Favorite Culinary Herbs for Container Gardens
Five Plants Every Cook and Herb Gardener Should Grow
Jul 12, 2009
A successful herb garden does not necessarily need to be grown in the ground. Many herbs, especially those herbs used in cooking, grow very well in flower pots or other containers. Planting a container-grown herb garden can provide avid gardeners and culinary aficionados with months of fresh greens for addition to any recipe.
Containers for Growing Herbs
Herbs can be grown in almost any container provided it is large enough to contain soil that will allow space for the plants' roots to grow. Whether made of wood, plastic or metal, the container used for growing herb plants will require holes drilled in the bottom to allow for proper drainage of water through the soil.
Although traditional flower pots and planters can certainly be used for growing a container herb garden, there are many other vessels that can be used creatively for holding growing herb plants. Reuse or recycle materials such as an old tool caddy, steel bucket, broken-down wheelbarrow or even a rubber boot to use as containers that would provide an ideal space for growing herbs.
Care of the Container Herb Garden
Herbs are, almost without exception, sun-loving plants. One of the reasons that a container-grown herb garden is a good idea is that containers are mobile. Place containers of growing herb plants in a sunny location, ideally close to the kitchen door, where leaves and stems can be harvested conveniently while cooking. If the desired location does not receive between six and eight hours of full sun each day, the containers can easily be moved into a sunnier location.
Place one herb plant in smaller pots, two or three herb plants in medium-sized containers or grown an entire herb garden in a large container such as a trough, barrel or box planter. Herb plants should be watered regularly, but neither allowed to sit in water nor allowed to dry out. Routinely pull any weeds that grow in the garden of container herbs, as these create competition for nutrients in the soil.
Favorite Herbs for Container Gardening
All of these herb plants can be found at most garden centers throughout the gardening season. Shop early to find the healthiest and widest variety of plants.
- Basil - There are many varieties of basil widely available for growing. Indeed, as Patrick Lima reports in his 2001 book, Herbs, the Complete Gardener’s Guide, there are more than 150 Ocimum species growing wild worldwide. Genovese Basil is a favorite variety, loved for its licorice flavor and large leaves.
- Chives - A member of the onion family, Allium schoenoprasum adds a mild onion flavor to food. The plants feature a lovely, purple flower in early summer. Most gardeners are willing to part with a clump from an existing chive plant. Snip fresh chive leaves or flowers into salads, onto baked potatoes or into scrambled eggs to add a hint of onion flavor.
- Parsley - Two main types of parsley are commonly found growing in the herb or vegetable garden: flat-leafed or curly-leafed. Although curly-leafed parsley looks prettier growing in containers, flat-leafed parsley often has a more intense flavor. Petroselinum species are most often used as a garnish, either chopped or left in small sprigs.
- Rosemary - The scent of Rosmarinus officinalis makes growing this evergreen herb worthwhile. Rosemary goes well with roasted chicken or potatoes, its unique, piney scent wafting through the kitchen as it roasts.
- Thyme - There are many varieties of thyme available for container gardening, including silver-leafed thyme, lemon thyme and even orange thyme. However, as Adam Caplin tells readers in his 2003 book, New Kitchen Garden, “The best for cooking is the garden thyme, T. vulgaris.” Add fresh thyme leaves to scrambled eggs, stir into cottage cheese or chop and sprinkle over a bowl of soup.
By providing a container herb garden with the proper care, sun and water requirements, growing culinary herbs can be a satisfying and delicious gardening practice! Focusing on growing these five favorite herbs will make it easy to grow a beautiful, aromatic and tasty cluster of plants just outside the kitchen door.
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