Planting A Herb Garden

I am the younger sister of Mrs. Nerd-N-Ernie. I am a wife, a mother of one, and one damn clean-smelling hippie. I will be contributing to the “When All Else Fails” section, adding the perspective of one who is in the process of converting a piece of land into a Mecca of self-sufficientness. I’ll keep you posted on our progress, and I will do my best to present fun ideas for your own projects! It is my goal to help prepare you for the worst. Check back frequently for gardening tips, cost summaries, and ways to help bring yourself back to the Earth.

Many people may think that growing your own food is too hard and time consuming. Food and herbs can be grown easily and, more importantly, it is crazy healthy! Hopefully the tips you find here will help you to see this is not the case. My favorite part about growing my own food is the satisfaction I get knowing that I am playing a key part in my family’s health and well-being. Investing just a little time and an even smaller amount of money can be the greatest thing you do for your family.

Step One: Planting a Herb Garden

Starting your own garden is easy and can cost less than $15.00 (That's US dollars, folks). You can buy a Jiffy Mini-Greenhouse, ideal for starting seeds in, for anywhere from $6-$10. Simply add water to expand the pods, plant, and watch. Last year, I planted my herbs directly into their long-term planters and I had a germination rate of about 60%. This year, I used a Jiffy and every seed had germinated(except for my rosemary...I just planted them last week. Be patient.). 

I used scissors to recycle a McDonald's cup into labels. Be sure to make them big enough to write any information about the plant that you want to remember. For example, the amount of sun it likes, if it is an annual or perennial, etc.

You can find seeds pretty much anywhere. Home Depot, K-Mart, Target....just look for the ones that are USDA certified organic! If you are planning on transplanting seedlings to their long-term homes outdoors, make sure whatever variety you choose will grow in your zone. It is also important to pay attention to the amount of sun they like. I'll get to more on that around the time that I transplant. READ THE SEED PACKET.

An even cheaper option would be to use cups(if plastic can be recycled in your area), packed with potting soil(about $10). Follow the planting directions on the packet, and when you are ready to transplant, you just use a razor blade to remove the cup from around the soil and recycle.  

I chose to start with 8 different herbs this season: rosemary, sage, cilantro, basil, chamomile, dill, spearmint, and thyme. Chamomile, basil, dill, and cilantro are all annuals, whereas thyme, rosemary, spearmint, and sage are perennials, meaning that they come back every year if tended properly. All of these herbs have medicinal properties, too.*

When choosing your own herbs(veggies, etc.), think about planting things that you actually use now. That way, you can be sure that little will be wasted.

Check back frequently for updates on how my herb garden is fairing. It is my hope that the information here may help you renew your sense of oneness with the Earth. Sometimes all we need is a reminder that we are capable of taking care of ourselves!

*This would be a good time for a little disclaimer. I will frequently be posting about a variety of things, including, but not limited to: gardening, animal husbandry, composting, and herbal medicine. I have made it a goal to become a certified herbalist, and I will most likely include my own herbal experiments for bettering my health. None of this information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 

-Yaya