Tips For Setting Up a Container Herb Garden
The increasing popularity of container herb gardens is showing just how people love to have fresh herbs handy to flavor their cooking, drinks and use for aromatherapy. It really is very convenient to have a fresh selection of your most popular herbs within a few steps from the back door.
What to Plant.
As my forte is growing herbs for culinary purposes I will be writing about that, but it is merely a matter of changing the range of herbs that is the difference.
In choosing the herbs to grow I would look at what types of dishes I like to cook and choose my herbs from there. In watching TV cooking shows the ones that seem to be used the most are:
· Flat leafed parsley
· Thyme
· Oregano
· Rosemary
· Basil
· Chives
· Sage
All these herbs will grow well together in a large container 24 inches across the top. I would plant the rosemary in the middle because it is a taller plant and quite hardy, then around the outside I would plant the other herbs. Of all the others herbs basil is also quite tall and this could be put beside the rosemary in the centre. Personally I pick a lot of basil so it does not get a chance to grow extra tall. All the other herbs grow to about 10 inches, and some will even spill out over the side of the container.
Other herbs to grow in containers.
Mint is also a very popular herb but it does tend to take over a pot so I would plant that in a pot on its own.
The beauty of the bay laurel. It grows beautifully with its dark green shiny leaves as a container shrub and can even be shaped for topiary. Bay laurel is a delicious herb to use and is a must in your kitchen. If you can grow a container bay laurel, that is great. They grow very well, are quite hardy and can be kept at a manageable height as a patio plant.
Variety in containers.
I don’t know if you have come across them yet, but quite a number of herbs actually come with variegated or colored leaves and these make quite a picture in a container of herbs. There are the variegated basils and sage and other herbs have leaves that display purple veins. These all make for planting an attractive container of herbs. You will be able to tell your friends that not only do you have a very attractive container of herbs but you also have an “edible garden.”