How To Grow Culinary Herbs and Plants (Without a Yard)
With all the news about the recession you might think that gourmet eating is a thing of the past, but one of the best ways to get around smaller grocery budgets is planting an edible garden. Fresh herbs like sage, thyme and oregano growing on your doorstep will not only spice up your cooking and baking but will save you oodles of cash. Gone are the days when you have to spend $4 for a container of fresh rosemary, when all you need is a teaspoon. Gone too are the days of substituting dry herbs for the more flavorful fresh variety. Gourmet cooking, here we come!
The cost of starting a nice sized culinary garden is minimal. We spent around $105 buying all the plants, soil and fertilizer for our garden this year. We already had the planting containers, but large clay pots cost about $2 and window boxes around $4. For this initial investment we’ll have the benefit of fresh herbs all summer long and well into the Fall. Last year my herbs lasted until late November before winter finally did them in.
Don’t have a yard? That’s no reason to forgo the pleasures of a garden. The truth is that you only need a few things to coax luscious leaves from your plants:
- A few large pots, or a window box you can hang off a sunny window or porch
- Good quality soil
- Fertilizer
- Sun and water
Since my husband and I live in an apartment I like using large clay pots and long rectangular window boxes for my garden. When using these I put only one plant in each pot and no more than four small plants in a large window box, leaving ample space between each plant so they can grow. This year I also took advantage of a large wooden planter in the driveway, removing the dead plants that were there when we moved in and replacing the dirt with a mixture of organic planting soil (organic is key since you’re going to eat these plants) and organic fertilizer. I especially like Cockadoodle Doo Organic Fertilizer, which my plants thrive on. The salad greens you see pictured at the bottom of this post were teeny-tiny when I planted them three weeks ago. Now look at them! Each leaf is at least twenty times the size it was when I first brought the plant home.
When planting more than one kind of plant in a pot I pair them according to their soil, water and sun requirements, then place them outside accordingly. The mint and spearmint need semi-sun, so they live on the railing of my back porch. The sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary and wild strawberries need full sun, so they are in front of my apartment where they can meet the rising sun each morning. Once planted, the only effort on my part is watering the plants or, sometimes, letting nature take care of them. The spring showers we had in Connecticut this past week have been doing all the work for me lately.
Helpful tip: When substituting fresh herbs for dry ones in recipes, remember the 1:3 rule. For every one teaspoon of dry herbs you need three teaspoons of fresh herbs. The same goes for tablespoons.
Below are the plants I’m growing this season. I took the photos this morning and thought I’d share them with you, along with information on how you can grow your own edible garden this year.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to head out to your local nursery this weekend and purchase seedlings to plant around your home. Are you game?
Spearmint (pictured above) has short-stalked, oval leaves that are bright green or sometimes grayish in color. It is the least pungent mint species and gives off a subtle minty aroma. Plant your mint seedling in a large pot with moist, fertile soil, then place it in a location that will get semi-sun. During the summer it’s a good idea to trim the plant by cutting off leaves periodically (save the leaves!), which encourages the plant to continue growing throughout the warmer months.
You can use mint leaves – fresh, frozen or dried – in cooking and baking. One of my favorite ways to use freshly picked mint leaves is by grinding 1/4 cup of leaves with 4 to 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar, which I then toss with sliced peaches, nectarines, blackberries and seedless grapes. The resulting fruit salad is elegant and tastes divine.
Sage is much loved in my home and way back in 2007 I wrote about the history of sage in the Middle Ages and among the Native Americans. There are different varieties of sage but the best ones for culinary use are the ones with plain, narrow leaves and the non-flowering broad leaf variety. Plant your sage in well-drained, rich soil that gets full sun. My two sage plants share a window box (which hangs off my front porch) with two thyme plants. As with mint, it’s a good idea to nip off leaves to encourage the plant to grow – but that isn’t an issue if you’re already using this delightful herb in your kitchen! Recipes on Baking and Books that feature sage include: Savory Rosemary Sage Bread, Rustic Sweet Potato Muffins with Fresh Sage, Fettuccine with Mascarpone and Sage-Walnut Butter, and Butternut Squash Lasagne with Fresh Sage & Thyme .
Thyme has been popular since ancient times, when it was used to treat digestive complaints and respiratory problems. Its small gray-green leaves have a strong flavor, so a little goes a long way in the kitchen. In addition to some of the sage recipes that feature thyme (above), you can also try this bruschetta recipe (shown with Strawberry Melonade).
