Growing Herbs in Pots
Growing herbs in pots is one of the easiest ways to get started in herb gardening. You can create something beautiful in only a few minutes. You can easily move your pots from one spot to another as you figure out the best arrangement for sunlight and attractiveness. You can use all variety of pots—I don’t recommend metal pots though—and they come in a number of shapes, sizes, colors and finishes.
When I go pot hunting, I have a good idea of the type of herb that I want to put in it. This is important because of drainage issues. As you get more and more familiar with herb gardening, you’ll notice that some herbs need a lot of moisture while others need good drainage. You’ll want to check the size and number of the draining holes. If you have a lungwort plant and too much drainage, you’ll end up watering it every 15 minutes or face a dried up, dead plant. The opposite is true for other herbs. Without good drainage your hens-and-chickens plant will drown on the spot.
Here are some of my favorite herbs to grow in pots:
• Bay: Don’t try this from seeds. Buy it young in a plastic pot and transfer it to a large pot (this herb tree will get to be about 5 feet tall). You can grow it in full sun or partial shade—either one will work fine. Just make sure that it is well-drained. Anytime you want some extra flavor in your soups, stews or rice dishes just snip off a leaf or two and throw it in the pot! Be sure to take the leaves out and discard them before you serve.
• Lemon grass: Let me just tell you something … I love lemongrass. I love the smell, the taste, the look of the plant. I love it all. Buy a young lemongrass plant at your local store and put it in a nice big pot (giving it room to grow). It likes full sun and loose, moist soil. Cook with it. Add it to your homemade lotions and soaps. Just rub it in your hands. You can take it in for the winter or pull out the bulbs, keep them clean and dry and then replant them in the spring.
• Pansies: These little herbs have recently been bred to withstand colder temperatures so that you can have this little bit of sunshine all winter long, depending on what part of the country you live in. Pots allow the roots to get even colder, so be sure that if you’re wintering your pansies in pots that you make sure they aren’t overexposed. Plant them in the shadiest spot. Grab a few blossoms as soon as they open so that you can press them or … yes, you can eat them and they’re beautiful in a salad. Don’t gross out, they’re really nice.
• Rosemary: This is another wonderful smelling herb that is so pretty to look at. It actually looks like it should be in the pine family. If you grow rosemary in a pot, please be mindful not to let it dry out completely. This can be hard because rosemary needs well-drained soil. I let my first rosemary plant get too dry for too long. That was the end of that.
• Thyme: You can start growing thyme by sprinkling a few seeds into a mostly full pot and coating it with a thin layer of soil. If you’re going for a fancy variety of thyme, buy it at the nursery or home improvement store. Not only is thyme drought tolerant, it likes well-drained soil and full sun. Clip a few sprigs here and there to add to your dishes. Its light flavor goes well with just about any entrée or vegetable. It’s especially good with roast chicken.
Because each herb is different and has its own needs, you should find out what your herbs need (before you leave the store with them) to make sure that you have the right ingredients to mix the right soil. The best potting soil for your container herb garden is one that is light (these usually have a lot of peat in them). Peat allows for fast drainage, which again, can be really important. You don’t want it to dry out too fast or you’ll be watering it all the time. Adding mulch to the pot helps it retain moisture, which can be helpful for other types of herbs.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
