5 Step Herb Garden
Herb Gardening can be fun and rewarding. Even culinary herbs have positive health benefits and the flavor and quality of homegrown herbs is impossible to beat. Your 5 Step Herb Garden can be completed over a weekend.
Step 1. Find out what growing zone you are in
This website allows you to type in your address and find out what zone you are in.
Knowing what growing zone you are in is an important first step. Your growing zone is based on annual temperature. Some plants such as lavender can be grown as an annual in colder climates like zone 4 where I live, but is a perennial in warmer climates. Rosemary is a bush that is large enough to have wood to burn in its native Mediterranean climate but an annual where I live. What herbs you are able to grow outdoors will depend on your zone, otherwise indoor gardening is always an option.
Step 2 Pick your plants
If you are just starting out I recommend picking no more than 5 herbs that are easy to grow and that you know you will love working with. Some of my favorite beginner plants are Calendula (Marigold), Chamomile, Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Yarrow (perennial) , Lemon Balm (perennial), Motherwort (perennial) and St. John’s Wort (perennial).
Step 3 Pick your location
What location you pick will depend on what zone you have and what plants you picked. I recommend keeping culinary herbs close to the house so that you can just step outside and harvest herbs for dinner. Some plants, especially most culinary herbs and flowers like Calendula can grow well in pots. Another consideration is if the herbs you picked are perennials. In that case you will want to pick a spot you can leave undisturbed from year to year.
Step 4 Prepare your garden spot
Unless you have been working to improve your soil over the years you will likely want to purchase soil or at least add amendments to it. When I was living in the inner city I was concerned about the quality of my soil. We followed the Square Foot Gardening Method by creating raised beds and purchasing things like peat moss to mix our own perfect soil. The method is described here.
An alternative would be planning a container garden for the first year to see how you like it before committing to a larger outdoor spot.
Step 5 Gather your plants and get them in the ground!
It is easy to find herbs to purchase. If you are growing a larger area or want more than 5 of a plant it might be worth it to start from seeds. Otherwise purchasing plants is a great way to go. Many herbs can be purchased in the spring at home improvement stores and even Walmart. For medicinal herbs and flowers try your local farmer’s market.
Then the very last step is to get them in the ground that you already prepared. Make sure to water them!
Now your 5 Step Herb Garden is set to provide you to health and taste all season.