Thyme thrives in well-drained fertile soil that receives full sun, which is why I paired it with sage in the window box. I mentioned this earlier but I’ll say it again: if you are planting more than one kind of plant in a single container it’s important that they have the same requirements in terms of soil, moisture and light. Thyme flowers can also be used in cooking and you should clip your plant after it flowers.
The large wooden planting container in the photo above sits at the bottom of my front steps. Because of its size we planted three different things in it: rosemary, oregano and two strawberry plants in the middle. Strawberry plants tend to grow at sonic speed so it was a bit of a risk to plant them with herbs, but I wanted fresh strawberries so much I couldn’t resist!
In ancient times rosemary was not only a favored cooking herb (especially in stews) but a charm – housewives would hang sprigs of it on their front doors to ward off evil. It is a medicinally valuable plant that is used to treat depression, migraines and digestive disorders as well as minor wounds and eczema. In terms of medicinal uses, however, it should be noted that excessive quantities of rosemary can be harmful (not something you have to worry about in cooking since you only use a few teaspoons or tablespoons at a time).
Rosemary thrives in well-drained soil with full sun. The leaves have a bitter, astringent taste that compliments many flavors in food. I often pair it with sage or thyme (just like the Simon & Garfunkel song) and love it in my husband’s Butternut Squash Stew with Rosemary and Tomatoes.
One of the other plants in this pot is oregano, which is an aromatic perennial that loves well-drained, fertile soil and full sun. My plants are pretty young so they haven’t reached their full size yet, but in a month or two the oregano will be bushy and covered in downy grey-green leaves. Oregano has many, many uses, from flavoring meats and salads to tea and beer. Sometimes the essential oils in the leaves are also distilled for use in perfumes or cosmetics. The leaves and flowers can be used in cooking, for instance, when making my Three Cheese Broccoli Calzones or Avocado Enchiladas with Smokey Chipotle Sauce.
The strawberries growing amid the rosemary and oregano are wild strawberries, not the ginormous fruits you find in the supermarket. Wild strawberries are much smaller and sweeter, and grow in woods or grassy places in dry soil with full sun. Sometimes called Wood Strawberries, you can plant these in any kind of well-drained soil except clay. The fruit is ready to eat when it’s deep ruby red, while the leaves can be made into a tea that has diuretic and astringent properties. Some folks even add them to salads, though you have to be careful with this because over-consumption can lead to an allergic reaction.
The last thing I’m growing this season, which I highly recommend, is mesclun greens. Also known as “salad greens” these babies taste so amazing I actually Twittered about their buttery, fresh flavor the other day. Mesclun greens like moist, fertile soil in semi-sun, which is why they’re on my back porch along with the mint. You can add the leaves to salads or, better yet, make them into flavorful sandwiches. For instance: an avocado sandwich with monterey jack cheese. Spread about 1 tablespoon of light mayonaise on two thick slices of artisan bread, then layer mashed avocado (mixed with a splash of lime juice), sprouts, thin slices of monterey jack cheese, seeded tomato slices and mesclun greens. Serve with homemade tomato soup. Enter heaven.
So, are you ready to plant your garden?
A little culinary song to wrap things up.
Don’t forget about the monthly book giveaway! April’s winner has been posted on the giveaway page. May’s book giveaway includes 3 copies of “Mix Shake Stir: Recipes from Danny Meyer’s Acclaimed New York City Restaurants,” by Danny Meyer. Just in time for the summer months this book includes over 100 recipes for bar classics, signature favorites, and original, refreshing libations – from the Modern’s elegant mojito made with champagne and rose water to Tabla’s Pomegranate Gimlet.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
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- Homemade Tomato Soup & Open Faced Vegetable Melts (Plus: How to Bake with Yeast)
- How to Make Pita Bread in the Desert
- Butternut Squash Lasagne with Fresh Sage & Thyme
- Fettuccine with Mascarpone and Sage-Walnut Butter
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- How I Ate My Cake, and Lost Weight Too – Part 1
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68 Responses to “How To Grow Culinary Herbs and Plants (Without a Yard)”
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I can’t wait to start my garden! I recommend lemon basil: very hearty, tasty, and it comes back every year!
I love growing basil too. I’m keeping my eye on the local nursery in hopes that they will sell it soon.
You have a nice collection of plants here! Thanks for the tips…
Cheers,
Rosa
Great post! I’m intrigued by the wild strawberries – I might have to give that a try on my teeny tiny condo deck!
