Herb gardening.

[airplanedoc]

This year I am growing basil, oregano, thyme, lemon verbina, and stieva. Wanted to get some rosemary, buy could never find any when I was herb shopping.


Thinking about installing a window garden in my south facing kitchen window, and attempting to grow herbs year round.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Our herbs come and go, but the one constant (5+) has been our rosemary shrub. We almost lost it 2 years ago from too much rain, but part of it still remains. It started from a 4" pot and grew into a shrub that at it's peak was @ 3' x 6'. It is now just a shadow of its former self at @ 2' x 3'. I can't walk by it w/o out rubbing a hand over it.

One thing I'm missing most right now is a mint. Always grow in a pot to contain its invasive nature.

 

[Ashkii21]

I grow Basil, Parsley and Chives in a kitchen window. I don't know what to call that type of window but it sticks out about a foot from the wall and has 2 shelves and the top glass is tilted down. I live in Arizona and I find that I have to keep water around my plants to help raise the humidity around them.

 

[RazorDingo]

There is a somewhat complex calculus that goes into deciding what herbs to grow.

You need to balance a) the amount of time, space, money, and effort you are prepared to put into growing them; b) the sort of climate you have where you live; c) how much of, and how frequently you are going to use the herb; and d) the availability of acceptable substitutes.

Mint is an example of an herb I've thought about growing: Its relatively easy to grow (some people would say too easy, as it has a habit of taking over a garden) But the fact of the matter is, I don't do much cooking where mint would come in handy. I only rarely mix myself Mint Juleps - and if I'm going to do a roast lamb - I'll buy a sprig of mint for the sauce down at the supermarket.

Parsley, on the other hand, is an easy choice. You can use parsley as a garnish on just about any meal. And while you can buy it easily enough at the supermarket - I find that the quantities you can buy are far more than I can reasonably use before it wilts in the refrigerator. It grows easily enough in a pot, and many is the guest who is delighted at being able to eat something they saw being harvested a minute or so previously.

I'd say let your cooking repetoire guide you in your herb garden choices. If you cook a lot of dishes that require herb X - then do everything you can to try and grow it in your garden.

 

[tsmba]

I guess I use parsley more frequently than most, followed by basil and chervil. Besides the obvious taste benefits, a simple garnish of fresh herbs looks great on a plate.
You southerners are lucky to be able to keep a year-round supply of rosemary. I've tried several times to bring a plant indoors over the winter, but they gradually die no matter how I care for them.

 

[Mr. Clean]

I guess I use parsley more frequently than most, followed by basil and chervil. Besides the obvious taste benefits, a simple garnish of fresh herbs looks great on a plate.
You southerners are lucky to be able to keep a year-round supply of rosemary. I've tried several times to bring a plant indoors over the winter, but they gradually die no matter how I care for them.

It does love the heat. I will tell you that we went through several 4" pots of different varieties before the one we have now. I have no idea why the others did not take. And unfortunately, I lost the plant stick that told me which variety we have, because I would be inclined to plant another just like it.

I don't cook with mint, but I do like to add a sprig to a glass of iced tea on occasion.

One herb that we use quite a bit, but have had no luck in growing is cilantro.

 

[ryand]

Does anyone have suggestions for indoor herbs? Living in an apartment makes it near impossible to have an actual garden. I've tried basil a few times but it always dies. I've had some success w/ rosemary but always used it faster than it grew. I could probably stick a few pots out on the porch but there's not that much room out there.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Does anyone have suggestions for indoor herbs? Living in an apartment makes it near impossible to have an actual garden. I've tried basil a few times but it always dies. I've had some success w/ rosemary but always used it faster than it grew. I could probably stick a few pots out on the porch but there's not that much room out there.

It has been the 70s since I last resided in an apartment, but as you mentioned we populated our balcony with plants and had very good luck. There is something that I've seen mentioned (I think in this forum) about "square foot gardening". I don't know much about it, but I believe that it is oriented for those gardeners with limited space resources. Maybe it will have an answer for you.