If you’re interested in gardening but not sure where to begin, try planting herbs. They’re extremely easy to grow and perfect for a beginner. Most herbs really only need soil with good drainage, consistent moisture and sunlight.
Start with basic terracotta containers, a good quality soil, and herb plants you have chosen. Three versatile herbs to try are rosemary, onion chives and basil.
- If you use biodegradable peat pots made from natural and recycled materials you can plant the pots with the plant! This reduces transplant shock and there are no nursery containers to throw away.
- After planting each herb in their own container, be sure to give them plenty of water and sunshine.
There are many uses for each of these herbs. Rosemary prefers a warm, sunny and dry environment. You can cut rosemary stems at any time and the fragrant blooms are also edible. Rosemary is a wonderful herb on roasted chicken.
Onion chives are a grassy looking perennial with onion-flavoured leaves and purple blooms. The mild onion flavor is a tasty addition to any savoury dish. Chives are not finicky and tolerate neglect, but will do best if you don’t completely ignore them.
Basil can’t stand cold weather, so if you have a basil plant indoors, don’t set it outside until 2 weeks after the last frost date in your area.
Be sure to water the herbs deeply during dry spells especially if planted in containers.
