Beginners are often apprehensive about planting an outdoor herb garden. They are concerned about the weather, pest problems, weeds, and being able to harvest the plants. If you have been dreaming of planting an herb garden, here are five tips to help you get started. Outdoor herb gardening is very similar to indoor herb gardening but the location of the herb garden has some distinct differences. Outdoor herb gardening requires more attention than planting an indoor garden.
If you are planting in the soil, you need to give your herbs much more attention. In a well-drained soil, you don’t have to worry about drainage. If you’re not using sand or gravel, it’s also important that you add sand or gravel to the bottom of each pot to aid drainage as much as possible. Most outdoor herb gardens will not be planted in full sun. Sunlight is too much for herbs to tolerate for too long without losing their flavor.
Planting Herbs Properly Plant herbs in a container that allows them room to grow. Herbs will do their best when they are kept relatively close to the ground. If the container is too large, they may crowd out other competing plants or shade the others from getting the attention they deserve. For smaller containers, herbs can get squeezed out of the pots without being overtaken. For growing herbs in the shade, plant herbs in small pots that allow for good air circulation around the plants.
Which One’s the Best? Mint and Rosemary are two perennials that make good candidates for an outdoor herb garden. Mint and Rosemary will flourish in full sun while basil will do fine in pots with partial shade. But which one is your favorite?
Mint. I would start with this one and work my way through the list as I went. Mint is a perennial and it will grow a lot in containers. You just need to remember that it needs a lot of sun and watering regularly. Other than that, it is pretty self explanatory. Add a few sprigs of dried oregano to your dishes and you have a versatile culinary herb.
Rosemary. This is the more commonly grown of the two, but it can also be grown indoors in a sunny window for full sun enjoyment. Rosemary is one of my favorites, especially when combined with fresh garlic.
A Raised Planter. A raised planting bed is a wonderful idea if you like herbs and want them to be as healthy as possible. The reason is that the soil is so rich and full of nutrients that germination from seeds is very easy. Plus you don’t have the problems of pests or weeds. In the spring you can move your outdoor herb garden back outdoors and enjoy the great flavor, they have from the sun.
There are so many different types of pots that you can use for growing herbs. They range from small round containers that are just right for growing herbs indoors, to larger pots that are more suited to being outside and used to harvest different types of herbs. All the pots mentioned above are really suitable for both indoor growing herbs and outdoor growing herbs. Your final choice will be a pot that you like best, depending on what you are going to be using it for and where you are going to be putting it.
Pots For Growing Fresh Herbs. If you have a windowsill or a windowsill garden, then you can grow your fresh herbs right on your windowsill. Many people love to use this method because it is so easy to take fresh herbs right out of the ground and have them thrive in your kitchen. Plus, you can enjoy the delicious flavor of fresh herbs each day.
Container Gardening. Another popular way of planting an outdoor herb garden is to use a simple wooden container or a plastic container. Some herbs such as mint can thrive in full sun. Others, such as lemongrass, need much less sunlight. A lavender plant needs as much sun as it likes. Just be sure that it gets as much sun as you can give it in the areas that it will be planting.
Windowsill Planter. Using a windowsill planter will allow you to place your herbs in direct sunlight. They will also thrive much better with the moisture that they get from the sun. This is a great herb garden idea that you can easily build and maintain. You can also get a special self-watering planter that you can place inside of your home.