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Thank you for this. I’m planting some veggies and herb tomorrow and I’m going to devour your info tonight. Have a great weekend!
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Thank you so much! I live in an apartment too and want an herb garden so badly. I think I’ll start with some rosemary!
I’m bookmarking this post because this week I was thinking of starting my herbs. I’ll have to plant them like you in pots. I will try to find the fertilizer.
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This is great. I’ve been wanting to start my own herb garden but haven’t had a chance. Do you know of any place in the city to buy the herbs, box, etc… Where did you buy yours?
Paz
I bought my herbs and containers at a nursery in Connecticut, but I’ve also bought supplies from Gardeners.com. Their window box selection can be found here. As for the herbs, I’m sure there is someplace in the city to buy them. Even Whole Foods sells seedlings on occasion. This NYC gardening guide might helpful.
Although I have planted a small tomato plant, you have definitely inspired me to visit the nursery tomorrow and purchase additional seedlings
I live in a townhouse development and we are going to start a community garden.
We will start with different herbs.
Cannot wait to meet all my neighbours.
I actually do have some garden space, most of which usually contains flowers of course. This year I planted veggie seeds where my annuals would normally grow and planted loads of herbs and other veggies in LARGE terra cotta pots which adorn my back patio!
That sounds lovely! What kinds of veggies did you plant?
Some great info about planning herbs. I keep my in hanging baskets. They need to be watered daily but it’s very easy to plant individual baskets as some plants die off.
Just on your dried herbs to fresh ratio…. I’m 99% sure you have it around the wrong way. Dried herbs are alot more potent than fresh because they contain no water. You should substitute 1 Tablespoon (15ml) of fresh herbs for every teaspoon (5ml) of dried. I googled it to check.
So I did! Thanks for catching that Emily. That’s what I get for trying to do too many things at once yesterday!
You both just said the same thing, there is no correction needed.
i would love to have an herb garden! my apartment doesn’t get and sunlight though:( oh, well.
Great post! This is our first year owning a home so we have a big garden planned. I can’t wait to cook with my own herbs!
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mmm, I love love love fresh herbs. the growing season is *almost* over for south florida, but I will try try to keep my herbs (and tomatoes) growing for as long as I can. Basil is another useful, easy to grow herb!
mmm, I love love love fresh herbs. the growing season is *almost* over for south florida, but I will try try to keep my herbs (and tomatoes) growing for as long as I can. Basil is another useful, easy to grow herb!
Forgot to say excellent post. Looking forward to reading the next post!
My daughter just gave me a potted herb garden as a mothers day gift. I just love it! She used all the plants mentioned in your blog, and also included basil. I wasn’t sure it that had the same requirement as the rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano. Is is compatible in the same pot or should I transplant it to another? I have both east and west facing area’s in which to keep the pot.
Basil likes rich, moist soil with full sun. It would probably be “ok” with the rosemary & sage (both like well-drained soil) but would do much better in its own pot. All of them like full sun though so they can share the same sunny spot. Hope this helps!
I am lucky enough to have an herb garden right outside my back door. Right now it has sage, French tarragon, chives, spearmint and chocolate mint. This morning I went out to buy flat Italian parsley, rosemary, and several basil plants. I love an herb garden, and it’s wonderful that you’ve shared a way that MANY people can enjoy one.
I planted dill ,coriander,parsley & arugula
the problem is I don’t know how to use fertilizers and I also don’t know where to get them from
I wish I could use products available at home to fertilize my plants
great post
It’s easy to use fertilizer. Order it online then plant your seedlings in organic soil. Sprinkle 1/4 to 1/2 cup of fertilizer on top of the soil after you’ve planted the seedling. Water the plant and that’s it! I only fertilize my plants a few times a growing season.
An easy fertilizer to use on foliar and production (i.e. food) plants is fish emulsion or fish meal. You can mix the emulsion with water (per directions) and water your plants accordingly, and the meal can be added to your potting or topsoils for leeching fertilizer. Most versions are organic and can be found at almost any hardware store. Be sure not to overuse the emulsion or it will burn your plants. This will smell for a bit, but your plants will produce higher yields, and are likely to be more insect resistant! You can also try kelp/seaweed emulsion, but it may be slightly more expensive and harder to find.
You CAN make fertilizer at home, but it often requires a little creative searching. Used coffee grounds are good for acid-loving plants (scatter them dry, or the grounds will mold). And there’s always home composting. This is a short but wonderful guide on homemade fertilizers.
Now that I’ve written a small novel, I think I’ll shut up now. Hope that was helpful, at least.
