This post is all about herb garden.
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I want to preface this post by saying that I am in no way a pro gardener. In fact, I would definitely call myself a beginner. However, the last few years I’ve really fallen in love with the ritual of gardening and an herb garden is a great place to begin. I love the process of planning, prepping, gathering supplies, starting seeds, planting, watering, pruning and harvesting. It’s truly a hobby that brings me so much joy and last summer when we were waiting for our house to be finished, I didn’t get to have one.
This year, I was back and ready with so much excitement. You know if you’ve spent much time reading my blog or following along on social media, that mental wellness is one of my top priorities and topics I love to share about. Our wellness and joy is up to us to invest in and for me, finding offline hobbies has been an important piece in my wellness journey.
All that brings us to this post! I wanted to share some tips for those wanting to dip their toes into gardening but who maybe aren’t feeling ready to dive into raised beds or more of the complex gardening types. This post is a beginner’s guide to herb gardening and I’m excited to share some tips with you!
Perks of Growing An Herb Garden
There truly is nothing like fresh herbs to season and garnish summer dinners. It doesn’t get any fresher than walking outside and cutting off exactly what you need for a meal. Growing your own herb garden also reduces waste as you’re not purchasing a whole bunch from the grocery store when you just need a tiny bit for a recipe. Another major perk is how satisfying it is to watch your garden explode throughout the summer. I think most of us could benefit from being a bit more grounded in real-life activities and hobbies and this is a great way to do that.
My Favourite Herbs To Grow
- Rosemary
- Cilantro*
- Parsley*
- Mint*
- Basil
- Dill*
- Oregano
- Thyme*
- Chives
- Lavender
*herbs that are able to grow in part-shade (at least 4 hours of sunlight per day). Ideal if you get limited sunlight.
Setting Up The Space
You don’t need a lot of space to make an herb garden. Herbs do best when they’re grown in a raised planter or a pot of some sort. You’ll just want to make sure there are drainage holes (or drill some if there aren’t).
Fill your planter or pot with soil (6-12 inches) and you can also top with 2-3 inches of compost if you want to make your herbs extra happy. If you’re planning to grow mint, I recommend planting it in a separate container, as it will quickly take over the rest of the herbs in your garden.
Consider the placement of your herbs as you start planting, as they have different water/sunshine needs. Dill, cilantro, parsley, and basil have similar water needs (they like to be watered the most frequently). Whereas, the woodier herbs like rosemary, oregano, lavender, sage, thyme, and marjoram are happier if the soil is a bit drier. I try to group the herbs together based on their needs, as it makes it easier to care for them.
Most herbs grow vertically, not horizontally. Which means you can pack your planter pretty full with different varieties and they’ll do fine!
Caring For Your Herb Garden
Water
I typically check on my herb garden each morning and see how it feels. Most of my herbs like to be watered consistently and do okay when their soil is moist but make sure they have drainage holes. Mint and lavender prefer a bit dryer home so wait until the soil dries out before watering (but check them each day so they don’t get missed!).
Fertilize
If you plan to use compost in your herb garden, you probably don’t need to fertilize as the soil should be rich with lots of nutrients. If you do want to give your herbs a little boost, use a fertilizer once or twice throughout the growing season. In the spring and mid-way through the summer would be more than sufficient.
Harvest Regularly
The smaller your herb garden, the more frequently you should be harvesting so that your herbs get optimal sunshine and water and don’t crowd each other out. The great part about herbs is that them more you harvest, the more you get. So don’t be afraid to cut and use them! You’ll learn that some of your herbs may “go to seed” if they aren’t harvested in time. This means that flowers will start to grow from the top of the plant and once this happens, it changes the flavour of your herbs and causes them to not taste as good. Frequent harvesting will help prevent this from happening.
Practical Herb Garden Tools
If you’re looking for more garden products, check out all of these great finds I’ve sourced.
This post was all about herb garden.
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