Whether you have a huge garden or a little balcony, Growing herbs at home means you will always have a good supply to add to your recipes when you need it. Herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme are hardy enough to keep you going throughout the year. Oregano and mint tend to prefer the spring and summer months. I love being able to head out into the garden to pick big wads of fresh herbs which go great in marinades, dressings and salads. More than anything it saves on buying packs from the supermarket which can be an extremely expensive habit to get into.
Alongside some lovely raised veggie boxes from the lads at patchworkveg.com which now have spuds, peas, pumpkins, onions, and spinach all poking their heads out, they also filled up some of the old animal troughs in our back garden with soil for herbs. In the few weeks I planted them, they have already doubled in size and I’ve even been robbing a few of the fresh leaves for my cooking!
Now while all this growing at home sounds like a lovely idea, what does it involve I hear you cry! You will need to head off to the garden centre and pick up a few essential pieces of equipment, the first being a few pots to fill the herbs with, and a big bag of soil. When choosing herbs, pick the most healthy looking ones that have a full bush and look nice and strong. Then all it really takes is to fill up your pots and plant in the herbs. Pop them in a nice sunny spot and feed with plenty of water and you will have a nice supply of fresh herbs all summer long!
I’m often left with an overload of herbs, so rather than let them die during the winter, I like to find different ways to use them. You can dry thyme and oregano by cutting large bunches, shaking to remove any dirt or bugs and tying with a piece of string. Set in a warm, dry place and allow to dry out over a week, before popping in glass jars. To use, scrunch the bunches over tomato sauces or into salad dressings for a great aromatic kick. A tip for softer herbs like basil is to finely chop and mix with some good-quality olive oil, then pour the mixture into ice trays and pop in the freezer. You can stir these little herby cubes into sauces or I often defrost them and spread over bread, along with a good sprinkling of sea salt, before baking it in the oven.
Top Easy to Grow Herbs:
1. Mint
2. Rosemary
3. Thyme
4. Oregano
5. Sage
6. Parsley
7. Chives
8. Fennel
9. Lemon balm
10. Bay
Essential Herb Garden Equipment:
1. Large pots for growing
2. 2-3 bags of good quality soil
3. A trowel
4. Watering Can
5. A nice warm spot in the garden
