One Hundred Dollars a Month

Herb gardens are awesome.  They don’t require a ton of space, they are perfect for beginners, and,  they have a ton of culinary and medicinal users {read:  they will turn your cooking up a notch}, and can help deter pests {like mosquitoes} and attract beneficial insects/bees to your garden.  Best of all, besides a little sun and water, you basically have to do nothing for them to thrive.  They are delightfully forgiving.

Growing herbs requires very little time and investment.  You can incorporate them into your landscape, grow them in pots {my personal favorite method}, or plant them directly into your garden beds {they are great for companion planting}.

To start an herb garden, decide where you want to plant them.  Make sure you plant them in a nice, sunny well-drained location.  For containers, start with a high quality potting soil {I like to make my own potting soil}.  In deciding what you want to plant, think about the recipes you make the most.  What do they call for?  Start your herb list there.

Deciding on whether to buy herbs or grow them from seed totally depends on your preference.  It has been my experience that herbs from seed take a little longer than some other plants, so if you plan on starting with seeds, you’ll want to start them indoors a month or two before it’s time to plant them outside.  On the upside, starting from seed allows you to get much tastier varieties than what is available at standard nurseries.

Once you have decided what to plant and where, all you really need to do is plant.  Provide plenty of sun, consistent water, an occasional dose of organic fertilizer and you are good to go.

If you really want to keep it simple, several varieties of herbs are actually perennials.  Here’s a list of the most common, if you looking to go as low maintenance as possible:

1. Mint.  Just be warned, unless you drink mojitos like every second of every day, mint can become a real pain in the butt if you don’t plant it in pots.  It spreads like a weed, and goes from awesome to a thorn in your side pretty quick.  So, I guess I am saying, plant this one in a pot and enjoy the heck out of it that way.
2. Oregano.  This is an herb garden must-have.
3. Lavender.  Lavender has so many uses, both in the kitchen and the garden that I think it should be in every yard–and who doesn’t love to look at purple flowers?
4. Rosemary
5. Sage
6. Thyme
7. Tarragon
8. Marjoram
9. Savory {make sure to select a winter variety}

There are actually a ton more that will volunteer year after year, but those are the most commonly found in recipes.

Do you plan to grow an herb garden this year?  What will you be planting?

~Mavis