Easy Herbs For Container Gardening Beginners

Easy Herbs For Container Gardening Beginners

There are many flavorful and interesting herbs that can be easily grown in a container. Here is just a sampling of the most popular and easiest to grow in container gardens.

Basil, also called sweet basil is a pleasant smelling annual plant with a spicy taste. There are many types, some large and some small. Leaf colors range from green to purple to variegated. Basil grows well in the garden or as a potted plant. Plant in early spring or fall. Cooks favor it for all kinds of tomato dishes. It can also be added to soups, vegetables and Italian dishes.

Chives are small perennial, onion-like plants that grow in a clumping fashion. Leaves are topped with attractive pink flowers beginning in early spring. Plants can be purchased or grown from seed. Established clumps can be divided and transplanted. Garlic chives are similar in appearance to regular chives but have a slightly garlic flavor. The leaves of chives can be cut, diced and added to foods to impart a mild onion-like flavor.

Chamomile is a hardy perennial plant used for brewing tea. It is a fine leafed matting plant growing to a height of one foot when in bloom. Flowers are white daisy-like with yellow centers. The plant roots easily from layered stems and cuttings. Established plants can also be divided. Teas are brewed from the camomile blossoms.

Dill is an annual herb whose leaves and seeds are popular flavorings for pickles, sauerkraut and beet dishes. It is an erect, strong smelling fennel-like plant reaching a height of four feet. Seeds of dill can be planted in the fall or early spring. Large, attractive yellow, umbrella shaped flower heads provide ample seeds flavoring and reseeding.

Mints such as peppermint and spearmint are hardy perennials used to make herbal tea, flavor drinks and liqueurs, and to make mint sauce. Mints are some of the easiest to grow perennial herbs for gardens. They grow profusely in sun or shade. Start plants in moist soil using surface or underground runners as sprigs for new plants. The leaves and flowering tops are the useful parts, both for fresh and dried.

Oregano is recognized to be of two main types, Mexican and European. The latter are also called wild marjoram. The two types are dissimilar in taste, but alike in usage. The European is much milder. Both types may be grown from seed sown in the spring or propagated by cuttings. Cut the tender tops of both herbs just as flowers begin. Add oregano to Italian-type sauces, pizza, and meats.

Thyme, a shrubby perennial herb, is represented by a fairly wide variety of shapes and sizes. Usually, it is a small growing plant less than one and one half feet tall, with very tiny gray-green leaves. Purplish flowers are formed on the ends of the stems. New plants can be started from seed or by dividing established plants.

For best growth, thyme should be replanted every three or four years. To use, remove the top one third portion of the plant when in full bloom and spread on newspaper to dry. Then strip the leaves and flowering tops from the stem and store in tightly closed containers. Use in gumbos, clam chowder, stuffings, and meat dishes.