Parsley, fresh mint, rosemary, thyme — all these herbs and many others have the power to add a whole new dimension of flavor to any dish. Although dry herbs could work, there’s no denying that fresh always tastes better. Growing a herb garden at home is a simple solution that allows for easy access to fresh spices, and provides a fun and productive hobby. Here are a few useful hints and tips to help any aspiring home gardener with this project…
Indoor Garden Tips
It’s possible to have a beautiful garden of herbs indoors. The first thing to do is find an area that gets plenty of sunlight and get the right equipment including planting pots, a water tray, and a small trowel. Planting seeds are the more economical choice, but it will take more time and a bit more patience. Otherwise, many stores carry potted seedlings ready to be replanted. Some excellent beginner herbs are parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, chives, and many others. Once the planting is completed, the gardener should be mindful of the following:
- Fertilize indoor plants only once every couple of weeks, if at all, to avoid causing their flavor to change.
- Water the soil daily unless the plant requires dryer soil.
- A potting mix works better than regular soil for indoor planting.
Outdoor Herb Gardening Tips
Much like with indoor planting, making an outdoor garden starts with finding a good, sunny spot for the herbs. The plants can be planted directly into the soil with an addition of potting mix and fertilizer, or they can be grown entirely in pots. For beginners, the same advice of starting off with basil, oregano, parsley, sage, and similar spice herbs remains as they’re easy to look after. When planting outside, however, it’s better to make seedlings indoors and transfer the plants outside and into the soil when they sprout. Important factors to think about include:
- Planting each herb during the proper planting season.
- Watering the herbs in the morning and not as often as if they were indoors.
- It’s important not to over-fertilize spice herbs.
