Cooking Herbs for the Kitchen Continer Garden

The first question to ask when starting a kitchen herb garden is "What should I grow"? Well, grow the herbs that you frequently use for cooking and teas, but be aware of the cardinal rule of herb gardening; herbs need sun, and a lot of it. If you plan to grow your kitchen herb garden indoors, make sure that you have a suitable location that receives direct sunlight for several hours each day.

If you are planting your kitchen herb garden in a container that is kept outside, learn which herbs will over-winter well and which will need to be replanted each year. The following is a brief outline of common culinary herbs, their uses and growing requirements.

Culinary Herb Plants

A typical container herb garden often includes some of the following. The plant layout of your container herb garden should depend on herb height and growth form, described below.

Basil

Scientific name: Ocimum basilicum

Height: ~ 18" tall

Growth Form: Bushy.

Originally from the tropics, this aromatic and flavorful pesto darling will need to be treated as an annual in climates that freeze. Large-leaf sweet basil is the best all-purpose variety and is very easy to grow from seed. If growing outdoors, don't start seeds until the soil temperature has warmed.

Chives

Scientific Name: Allium schoenoprasum

Height: 8 - 24" and taller when flowering

Growth Form: Grows straight up like grass. Sometimes, if tall, leaves will fall sideways and take up more space.

Chives are close kin to garlic, leeks and onions. The long, round, grass-like leaves, as would be expected, have a bold garlic-onion flavor that is great for soups, baked potato topping and many other culinary applications. Chives are a perennial plant that produces a pink, spikey flower, and are very easily grown from seeds.

Dill

Scientific Name: Anethum graveolens

Height: up to 3', depending on variety

Growth Form: Very tall with feathery leaves.

If you love seafood or plan to pickle your cucumbers, dill is a requirement; although a sprig of dill will perk up almost any dish. Dill grows very tall, and produces delicate, feathery leaves and blossoms. The plants grow very easily and quickly from seed. You may want to sow several successive plantings to provide a continual crop of dill during the entire growing season.

Oregano

Scientific Name: Origanum vulgare

Height: 12 - 24"

Growth Form: Often has a trailing habit.

A wonderful savory Italian seasoning, oregano is actually related to the mints and is a low growing perennial that will cascade beautifully over the sides of your container herb garden. Oregano is also very easy to grow from seed.

Parsley

Scientific Name: Petroselinum crispum

Height: 12" +

Growth Form: Stems thin, but leaves are bushy, so leave some space for this plant to spread out.

Many recipes call for parsley. Flat-leaf Italian parsley is the best type to cook with, having a mild grassy flavor. Parsley is a biennial, but in colder climates you may have to replant annually. It is a fast grower and very easy to grow inexpensively from seed.

Rosemary

Scientific Name: Rosemarinus officinalis

Height: 3 - 5', taller in climates that are warm year round.

Growth Form: Narrow, upright bush.

Rosemary is a savory, woody herb, with succulent, thin leaves that resemble conifer needles. The plant is perennial in milder climates but cannot withstand freezing temperatures. If you live in a cold temperate climate, you may want to replant this herb annually. Rosemary is slow to grow and not easy to cultivate from seed. Gardeners are often better off purchasing an established plant.

Sage

Scientific Name: Salvia officinalis

Height: 12 - 30"

Growth Form: Woody, bushy plant.

Sage plants are perennial woody plants that, when mature, resemble small bushes. This savory herb is a useful addition to soups, poultry and may other dishes. Sage grows quickly from seed and comes back year after year, even in cold climates.

Thyme

Scientific Name: Thymus vulgaris

Height: 3 - 10"

Growth Form: Trailing habit.

Thyme is a tiny-leafed, low-growing savory perennial that can be grown from seed. Thyme is useful for adding flavor to many different dishes, and the plant is also very attractive; producing tiny, delicate flowers during summer.