Growing Herbs

What is the best way to grow an herb garden outside? Last year, I put several in a planting box, but did not use it often enough and it became overgrown.

Hardiness Zone: 6a

By Becky Muehl from Madison, OH

Answers:

Growing Herbs

I use 11" to 17" pots on my deck for growing herbs, one herb variety to a pot. My biggest pot is reserved for basil, which I love and use the most. I also have an 8" pot of flat leaf parsley, which can come in, for the winter, and go back out the following spring.

Last year, I tried leaving my rosemary out, in the ground and covered it with another pot, to protect it. I live in Zone 3. I don't know if it will come back. It is still snowing here.

You must remember to pinch back the tops of the herbs to make them bush out and then to pick them, frequently. You can wash and dry them and just put each type of herb in a reclosable bag, in the freezer, to freeze flat and use as needed.

I even had greens in a "window box," but didn't use them and some of them bolted. I won't make that mistake, this year. They will get used! My deck is not only beautiful, with all the greenery, but it smells wonderfully, between the herbs and my flowers! (04/08/2009)

By Carol

Growing Herbs

I need to plant a new herb garden here. I had one at my old house. It was in a full sun (never got shade) with not the best soil and thrived, smelled good and made an ugly piece of property very pretty. I had every kind of basil and sage, lemongrass etc. I also surrounded it with petunias and marigolds and stuck a few pepper plants and cherry tomatoes in there so it was attractive and useful, even though I seriously neglected it. (04/08/2009)

By anna