Not only are herbs great in the kitchen but they are also easy plants to grow! Starting an herb garden is an awesome way for beginner gardeners to start growing their own produce! While there are tons of different herbs one can grow, these are a variety of herbs that may be more helpful for a new gardener.
Sage is an excellent herb to cook with and its surprisingly easy to grow! The only thing it doesn’t like is wet ground, so be sure to plant somewhere sunny with well drained fertile soil!
Good news, there are so many varieties of sage to choose from, some even have colored leaves! To encourage the sage to grow, you should harvest the leaves regularly.
Oregano plants like light soils and tend to thrive in more warm, sunny spots. They also have cute pink flowers and can make for a great ground cover at the front of borders.
It is best to sow these seeds in the spring when the soil has just warmed up, or start them off indoors! Once the plants reach 10 cm tall, pinch out the vertical growing tips to encourage more leafy side shoots.
Parsley has oh so many uses in the kitchen! It helps to give seeds a bit of a head start by sowing them indoors on a windowsill with plenty of sunlight. Another option is to sow directly in the ground once the soil warms up.
It can be slow to germinate, to speed things up, soak the seeds in water overnight before planing. Be sure to choose a spot with rich, slightly damp soil in partial shade or full sun.
Mint can be grown from a seed but it is typically different than the parent plant, so we would advise buying the young plants rather than using seeds.
Keep in mind, and spreads quickly, so plant in pots to contain the roots to stop it from taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and be sure to pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth.
Good news, rosemary is one of the easiest herbs to grow, because it is so hardy. Loving sun or shade, rosemary will grow in any soil, as long as the soil is not too wet.
Rosemary grows quickly and vigorously and can be trimmed in June or so, to keep it in shape and stop it from getting too woody.
Talk about a versatile herb for the kitchen! Coriander grows well in the ground or containers. Seeds can take weeks to germinate, the plants are somewhat short – lived, so be sure to sow a few seeds every few weeks for a continuous supply.
When stressed, Coriander can ‘bolt’ meaning it produces flowers and seeds, rather than tasty leaves. Keeping Coriander well watered and harvesting it regularly will yield the best results.
Basil happens to be one of the most popular herbs, being that its so tasty and versatile. Sow the seeds into potting compost on a sunny windowsill from March on.
For bushier growth, remove the growing tip when the plants are 15cm high. Plant basil out in the garden when the weather becomes warmer. A sheltered spot with full sun is where basil grows best.
Last but not least, chives are a relative of the onion family. Chives have pointed, slender leaves and also produce fuzzy globe flowers in a purple or pink color.
Sow chive seeds directly in the ground during March or April. Chives tend to grow best in a sunny spot with rich moist soil, so be sure tp keep them well watered!