7 Easy Herbs for Beginners to Grow at Home
Eating fresh and healthy should be our priority as we seek to promote and maintain our health. To often food crops are grown in such ways that can have a negative impact on our health but by growing our food crops from our home gardens is a great way not only to eat fresh and healthy but also to have an almost endless supply that will save us some extra cash which I believe is a win-win for us.
If your desire is to eat healthy and fresh with your harvest just a few steps away (herb garden) or at your fingertips then continue reading as you discover how easy it is to grow these 7 herbs from your home garden.
Growing these 7 herbs from your home garden the easy way
1. Growing basils
Basils are one of my favorite herbs that have strong flavors with a delightful aroma, basil requires about 6 hours of sunlight. The soil should be organic-rich well-drained soil, keeping the soil moist and not waterlogged will have your basil growing nicely.
Basil is very sensitive to the cold during early spring, when basil starts flowering remove flowers by pinching this will encourage new growth keeping your basil nice and full. This herb also grows well in containers, basil can be added to steam foods, soups, gravies, rice, etc…
2. Growing rosemary
A great herb that will surely excite your taste bud is rosemary, this herb has such a strong aroma and flavor, caution should be taken however when cooking with rosemary because and overuse of this herb will give foods a bitter taste so use in moderation.
The soil of the rosemary plant should be loamy allowing for good drainage, install rosemary in an area that gets 6 hours of sunlight. Rosemary succumbs quickly to root rot so do not overwater, the soil should be somewhat moist at all times. Use rosemary for dishes such as soups, gravies, steam foods, rice, etc.. keep your rosemary herb growing full by removing the stem when the plant begins to flower.
3. Growing thyme
This herb is one of the favorites of the Caribbean islands, thyme is the only herb besides garlic I knew from my childhood days because my parents used these herbs mostly in many of their dishes. Thyme has a pleasant aroma and a nice mild flavor.
The soil that’s chosen should be loamy with good drainage, this herb is planted during early spring. Keeping the soil somewhat moist is ideal, a location that gets 6 hours of sunlight is best, thyme can be used freshly cut or dried and use at a later date. Thyme can be added to rice, soups, gravies, steam foods, etc… I have also heard of persons making herbal tea with thyme even though I have never tried it.
4. Growing parsley
Although this herb is used to flavor many foods parsley is also used as a garnish to decorate dishes. Parsely is a biennial that thrives in moist loamy soils but has been known to adapt to drier conditions. Parsely should be planted from spring to late summer.
This herb prefers partial to full sunlight, seeds will germinate in 21-28 days. During the first year harvest the outer stems, allow the inner stalks to remain to encourage continual growth. The stems of parsley are more delicious than the leaves. Parsely can be used to enhance the flavors of salads, soups, pasta, etc…
5. Chives
Chives is also one of my all-time favorites with a nice aroma and a taste that’s filled with flavors. Chives grow best in the full sun with good loamy soil that must be kept moist not waterlogged. Chives can also be grown indoors in containers provided they get sufficient sunlight, a sunny location near a window is perfect.
Chives will take over your garden if not controlled because the flowers will scatter the seeds, after your chives have bloomed they can be deadheaded to control spread. This herb can be used in so many food recipes, some of these recipes include steam foods, rice, soups, salads, baked foods, etc…
6. Mint
When first introduced to the mint herb many years ago I was surprised because of the aroma of mint candy that emanated from this plant. To ensure that your mint herb is growing healthy plant in an area that gets full to partial sunlight with a soil that’s loamy and rich.
The soil should be kept moist at all times but not soggy because mint hates wet feet, once your mint takes off constant monitoring is required because mint has known to be invasive and will take over your garden therefore it’s best to install mint by themselves in a separate bed. Mint can be used in many dishes including ham recipes and also as a tea.
7. Lavender
Planting lavender in the full sun is a must, the soil of lavender should be well-drained sandy soil. When first planted lavenders should be watered regularly but once establish become drought tolerant.
Removing the top growth will encourage new growth as well as helping lavender to maintain its natural form. This herb may take a year or more before harvest time, some food recipes where lavender is used include sweet and savory dishes, chicken, lamb chops, etc…
The final word on herb gardens for beginners
As a beginner gardener, you can have much success from your home garden by following these simple but yet effective steps that have proven to give good results. Creating a herb garden in your backyard is pretty amazing as you connect with nature on the great outdoors while growing your very own food crop as you look forward to reaping a good harvest.
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About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Thank you for sharing this with me here. Seriously,I have been thinking about going to gardening recently and seeing what has been shared here and the kind of plants more better to get started with here makes it all the more easier for me to start with. I am very delighted that you have shared this with us here. Thank you so much for sharing this
You are welcome and thanks so much for stopping by, wishing you the best of success with your garden project.
It’s always good to have a small garden if you don’t have the luxury of time and space to manage a big one, where you can grow whatever you want like Vegetables or flowers and even herbs which is a very good idea. It’s very true that not everyone knows how to go about it so it’s nice that you offered this help, it’ll be useful.
I am so happy that I could help and thanks so much for stopping by. All the best to you.
Gardening is some that I love doing and since I was very small I have always loved to go check on the herb with my mum and seeing this guide you gave here, I’m really happy because it’s quite similar to the methods I have learned from my mum. I am considering starting a herb garden but it’s not been really easy because of the soil I have at home.
It is so good to see that you worked in the garden with your mum. Growing herbs is pretty amazing and has so many benefits. The soils that I mentioned in this post should help you in having much success. Wishing you all the best of success and have a good day.
Having a herb garden in one’s yard sounds very nice. The task of having a garden is being able to maintain it and see to it that the herbs you have planted grows as expected. Thanks for this article Norman. Reading this article has educated me on how i can have my own herb garden, even as a beginner.
I would love to ask if there a specific soil type and texture for any of the herbs mentioned above?
And also, if any two of these herbs can be planted on the same land space?
Hello, I am so happy to help, the type of soil for these herbs are also mentioned in my post. Once the area is wide enough you can plant a combination of them. Herbs can also be grown in containers, hope this helps.
Hello there, thank you very much for sharing this article on herb gardens for beginners. I’ve gone through it and it’s a really detailed one. I had no idea that Rosemary was easy to grow at home and I always wanted to grow them in my home garden. I’ll try out these 7 herbs listed out and come back with reviews on how it turned out. Thank you
Hello and thanks so much for stopping by, I am so happy to help. Wishing you all the best with your garden project and looking forward to hearing how it goes. Have a good day.