A tiny of packet of fresh herbs sold at the grocery store costs $1.99. For that price, you can buy a plant and have a harvest for months at your fingertips, even if you don't have a lot of space.
Master gardener Ed Dreier says you can create your own specialized herb garden to use in your kitchen by growing those plants in a container.
"Don't let it hold you back if you don't have a backyard, you can certainly do everything in pots," gardener Kathy Danne Miller.
Herbs will grow in any pot, but you can get creative using non-traditional containers like ceramic tissue holders, a chamber pot, or even a used bean can.
"I want to have that in my house ready to go and pull that off and make something good for dinner," gardener Angel America Ezra said.
When it comes to planting your herbs, Dreier says use garden soil for plants. When you get ready to plant, take the plant out of the container be sure to rough up the root system.
"Break it, pull some of it off," Dreier says.
You want to plant complementary herbs with each other.
Sage and oregano go really well together. Parsley and cilantro make a great container, plus it's also a butterfly attractor.
"The sage in the center will have some height, the oregano will drape over the side you are also going to get some nice height," Dreier said. "A Greek oregano, it's going to turn a nice bright gold as it grows."
To keep your herbs thriving, you need to plant in potting soil and have good drainage in your pot. When it comes to maintaining your herbs, try to keep the leaves dry.
"They are inclined to a powdery mildew, mildew that grows on the leaves," Dreier said.
You don't want the plant to get too long, so you'll want to keep them pruned and clipped.
"If you get it really long and leggy, what is eventually going to start happening, it's going to stop growing, it's going to start losing leaves, it's going to try to flower to save itself and you are basically lose your plant," Dreier said.
Like other plants, be sure to feed your herb garden. These herbs even thrive in Houston's drought and do well with very little water:
- Curry
- Lavender
- Marjoram
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
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