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Wow, what an informative comment! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
I love to cook with my own herbs. But actually I don´t have sunlight at home. Sooner i will move and I will have my fresh herbs again!!
Herbs are great because you can also make new plants from cuttings. I recently came across a bonsai type Basil plant (sounds ideal for an apartment) Renee’s garden sells the seeds. According to the package Italians grow them on window sills and in planter boxes.
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That is very cool. I want a basil bonsai! (The alliteration is too much to resist)
Here’s the link it’s called Basil Window Box.
http://www.reneesgarden.com/seeds/seeds-hm/herbsA.htm
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Thanks!
Your garden of herb looks great.I love gardening myself and prefer growing vegetables and herbs at home too…
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Thank you so much for putting this site out. The BF and I just moved into a houseboat so we do not have a yard but a rooftop deck and a lower deck and some pots on the dock as well. That was just idea was to grow herbs and a few other things. the herbs that I want to grow are cilantro, mint, rosemary, sage, chives and thyme oh and basil. I was thinking about trying to grow heirloom tomatos and some peppery greens, hot peppers and maybe some zucs. I live in Seattle Washington do you think all these would work in Seattle?
I have no idea. I only know about the herbs/plants I’ve learned to grow myself.
But a really great resource is “The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Herbs.” It has tons of information about the different requirements of herbs and I’m sure there are comparable books for veggies.
Thanks for all the tips, advice and encouragement.
Love the new layout of the site.
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Thanks for the information.
I live in a basement apartment, and have no idea how I would grow my own herbs due to the minimal sunlight. Am I SOL, and will just have to wait ’till I move? Any suggestions, from anyone, would really be appreciated, since I love to cook with fresh herbs, but rarely do since buying dried is more practical to my current living situation.
You can buy light bulbs at home depot that simulate sunlight. Perhaps if you bought a few of those and hung them above a small table with seedlings planted in pots you’ll be able to grow your own garden. I did this one year when we were living in an attic apartment with no sun or even windows that opened. It was only two plants – sage and thyme – that I grew this way, but the seedlings managed and I had fresh herbs for cooking. The plants didn’t get as big as they do now that I have a porch, but still, they grew! You just have to monitor how long you leave the lights on them because you want to simulate the rhythms of the sun.
Any other tips for easy to grow greens in the salad genre? The herbs look great but I’m especially excited about having really fresh salads!
For salads I’ve only grown mesclun greens but in general, regardless of the plant you’re growing, if you meet its soil, sun and water requirements the plant will thrive. Check out “The Cooks Encyclopedia of Herbs” – it has information about other kinds of salad plants along with info about cultivating them.
I’m just wondering…did you grow these herbs from the seeds? how long does it take to get this size? I kinda have no knowledge about gardening at all, but I’m really really want to grow herbs for my cooking!
No I purchased seedlings a few weeks ago and potted them. They were about 1/4 of their current size when I bought them at the local nursery.
I planted 9 different herbs in pots in my kitchen window several weeks ago – I can’t wait for them to start producing!
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Sounds wonderful!
Hi! All the herb recommendations look great. What are some other salad greens that are easy to grow in pots? I really like the idea of super fresh salads!
For salads I’ve only grown mesclun greens but in general, regardless of the plant you’re growing, if you meet its soil, sun and water requirements the plant will thrive. Check out “The Cooks Encyclopedia of Herbs” – it has information about other kinds of salad plants along with info about cultivating them.
What a great post! I too started a little herb garden since I have an apartment and no yard. Things seem to be going well so far. My basil, thyme, chives and parsley are doing well.But I have had a couple casualties including my oregano. I may have to give that one another shot, the weather hasn’t been helpful either which I think plays a big part. Thanks for all of the tips!
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Thank heavens for this post! There is hope for me yet!
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IN keeping with the economics of growing your own herbs, I’d like to recommend finding more “eclectic” planters than ceramic and terracotta pots. For one, some of those types of pots can leech chemicals into your plants’ root systems, and therefore what you’re putting on your plate. Besides that, new pots can be expensive! Search yard sales, garden shop blowouts, whatever looks promising for older/used pots that are still quite usable. You can also use cleaned up old grills, wheelbarrows, birdbath dishes (a personal favorite for water gardens) and our old standby of food-grade five-gallon buckets. I can’t tell you what we’ve grown in white plastic buckets over the years! They’re customizable (make them colorful!), good for deep- or shallow-rooted plants, drain well and have nifty carry handles for easy movement. You can probably get food-grade buckets from local restaurants for very cheap or free. Pickle buckets work best!
