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STArT your VEry oWn HErbAL POTAGER WHiCH CAn bE AnyTHinG FroM A FEW SiMPLE PoTS on
THE bALCony To A DEDiCATED rAiSED bED in THE bACKyArD.
propagating, so the best plan with them
is to purchase seedlings. A great source
for herb seedlings is your local farmers’
markets. There you’ll find many perennial
herbs, as well as more interesting
varieties of the basics, such as purple
basil, pineapple mint or lemon thyme.
I’ve picked up a few simple tips
for success along the way for specific
varieties. French tarragon can take up to
three years to establish so you will want
to be very judicious when picking in
the first couple years. It’s a difficult wait
but well worth the sacrifice in the long
run. Basil needs to be harvested before
it flowers, so be sure to remove any
buds that form to allow you to harvest
longer into the season. Be sure to cut
chives from the base of the plant and
don’t forget to use those delicious chive
flowers, coveted by chefs. There are
numerous resources on the internet and
your local bookstore to give you more
in-depth knowledge of growing your
own culinary gardens.
Combine a few different herbs in
one large container to create your own
house blend or stick to more traditional,
country-specific combinations. Herbes
de Provence, an aromatic blend of thyme,
parsley, tarragon, lavender and bay leaves
used in many French and other European
recipes, is stunning in a terracotta planter.
Fines herbes, a much lighter combination
of herbs including chervil, parsley, chive
and tarragon, would be beautiful in a
window box. An Italian-themed container
of rosemary, basil, thyme and oregano can
go directly from garden plot to pasta pot
with a few simple snips.
Edible flowers add a colourful touch
to planters and are a delicious addition to
fresh herb salads. Nasturtiums, pansies and
marigolds are all very simple to grow from
seed and require very little attention.
Once established, herbs are easy to
grow and need very little water as they
thrive in a warm dry environment similar
to the climate in the Mediterranean,
where many of them originate. They need
little food. A little diluted fish fertilizer
every two weeks will keep them lush for
the entire summer.
Keep the bugs at bay naturally by
ensuring the plants are well drained
and inspect them often for pests. There
are as many homemade bug spray
recipes as there are bugs. Find one that
works for you. We use a combination
of tabasco sauce and dish soap which
seems to deter most bugs. The addition
of strongly scented herbs such as chives,
mint and garlic in your garden will also
help prevent most bugs from joining the
kitchen garden party.
For harvesting your bounty, be
sure to cut stems, not individual leaves
from the plants. This will encourage
continued growth of the plants. Also,
be sure to pick the herbs when dry, then
use immediately or refrigerate in airtight
THE KEy To SuCCESS iS uSinG A GooD CoMPoST AnD SoiL Mix, KEEPinG
THE SEEDS MoiST, in A WArM LoCATion AnD PrEFErAbLy CoVErED.
bags. Keep your picked herbs on the
counter in a water-filled vase and you
will enjoy the herbs and a most amazing
table arrangement. This works especially
well for basils as they don’t last long in
the fridge. To extend your season, pick
bunches, tie and hang to dry to use all
winter long.
Once you get started on your herb
garden, you may never buy a wilted
handful of greens at the grocery store
again. Happy gardening!
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