Herbs are very easy to grow, and besides basil, which doesn’t like to dry out, they only require occasional watering. Any well-drained soil will work, but your best bet is to grab a bag of ready-to-use planting mix. Most herbs really only need soil with good drainage, consistent moisture and sunlight.
Nothing beats being able to go out into the garden, and just take a pinch of this and a pinch of that. When you consider the cost of one of these plants is just a little more than for a single bunch at the market, why not have a few pots around, even if they’re on the windowsill?
Three versatile herbs to try are rosemary, onion chives and basil.
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 flavour 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.
After planting each herb, be sure to give them plenty of water and sunshine. Be sure to water the herbs deeply during dry spells especially if planted in containers.
