How to Make a Herb Garden

Nothing adds to a meal like the taste of fresh herbs. It is actually relatively easy to make your own successful herb garden at home for a fraction of the cost required to purchase fresh herbs at the store.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small clay pots and trays
• Potting soil
• Herb plant seeds such as basil, dill, chives, cilantro, rosemary, thyme
• Plastic wrap
• Rubberband
• Windowsill
• Sunny outdoor location

Growing Herbs in a Windowsill Garden

1. Place potting soil into each pot, filling it with soil about an inch from the top of the pot.

2. Dig a hole about an inch deep into the center of the soil in each pot.

3. Place several herb seeds into the hole. Cover the seeds with the displaced potting soil. Place the empty seed packets next to the pot in which you've planted the seeds so you'll remember which herb is planted in which pot.

4. Water each pot and ensure that the soil is thoroughly moist. Cover each pot with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band.

5. Place the pots on a windowsill that receives adequate sunlight. After the herb plants begin to sprout, remove the plastic wrap.

6. Monitor the soil and add water when the soil becomes dry.

7. Harvest leaves from your mature windowsill herb garden as you need them.

Growing Herbs in an Outdoor Garden

8. Choose a location in your garden to plant your herbs. Ideally, you want to choose a location that gets plenty of sunlight.

9. Decide whether you will grow your herb garden from seed or from pregrown plants.

10. Prepare the soil for gardening by fertilizing and tilling the ground. This action helps distribute nutrients in the soil.

11. Dig holes for each herb plant. If you are planting seeds, dig a hole about twice the size of the seed. If the seeds are tiny, press them into the soil. If you are planting herbs from seedlings, dig a hole twice as big as the root ball. Remove the seedling from its pot and place it into the hole. Fill in any remaining space in the hole with soil, gently patting it around the planted herb seedling. Generously water your herbs after planting them.

12. Monitor your herbs and water when needed. The best time to harvest your herbs is right before they bloom. Remove the necessary leaves and allow the plants to continue to grow. Your garden will provide fresh herbs throughout the summer season.

Tips & Warnings

• If your climate allows, you can start your herb garden in your home and then plant the seedlings outside after the plants mature. You can also dry the herbs and save them for use during the winter months.
• If you want to create an organic herb garden, do not use pesticides on your plants. Check the growing patterns of the herbs you plan to plant before deciding which herbs to use in your garden. Some herbs, such as mint, are invasive and can easily take over your whole garden. For quickly spreading herb plants, plan to grow them in separate containers.

Resources

• Growing Herbs in the Home Garden
• Herb Guide
• Herbal Gardening
• The Culinary Herb Garden
• Growing a Herb Garden