Kate´s last blog post -> Sweet potato revelation.
Excellent idea to use alternative planting containers, though terra cotta doesn’t leech chemicals into the plants. I think it would be more likely that would happen with old wheelbarrows or plastic no? Still, I love your idea. I used to plant herbs in milk cartons once we’d finished all the milk!
It depends on where you get your pots, who made them and if they happen to be sealed or not. Just something to watch out for. Plastic will leech, of course, which is why I recommend food-grade buckets. Any alternative planters like wheelbarrows should be looked over carefully and judged for its safety qualities. I usually put production plants in my preferred buckets, hanging baskets or somesuch planters like that, and keep the really off-the-wall stuff for flowering plants instead.
I don’t know if your local grocery has them, but our Kroger has periodic bulks sales of halved beer and whiskey barrels for very decent prices. The half-barrels are HUGE, look great decoratively and last for a LONG time. If you have space for a half of a whiskey barrel (or two!) I would highly recommend those as well.
I tell ya, this conversation you and I are having is making me love the new threaded comments option I installed!
I have my rosemary bush sitting in clay soil underneath a pine tree, so it gets only part sun. The thing thrives on abuse! And you know what? I started it from a little twig that I snapped off a rosemary hedge 7 years ago.
We’ve enjoyed many a dish using fresh ingredients from our herb garden.
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I’m hoping to start a little garden (one raised garden bed here I come!) at the end of the month after I’ve moved. I have to be careful though. I have a horrible track record with plants!
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just wanted to drop a note in saying thank you for this post. I have a very small backyard and am starting to grow some of my own salad leaves and herbs. Its great to have a little more information on the subject.
x
Wonderful post! It stirred up the excitement of growing my own herbs, yet again! I’ve had such terrible luck with trying to keep basil plants alive..for some reason as soon as I transplant store bought basil plants to terra cotta pots they wilt and die within 3 days. I’ll have to try my hand at growing from seed and hope for better luck. Thanks again!
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This is wonderful, I have been meaning to grow some herbs, but never got around to it. You may want to think of including culantro or cilantro to your collection.
“…$4 for a container of fresh rosemary, when all you need is a teaspoon…”
That’s one of the main reasons why we planted our garden.
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It’s crazy how much markets charge for fresh herbs!
HI,
I love this post. I am currently a proud owner of basil (purple & green), rosemary, tarragon & mint. I was wondering if it is alright to plant the herbs together in one pot. thank you
I have a big garden–unfortunately all the best herb growing spots are already taken by perennials. This year I bought a plant stand and pots and good soil (self watering from gardeners.com) AND water reservoirs from the same retailer.
This is key because in the past when I tried growing herbs in pots the plants quickly perished in the heat of D.C. The morning watering was insufficient to hold them thru and the potting soil was too dense to permit adequate drainage..My herb and lettuce potagers are doing beautifully with these news additions and on the plant stand every plant is getting all the sun it needs.
Sounds wonderful Clarice!
Great blog! I found you through Pink of Perfection and will be back. Thanks so much for sharing your gardening photos and information. It always gets me inspired when I read about other peoples’ no-fuss gardening adventures. Your salad greens look fantastic – I grew some in hanging baskets last year and loved them. I’m looking forward to getting some plants in pots and the ground this weekend. Happy growing
I really want to start growing and using more fresh, home-grown herbs. There’s a HUGE rosemary plant (bush, really) next to the garage, but since we have dogs who have probably peed and chewed on just about every plant in our backyard, I have to be really careful about where I take some.
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My grandma used to grow mint in the bed out side of her back door. She lived on a big farm. When you walked out back the first thing you smelled was mint. What a great memory.
Thanks
Debbie
What a nice article! (as always)
But I have to add… it’s been my experience here in “don’t like the weather, wait 20 minutes” Maryland… that you can practically throw any herb in the dirt and with a little rain… invasion!
Glad yours are growing so well! Nothing better.
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Please, excuse me for commenting so late; I’ve just discovered this site.
I have a primarily shady garden (some parts get partial sun) but still insist on growing herbs. I have them in pots as well and cannot get over the difference in flavour between outdoor grown herbs and storebought hothouse herbs!
The mint, however, is in the ground. We encourage it to spread throughout the garden. Even so, there’s never enough because we love it so in mint pesto (mint, lemon verbena, olive oil, garlic, toasted pecans) to go with grilled chicken.
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