How to Start a Container Herb Garden

Lots of people love to garden, and love the idea of having fresh herbs at hand. However, not everyone has the space for gardening. If you live in an apartment, you're planning on moving, or if your work schedule prevents you from putting a lot of time into your garden, then you might want to consider planting a container herb garden. Container gardens have the advantage of being small and portable, but still allow you to keep fresh herbs at your fingertips.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide what you want to plant. Do you use herbs mostly for cooking, or are you interested in aromatherapy as well? If you'd like to start a culinary herb garden, there are a few herbs that are essential to your collection. Choose from basil, oregano, rosemary, sage and dill. All are easy to grow in containers, require very little maintenance, and are adaptable for a wide variety of dishes.

2. Figure out what sorts of containers you want to use. If your container garden will go out on a porch or in a sunroom, you might consider larger pots. If you're limited on space, and are only going to be using a windowsill, go with smaller, more compact containers. Make sure your containers are food-safe; plastic is almost always a good bet, and terra cotta pots are fine too. Typically, you can put several small plants into one long, rectangular pot. If you have larger plants, such as rosemary or sage, you may want to give them each a pot of their own.

3. Decide whether or not you want to start from seeds or plants. If you begin with plants, available at your local nursery or garden center, you can begin using your herbs immediately. If you plant your own seeds, it may be several weeks before they're big enough to cut and use. Some plants grow quickly from seed, so it's not a bad idea to combine seeds (for quick-growing grassy herbs like mint or chives) with plants (like sage or oregano).

4. Select sandy, not-too-rich soil with good drainage. Make sure you provide the right type of soil for your herbs. Also, herbs typically like lots of direct sunlight. Try to position your containers so that they get at least six, and preferably eight, hours of sun each day. Water them early in the day, but be sure not to give them too much.

5. Use them as needed once your herbs have begun to grow. Keep them near enough that you can just run out and snip off what you need when cooking. The great advantage of container herb gardening is that you can bring your pots inside when the weather becomes inclement, no matter which zone you live in, so you'll be able to enjoy fresh, tasty herbs all year long!