Growing your own herbs is a great way to save money at the grocery store. I have a vegetable garden but I always have a planter of my most used cooking herbs on my deck for convenience (it’s right outside of my kitchen). Growing herbs in containers is a great idea if you don’t have room for a garden – you can grow them on your deck (like me), a patio or a balcony. Here are my tips for growing a container herb garden.
You could plant each herb in a separate pot but why not plant them in a one pot container herb garden.
Container Herb Garden
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Here are 6 tips to help you get started with planting your very own container herb garden!
1. Use transplants – you’ll be able to harvest sooner if you use seedlings from your garden center. Some herbs are hard to grow from seed so transplants are a good way to start herb gardening especially if you’re a beginner.
2. Use good potting soil that drains well not soil from your yard.
3. Choose the right pot. If you’re planting several different herbs in one pot you need to give our plants some room to grow. So choose an appropriate pot size. Also, I know galvanized tubs are popular to plant in but they get hot and dry out quickly in my Zone (7b) so depending on where you are located, you may need to water them more frequently. Same thing with dark colored pots.
4. I use old soda cans & pine cones to fill the bottom of my large pots. That way I don’t have to fill the entire pot with soil and the pot isn’t too heavy. They’re easy to remove if at the end of the season you want to dump your dirt out. You can also use packing peanuts. I find them horribly messy when you need to dump the soil from a pot unless you contain them in a mesh bag or something first, so I don’t use them. Fill your pot with soil. Then get to planting!
5. Grow what you like to use. Technically you should plant the herbs that like to dry out in between watering together (like rosemary and thyme) in one pot and the ones like parsley and chives that like constant moisture in another pot. But I’ve been planting all my herbs together for years and never had a problem.
6. Herbs need a good amount of sun – 6 hours or so. If you live some place with very hot summers they may need to be shaded mid day. That’s why I put my large pots on casters so I can move them around as needed.
This pot has rosemary, lavender, sage, basil, curly leaf parsley & flat leaf parsley. I have a raised bed in my vegetable garden where I grow more herbs but these are ones we use all the time for cooking.
Here is the same pot a few weeks later!
The Washi Tape Herb Markers makers were easy to make!
You can use paint sticks (I just happened to find a gardening gift set at Goodwill that had plant markers in it) and paint them the color of your choice. You’ll also need Washi Tape and a permanent marker.
I wrapped Washi Tape around the top (I chose black since my container is black), write the name of the the plant, wrap more Washi Tape under the plant name (seal if you like but I didn’t seal mine). That’s all!
Remember, herbs like being pinched back so the more you pick the more you get!
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Bev says
May 7, 2014 at 7:40 pmI’m so anxious to plant my herb garden but I can’t just yet. We are moving 900 miles late May so I’m in limbo at the moment. Seeing your herb garden and reading your fantastic tips just gets me excited and anxious. This post is a keeper for me, thanks for sharing! -Bev
Manuela Williams says
May 8, 2014 at 1:49 pmYou’re welcome Bev and good luck with your move!
[email protected] says
May 7, 2014 at 8:40 pmThose plant markers are soooooo cute! It’s little things like that that make me happy. Easy, cute, and practical. Trifecta!!!
Yvonne @ StoneGable says
May 7, 2014 at 10:07 pmI love a container herb garden… and your markers are adorable!
Manuela Williams says
May 12, 2014 at 4:49 pmThanks Yvonne! I like to have some herbs close by – makes it easier than having to go down stairs and all the way into the vegetable garden when you need a pinch of basil.
Glenda says
May 7, 2014 at 11:20 pmYour plants look so healthy and I like the markers. Not enough sun in courtyard here to grow them. Love rosemary, but killed every plant I tried to grow here.
Cindy says
May 8, 2014 at 7:43 amI love herb gardens no matter the size! I also have a large herb garden and sometimes I plant a small one too. Don’t know if I will this year though. Thanks for sharing. And those markers are so cute!
Penny @ The Comforts of Home says
May 8, 2014 at 8:12 amGreat tips! Those markers are cute!
Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says
May 8, 2014 at 8:44 amI just did some herbs in recycled tin cans for my daughter for Mother’s Day, Manuela! I bought those same plants you show. I adjusted the size by removing some dirt to fit in the cans and kept a portion of the basil for myself. I just need a pot for it now and I’ll probably keep it in the kitchen. A container planting of herbs would work well for me because we are in a condo and the planting space around it is limited.
Deanna says
May 8, 2014 at 8:51 amI am waiting another week to put mine out!
I love herbs!
Theresa H. Roach says
May 8, 2014 at 3:18 pmI have herbs planted in my garden:) Not nearly as cute as yours with the picket stakes! Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!
Debbie says
May 8, 2014 at 4:33 pmThe one thing that I’m pleased to say that I can pretty well grow and maintain is my deck full of herb containers. Since you are the master gardener, I will definitely pin these tips because I will take all the help I can get.
JaneEllen says
May 8, 2014 at 11:51 pmHow smart to grow herbs, I’d love to. I was told about some herbs that would be good, help with lymphedema in my left foot/ankle/calf. Your markers are so great. You must have green thumb. I forget my plants so they usually die of thirst, lol. I’m pinning this so I can print these tips out when I get another cartridge for printer,(boy have cartridges gone up in Grand Junction. I order them from HP now at price they’ve been for couple years, get them in couple days, no s&h).
Great post and so helpful. Happy days
Manuela Williams says
May 9, 2014 at 8:07 amYes, herbs have a variety of uses besides culinary. You might want to look into essential oils as well. Cartridges are crazy expensive!
Carol says
May 9, 2014 at 1:40 amI really need a little herb garden all in one place and I love your ideas. Now I just have to go out and buy the herbs.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Debra @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
May 9, 2014 at 6:51 amI always get a basil plant to go with my tomatoes but this makes me want to have a variety now! 🙂
Abbi says
May 9, 2014 at 11:17 pmVery cute little herb garden! I like to have some combination pots on my deck as well but then I have more planted in my big garden so that I will have plenty for drying for the year.