How to Plant a BBQ Garden.

The perfect grilling garden dad's will love. Since most BBQ's are kept on the deck or patio, it makes sense to grow this garden in containers. Keep a pair of scissors nearby, so the chef can easily snip and go.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• 2 large pots (24 inches)
• 1 medium pot (15 inches)
• Potting soil
• Organic vegetable fertilizer
• 1 tomato plant
• 1 red pepper plant
• 1 habanero plant
• 1 flat leaf parsley plant
• 1 upright rosemary plant (I like Tuscan Blue)
• 1 trailing rosemary plant (Irene is a good one)
• 1 thyme plant (French is a good culinary variety)
• 1 dill plant
• 1 oregano plant
• 1 mint plant
• 1 chive plant
• 3 basil plants (try different varieties)
• 2 large tomato cages
• water

1. You're garden will perform better if it's located in an area that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun. Bring you empty pots to your grill location. Check the bottoms of the pots to make sure they have good drainage holes, herbs don't thrive in soggy soil. Fill all 3 pots with potting soil, lightly patting the soil down. Leave 3 inches of space between the top of the soil and the top rim of the pot.
2. Add your organic vegetable fertilizer to the pots according to the instructions in the package. Mix lightly into the soil and pat the soil back down into place. Don't plant until all danger of frost has passed.
3. The first 24 inch pot: Plant the tomato towards one side of the pot. This will become the backside of the planting. Next, plant 2 of the basil's in front of the tomato (the center of the pot) and the thyme at the very front edge. Add your dill to one side of the basil/thyme and your parsley goes in the last open spot. Install the tomato cage around the tomato (it won't be on center, but it'll work fine).
4. The second 24 inch pot: Plant both peppers, side-by-side at the "back" of the pot. On one side, the side that will be open and not saddled up next to the first pot, plant your trailing rosemary. The space that's left over, plant the other basil and the mint. Add the tomato cage where both peppers can grow through it.
5. With the larger pots in place, nest to each other, fit the smaller pot in front, creating a triangle of pots. Locate the small one where the other 2 pots won't be shading out the smaller container's plants. The 15 inch pot: Plant the rosemary towards the "back" of the pot. The chive and oregano should fit in front. Water all of the pots thoroughly.

Tips & Warnings

• To add some color to your pots, try subbing out: oregano for golden oregano; Thai basil, African basil, cinnamon basil, or purple ruffles basil; French thyme for lemon thyme; and mint for chocolate mint.
• You can also plant some edible flowers by tucking in a few nasturtium seeds along the open edges of the pots.
• Take a few branches of rosemary and use it as a brush for basting BBQ sauces.
• For a little extra money, you can nix the tomato cages and use more decorative wood or iron trellis. You just have to be vigilant about tying up the new growth.
• Keep containers moist but not soggy.