Even if you have a large beautiful garden, it is really practical to be able to step out of your kitchen and help yourself to any herb you want from a nearby container.One can grow almost any herb in a container with relative ease. One of the most popular places to put your herb containers are on a shelf outside the kitchen window – this is a very practical location as they are right where you want them when you are cooking and they are easily accessible even at night.
Container choice
Look around for the kind of pots you want and then buy as many as you need for the herbs you are intending to plant. If you want to put more than one herb in each pot, ensure that the plants have similar needs with regards to how much water they require, otherwise you could end up killing one of them by over- or under-watering it. Make sure that the container you choose has drainage holes, or you could accidentally drown the herbs.
Soil and fertilizer
Use high quality potting soil, drainage must be good and it would be wise to put a little stone chips in the bottom of each pot to aid the drainage. Do not over fertilise - most herbs will just die from being overfed. Certain herbs, such as oregano and thyme for example, actually do much better when they are left to their own devices and not mollycoddled.
Choosing herbs
One can usually plant many herbs together, as long as they have the same hydration, sun and soil needs. They should constantly be growing and regenerating themselves as you will be continuously harvesting them whenever you are cooking.
The only herb that hates to be overcrowded and needs a lot of space and fresh air is sweet basil. Be careful of mint as well, because given half a chance, mint plants will outgrow anything planted nearby and just take over. It smells delicious and is very easy to grow, but it is best planted alone.
Sun and water
Most herbs need at least six hours of sun per day. Be very careful if you are in a very hot climate however, as the pots can bake in the sun in the heat of the day and end up drying out the plant or burning it. Make sure that the containers are in shade during the hottest times of the day. Various herbs have different watering needs. Those that need very little water should be planted together and watered accordingly, and vice versa. As a general rule of thumb, you should water potted herbs each morning.
Harvesting
Herbs need to be harvested regularly; one pinch at a time. The more you take off the little bushes, the more they will produce. All the buds must be taken off, if you are to keep the herb plant bushy and well formed. Some herbs, such as basil for example, need the buds to be continuously removed if they are to keep growing – if you let these herbs go to flower by not removing their buds, they will die off quickly.
Other uses
Herbs can also be used as decorative elements in any container garden - they can look really beautiful and provide great texture and scent mixed with annuals or perennials. Always make sure that you are planting the herbs with plants that require the same quantity of water and sun. You can also plant strong-smelling herbs in pots around the drain, which is often outside the kitchen window, to mask the nauseating smell. Various herbs can also be used as insect repellents – lavender for example, is a very strong insect repellent that can be used indoors and outdoors alike. Potted herb also make ideal gifts – just add a ribbon around the pot and voila – a great gift! – Antonella Dési
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