Start your own herb kitchen garden

Spring is still just a promise on the horizon, but savvy gardeners know it is now time to prepare for spring planting. If you have ever yearned to grow fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of your culinary efforts, why not plan now to start a small herb kitchen garden?

To get the best advice on creating an herb garden, I went straight to a local expert – Paula Johnson. Paula lives and gardens in Tyrone, is a member of the Peachtree City Garden Club and is passionate about herbs. Now retired, Paula was an herb grower, garden designer, author and lecturer who owned an herb shop in Massachusetts.

When I asked Paula to give a definition of an “herb,” she replied, “a plant that serves more than one purpose.” An herb is a plant of which some part (roots, stems, leaves, flowers or fruits) is used for culinary flavoring, fragrance, medicinal purposes or household uses.

For those new to growing herbs, Paula suggests starting with a small 4’x4’ square raised bed that is oriented to a northeast exposure. In this space, you can grow up to 15 different herbs! Raised garden beds are created by building a 12 inch high wooden frame around your plot and then filling the frame with soil amendments that are beneficial to growing herbs. (See Paula’s special soil recipe). Raised beds are great for small plots and provide good drainage while reducing weeds and pests. There are numerous online resources that provide specific instructions, plans or even complete kits for building raised beds. Just do a Google search on “how to build a raised bed” for further information.

If you don’t have the space (or time and energy) to build a raised bed, try herb gardening in a large whiskey barrel. Make sure there are several drainage holes in the bottom of the barrel. Add small stones to further enhance drainage and fill with Paula’s special soil recipe. Place the whiskey barrel in a sunny location convenient to your kitchen. You can plant up to seven different herbs in the barrel which will provide flavoring for your meals all summer long.

Right now (February) you can build and prepare your raised bed or whiskey barrel and plant perennial herbs and parsley. Don’t plant annuals until after the last frost date, which is generally mid April.

Keep your new plantings moist but not soggy. Herbs don’t like “wet feet,” nor do they like to be bone dry. After your plants have adjusted to their new home, you can mix in some fertilizer (10-10-10) at the end of March for the perennials and end of April for the annuals. Give the plants another boost of fertilizer in July. As your herbs grow, never harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at one time. Don’t let plants produce a blossom or they will be less flavorful. As summer heat increases, refresh your herbs by sprinkling water on them in the early morning.

Paula’s Special Soil Recipe

In a wheelbarrow, mix up the following and add to your raised bed or barrel. One batch will more than fill your barrel but you will need to mix up additional batches to fill your raised bed to a 12-inch depth.

• One bag Black Kow composted

• Cow manure

• Two bags soil conditioner

• 1?2 bag garden soil

• 2-3 shovelfuls of native soil (clay!)

• Handful of dolomite lime pellets  (to make soil less acidic)

Paula’s Suggested Herbs for your Kitchen Garden

Perennials:

• Chives

• French Sorrel

• Lavender

• Marjoram

• Nasturtiums

• Oregano

• Thyme

Annuals:

• Basil (Opal, Green)

• Cilantro

• Coriander

• Dill

• Parsley – Italian and Curly Summer Savory

Paula also suggests adding rosemary to your garden as a landscape shrub. Her final advice: “Go plant an herb. Herbs ask so little and give so much!”

For more information on herbs and Paula’s favorite herb recipes, visit my blog, “Garden Views,” at www.fayettewoman.com.