Create a Culinary Herb Garden

Choose a sunny, well-drained area with rich soil for your new culinary herb garden. Raised beds make the perfect home for any combination of herbs. Containers work well also.

Transplant seedlings or garden center grown plants after the last threat of frost has passed, making sure each plant is at the proper depth and watered in thoroughly.

Every culinary herb garden differs according the tastes of the chef, so explore your options. Here are a few popular cooking herbs to consider.

  • Lemon thyme
  • Common thyme
  • Garlic chives
  • Sage
  • Parsley
  • Basil
  • Rosemary
  • Bay
  • Fennel
  • Dill (Can be aggressive & reseeds)
  • Salad burnet

The foliage, blooms and seeds of many culinary herbs are useful. Take for example cilantro, a popular herb in Mexican and Asian dishes. The leaves of cilantro are often used in salsas while the spicy seeds called coriander, are often used in curries and soups.

Remember, just like in cooking, experimenting with an array of herb combinations is part of the fun in herb gardening, so the sky is the limit in creating your own personal culinary herb garden. Plant one this season. We are here to help you succeed.

 

Bug Repellants

Several herbs can be used for pest repelling, both in the home and garden. Consider this all natural way of detouring mosquitoes, deer flies, and even slugs. Try planting any combination of the following herbs in a ceramic pot to keep your patio comfortable this summer:

  • Basil: Repels flies, mosquitoes
  • Bay: Weevils
  • Catnip: Fleas, beetles, rats
  • Chervil: Slugs
  • Chives: Insects in general
  • Lavender: Mosquitoes, moths, and flies
  • Lemon balm: Mosquitoes, gnats
  • Lemon Thyme: Mosquitoes
  • Mint: All insects, mice
  • Rue: All insects
  • Sage: Snails
  • Thyme: Snails and insects

 

Perennial Herbs

Did you know that many of the herbs commonly grown in our area are perennial? Here are just a few to keep in mind when planning out your herb garden or simply adding a new dimension to your perennial beds.

  • Beebalm
  • Catnip
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Chives
  • Garlic chives
  • French Tarragon
  • Hyssop
  • French Lavender
  • Lemon Balm
  • Mints
  • Oregano
  • Sage
  • Rue
  • Thymes
  • Watercress
  • Winter Savory