Suzy's Gardening Tips

Have you ever had your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant and ever wondered why you can’t duplicate it at home? Could very well be that it was prepared with fresh cut herbs. In most recipes, fresh herbs are the recommendation, not always but they do the dish justice. Fresh herbs are a fun and easy project for anyone, whether you live on a farm or in an apartment. It is also a fun project to get the kids involved with the planting and care of the finished product.Potted herbs are sold everywhere nowadays. You can even find them at most grocery stores. Buying your fresh herbs in vacuum sealed bags is o.k. but they only last so long and you have to use them up quickly. Imagine having a window box of your favorite fresh herbs to use anytime you need then. It’s a simple and fun project, even if you start small and add more on later.

Most herbs need sunlight and water. Choose a location inside where you will have good light and accessibility. If they are not in an area where you can easily cut them you probably won’t. Start with a manageable container sized according to how many herbs you wish to grow. Decide which herbs you will use the most. The most popular seem to be parsley, oregano, thyme, chives and basil. A small window box will work well for this amount of herbs. When you purchase your plants make sure they look healthy. That means no bugs or diseases seen on or under the leaves. Use an all purpose potting soil and make sure your container has good drainage. A saucer or pan under the container will catch any overflow.

If you are not into all the prep of containers and potting soil, there are many prefab herb garden containers on the market today. They come with the container, soil, seed and some even come with a grow light to help speed things along.

Whether you choose to go it alone or start small with a kit, you will be rewarded with an abundance of delicious and nutritious herb seasonings to add to your favorite dishes at home. When friends come for dinner and rave about your culinary skills, you can point out that you grew your own herbs to season you dish. Also considering that these herbs will last all year long you will be rewarded again and again.