All About Herbs

I really love the satisfaction of watching something grow. I like to think my slightly green thumb came from all of those summer days I spent with my Poppy. He grew up on a farm, and was a gentleman's farmer into his 70's. He was an amazing gardener, and I swear that anything he planted grew perfectly. He would start early in the spring when there was still a foot of snow on the ground (March in Ohio) watching his seedlings sprout from the seeds he had harvested the previous year or ordered new from one of then ten+ seed catalogs that came to him every fall. Since he passed away last month, I've been thinking more and more about the day when we have a big yard where we can plant a garden. But for now...herbs will have to do. They're not the easiest to grow indoors if you don't have a window that gets full sun, but they're doing pretty well so far. Four of them I've had for a few months now, and two are new.

Sage, Italian Parsley, Rosemary

Sweet Basil, Mint, Chives

If you would like to start your own indoor herb garden, here are the basics you will need:

- clay pots and saucers (mine are 4")

- seeds or herb plants (I was only successful with 1 of 3 seeds I planted but maybe you'll have better luck?) mine plants were organic

- potting soil (I used organic, as using regular potting soil would defeat the point of buying organic herb plants)

- small trowel

- watering can with a thin, long spout

The planting process is self explanatory: fill pot with a little dirt, remove plants from original container, plant in clay pot, water.

Herbs that are easy to grow per www.chow.com:

chives, bay tree, parsley, coriander, lemon grass

More difficult:

oregano, rosemary, thyme

Hardest:

basil, cilantro, sage

So based on those findings, I clearly did not choose wisely. However I chose the herbs I am most likely to use, and regular pruning is essential when growing herbs. Wish me luck in keeping these pretty plants alive and flourishing!