There’s something satisfying about stepping outside or reaching toward a sunny windowsill to snip a few fresh herbs for dinner. A handful of basil can brighten up a simple pasta dish, fresh chives can transform a baked potato, and a sprig of mint can make an ordinary glass of iced tea feel a little more special.
The best part? You don’t need a big garden, a green thumb, or a lot of experience to get started. A kitchen herb garden can be as simple as a few pots on the porch or a collection of containers near a sunny window.
Whether you’re planting your first herbs or looking to add a few new favorites, here are some easy ways to bring fresh flavor a little closer to home.
Start With Herbs You’ll Actually Use
It can be tempting to come home with one of everything, but a small herb garden is easier to manage and gives you a chance to learn what grows well in your space. Start with two or three herbs you already enjoy using in the kitchen.
A few beginner-friendly favorites include:
- Basil: A summertime classic that’s perfect for pasta, pizza, salads, pesto, and more.
- Parsley: Versatile and easy to use in soups, sauces, salads, potatoes, and countless other dishes.
- Chives: Their mild onion flavor makes them a tasty addition to eggs, baked potatoes, dips, and vegetables.
- Mint: Wonderful in drinks, desserts, fruit salads, and savory dishes. Mint grows enthusiastically, so giving it its own container can help keep it from taking over.
- Thyme: A flavorful addition to roasted vegetables, meats, soups, sauces, and marinades.
Choosing herbs you already reach for while cooking means you’re more likely to enjoy both growing and harvesting them.
Give Your Herbs a Sunny Home
Most culinary herbs love sunshine. Look for a spot that receives around six hours of sunlight each day. Outdoors, that might be a porch, deck, patio, or sunny corner of the yard. Indoors, a bright windowsill can work beautifully for many varieties.
Container gardening is especially convenient because you can move your plants as needed to help them get the right amount of light. And when Adirondack temperatures begin dipping later in the season, containers make it easier to bring certain herbs indoors and keep enjoying them a little longer.
Choose Containers That Let Them Breathe
You don’t need fancy planters to grow herbs successfully, but good drainage is important. Choose containers with holes in the bottom so excess water can escape, and use a quality potting mix rather than soil taken directly from the yard.
Herbs generally prefer soil that is moist but not constantly soggy. Check your containers regularly, especially during hot, sunny weather. If the top inch of soil feels dry, it’s probably time for a drink.
Don’t Be Afraid to Harvest
Using your herbs is part of taking care of them!
Regular harvesting can encourage many herbs to become fuller and bushier. Instead of waiting for your plants to become enormous, snip what you need as they grow. For leafy herbs such as basil, harvesting from the top can help encourage new growth farther down the plant.
Just avoid taking too much at once. Leaving plenty of healthy foliage behind gives the plant what it needs to continue growing.
Find Simple Ways to Use Fresh Herbs
Once your herb garden gets going, experiment with adding fresh herbs to foods you already make. Toss basil into a tomato salad. Sprinkle chives over scrambled eggs. Add thyme to roasted potatoes or vegetables. Mix parsley into homemade dressing or muddle a few mint leaves into lemonade or iced tea.
You can also combine chopped herbs with softened butter for an easy herb butter, add them to marinades, or freeze extras for future recipes. Sometimes the simplest additions make the biggest difference.
Grow a Little Fresh Flavor at Home with Charlie Johns
Starting a kitchen herb garden doesn’t have to become a major gardening project. Begin with a few favorites, give them plenty of sunshine and a little attention, and enjoy discovering all the ways fresh herbs can make everyday meals taste even better.
Stop by Charlie Johns and pick up the supplies you need to get growing, then head home and find the perfect sunny spot. Before long, your next delicious finishing touch might be growing just a few steps from your kitchen.