour if you don’t.

What about winter?

Keeping herbs maintained in winter is tricky, but having fresh herbs to add to winter cooking is very rewarding. You’ll get better results with hardier herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oreganum, and you’ll want to stick indoor herb growing in cold areas. Enjoy your gardening – and the cooking that comes afterwards!

Tags: garden care, Garden Tools, gardening