Mini Herb Garden
Ever heard anyone say that the best way to start something is to start small? Mini herb gardens are a great way to start your life as an herb gardener. This doesn’t mean that you grow only little plants.
I started my life among the herbs with three little blue pots that had their own little blue tray that sat on the kitchen windowsill of my first apartment. I grew oregano, basil and chives and had mixed results, mostly because I often forgot to water them. I can’t tell you how many oregano plants got replaced along the way. For me, I needed to go bigger to do better. But it was a great experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
When you think about a mini herb garden, you probably don’t want a plant that’s going to grow to four or five feet tall. Think small. Tidy.
If you want to try your hand at a mini-herb garden, I’ve got some recommendations for you on the best herbs out there for your garden:
• Chives: As part of the onion family, chives are great for small pots. You can even start with seeds. When it first peeks out of the soil, your chives will look like young grass, but don’t be alarmed, just insure that if you continue to provide full, direct sunlight and water them, your chives will grow to maturity in no time. Snip the tops right off and chop them up and add to your baked potatoes. You can also eat the flowers.
• Chervil: This delicate herb is great for your sauces, soups and egg dishes. It is one part mild licorice and another part like parsley. Its comforting smell adds new dimension to your French cuisine and eating it could lower your blood pressure. Your seeds will do well in your mini herb garden and also do well in part-shade.
• Cumin: If you aren’t already familiar with the many uses and benefits of cumin, you could be living in a box. It’s popular in Mexican and Indian cuisine these days, but you can find references to it as far back as in the Bible. Although it takes a few months to mature, it will be worth your while to try your hand at cumin in your mini-herb garden.
• Sweet Violet: Start with a violet in your mini herb garden and you’ll find your happy place for sure. It has the beautiful violet color you’re familiar with from the name. You probably want to start with a young plant, rather than seeds, for best results. Your sweet violet prefers a shady site with moist, mulched soil.
Here’s another thought for your mini herb garden: I can recall going to my grandmother’s house when I was little. She had two green thumbs and eight green fingers. She always kept a huge globe-like terrarium in her bedroom that was full of herbs and other plants.
A terrarium is an enclosed mini-ecosystem that doesn’t work for every type of plant or herb, so be sure to do your research before you start buying. They come in all different shapes and sizes—you can even use an aquarium for yours—that you can’t go wrong once you get the right plants.
Two really good herbs for your terrarium are hens-and-chickens and aloe vera. Both are great to have around the house, brighten any day and aloe vera is great for skin ailments.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
