Herb Gardening for Beginners

Every gardener should get an herb garden started! Herbs are easy to grow, aesthetically appealing, and offer so many useful contributions to cooking and natural home remedies. The good news for herb gardening beginners is that most herbs do very well all climates where outdoor gardening is possible, as long as they get good sun, adequate water, and an encouraging bit of compost or fertilizer. More good news is that indoor herb gardens do well, also, and deliver year-round bounty. See our guide on the Indoor Herb Garden for all the tasty details!

When starting your herb garden, attention to a few important details will set you up for success. First, prepare the soil by turning and loosening it, removing all weed and grass stems, and raking in a small amount of compost or manure if you have it. Herbs are hardy plants, very adaptable, and will grow well in most soils that have decent drainage. If you do not have ground space available, herbs will also thrive in pots on a sunny balcony or porch.

Secondly, start with plants that are already established. Inspect them before you buy, or immediately when they arrive if you order online, to make sure you begin with healthy plants. Most come ready to transplant, and about 2-3 inches in height. If the pots contain those plastic informational markers, place them in the ground or pot after transplanting, for reference and identification.

Next, understand that herbs are vigorous growers, so give them plenty of space to spread their leaves and thrive. Rosemary, for instance, will become a large bush with basic care, so give it 2-3 feet on either side. If you don’t like the empty places, fill them with annuals that won’t require a permanent spot, or put down mulch to keep weed growth under control.

When planning your garden space, choose spots for your herbs that will make accessing them easy. Put those that grow tall to the back, so they won’t block your access to shorter, bushier growers. If your space is round, put tall plants in the middle. Also consider the sun, and place larger plants so they will not block their smaller neighbors from getting their daily dose of life-giving light. Keep in mind, too, that trial and error is to be expected, and if you need to rearrange some plants after the season, they’ll most likely handle it just fine.

Many gardeners find their herb gardens to be their most rewarding. Using what you grow has inherent pleasures. Here is a brief list of good herbs to get started with, and ways in which you will find uses for them.

• Thyme offers big flavor from its tiny leaves. Sprinkle judiciously on chicken splashed with lemon, and enjoy a mouthwatering, intriguing taste. Place in well-drained soil where possible.

• Basil thrives in the heat of mid-Summer. Snip off the tips in mid-Spring to delay the blooms for optimal quality. Use it fresh to season meats, stews, soups, sauces, and salsa. It also freezes very well for year-round enjoyment.

• Rosemary will delight you with its delicate blue flowers, then provide a wonderful herb for meats, teas, and even creative desserts. You might want to bring this herb indoors over winter if hard freezes are the norm in your climate.

• Chives go great with sour cream over baked potatoes, as we all know. But flavoring eggs, quiches, vegetable dishes, and fish to taste will add new life to old recipes. Give them room to spread out.

• Italian parsley is a versatile herb that tends to enhance the flavor of other spices used in the meat dish, sauce, soup, or stew. In most climates you’ll need to restart it each year.

Herb plants are relatively inexpensive, so don’t be afraid to try several new herbs each year. You’ll soon be an expert, and will enjoy harvesting your herbs for use in your favorite meals.

Indoor herb gardening products :

AeroGarden Classic (Black) NASA tested aeroponic technology grows plants in water, nutrients and air so simply and easily that anyone can succeed. Choose from over 20 different seed kits, from fresh herb varieties to cherry tomatoes, salad greens, chili peppers and more. Fully automated garden with built-in grow lights. No dirt, no weeds, no mess and no green thumb needed. Indoor gardening made easy with AeroGarden.

3-Shelf Wall Garden The 3-shelf Wall Garden frees up counter space while growing up to 3 AeroGardens vertically. Can also be used as a 2-shelf Wall Garden. Includes hidden power strip and hardware for mounting to the wall. Works with both Classic 7-Pod and AeroGarden 6 models. Easy to assemble. Silver finish on steel.

AeroGarden Classic (Silver Color) NASA tested aeroponic technology grows plants in water, nutrients and air so simply and easily that anyone can succeed. Choose from over 20 different seed kits, from fresh herb varieties to cherry tomatoes, salad greens, chili peppers and more. Fully automated garden with built-in grow lights. No dirt, no weeds, no mess and no green thumb needed. Indoor gardening made easy with AeroGarden.

Salad Greens Seed Kit (7-Pod) Go from seed to salad in three to four weeks, then enjoy continuous, ongoing harvests from a delicious bouquet of seven lettuce varieties. Enjoy fresh lettuce at your fingertips with no pesticides or washing needed. Perfect for making salads, adding to sandwiches or garnishing your meals. Lettuce varieties include Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Red Butterhead and Romaine. Begin harvesting in four weeks and enjoy continuous harvests for three to four months.

Herb Appeal Collection This collection of tools teach you how to get the most out of your AeroGarden herbs. It includes a 45 minute DVD with recipes and tips from noted chef Charles Dale. He shows you how to add freshness and flavor to everyday dishes using herbs grown in your AeroGarden. The full-color Herb Appeal guide includes recipes and flavorful suggestions for each AeroGarden herb. And, the 12″ x 8.5″ flexible cutting mat has a handy herb measuring and conversion display.

AeroGarden 6 Elite+ (Tall AeroGarden) AeroGrow Best 6-pod garden! The AeroGarden 6 Elite+ has twice the height and 50% more light than a standard AeroGarden 6. Our best 6-pod garden is also the most versatile. It lets you grow mature full-sized tomatoes, English cucumbers, bell peppers and more. The lamp arm extends up to two feet. You adjust it as the plants grow taller. Comes with everything you need to start growing, right out of the box. Indoor gardening made easy with AeroGarden.

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