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I know it is summer, but we have had some really active weather lately.  Between the wind, the rain and the heat, we are getting a compressed version of a whole season in a few days.  All of the rain has helped the lawns and gardens grow, but has definitely been too much for some containers and other plantings.  If your plants are looking a little tired, this is a great time to give them some fertilizer.  Every time a plant gets watered, the soil gets rinsed or leached of valuable nutrients for your plants, so go ahead and help them out.  Any type of water soluble fertilizer will do the trick.  Just follow the directions and don't add more than recommended.  Look for one that has 3 equal numbers, like a 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 or even a 20-20-20 formulation or something close to it.  Your pots will thank you by greening up and blooming better for you. 

Tags: container gardening, fertilizer, herbs

Not all perennial herbs are good in containers.  Some grow too large or too vigorously for the confining space.  Others do well in a pot or window box.

When choosing perennials for the container, try dwarf varieties or hybrids which generally have all the flavor and scent of the original cultivar, but often have a more decorative leaf and generally a smaller growing habit.

Here are a few of my most favorite:

Tricolor Sage -- a smaller version of sage with a variegated leaf of gold and green with a red stem that has smaller leaves and a less woody stem.  Nice in a large window box or as a focal point in a round pot.  If you are planting it in a container 12 to 18 inches in diameter, you must plant it alone as it will have a large root system that will choke out other plants if the pot is too small.  They are shorter, growing only 8 to 10 inches the first year.

Prostrate Rosemary – Usually the genus name is Rosmariius Irene, long arms with flexible stems and a habit that causes it to fall over...

Tags: chives, container gardening, herbs, lemon verbena, oregano, perennials, rosemary, sage

Some plants do better than others in containers.  Most annual herbs will do well in a container and grow larger in the ground.  Some perennial herbs can also do well in a container and you can bring them in to winter over.  Here are some facts and figures to use to create containers in your home with annual herbs.

Basil, Sweet (Ocimum basilicum ) - a taller grower, can get as big as 18 to 24 inches even in a container.  I suggest using Basil Genovese, Dwarf Sweet Basil, Lemon Basil, Cinnamon Basil, or Purple or Purple ruffled Basil instead of traditional sweet.  The others will grow shorter and not spread as widely and have smller leaves so they don't require as much water.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) - another tall grower it can get up to 36 inches in the ground it usually only gets as tall as 18 to 20 inches in a pot.  Place in the center of a round pot or the back side of a square and  enjoy the light fluffy foliage.

Pot Marigold (Calendula) - this is an edible flower, growing only 6 to 10 inches tall and coming in...

Tags: annual herbs, basil, container gardening, dill, marigold, parsley, savory

Here are some step-by-step instructions for creating a patio container full of herbs.  Tomorrow I will give some information on plant heights and numbers. 

• Assorted 4" annual herbs
• Contianer Pot Soil
• Time release fertilizer (optional)
• Gravel or broken crockery
• Large ceramic or plastic container (rectangle or round)

Add about a 1/2 inch of gravel to the bottom of the container to aid with drainage. Next, fill the container about 3/4 of the way up with soil. (I suggest that you create your own mix od 6 parts top soil, 1 part compost, and 1 part peat moss)  Arrange your herbs in the container to finalize a layout. Keep low growing varieties towards the front of the container (thyme, prostrate or dwarf varieties) and more vertically growing varieties towards the back (dill, basil, fennel, lemon grass, etc.).

Water all the plants thoroughly and remove them from their nursery pots.

Using a soup spoon or your fingers, open an shallow hole for the root ball of each plant.  Do not dig a hole, as you still need to fill another 1/4 of the contianer, just make a spot for this plant to live.  Position each plant so that the... [More]

Tags: container gardening, herbs

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Growing your own culinary herbs in containers is quite easy. Some herbs are best started from seed as they do not transplant well, others are quite forgiving and can be grown from seeds, cuttings, or transplanted from nursery stock. Nearly all herbs prefer six hours of full sun or more per day, so take this into consideration when planning your container herb garden.  A sunny location is a must.

Herbs can be planted several to a container or individually. I prefer growing each herb in its own container if I have space, as this allows me to move them easily and create cooking groupings by the grill for easy use.  I tend to pick containers which will mimic the eventual shape of the plant – tall pots for tall herbs such as sage, upright rosemary, or dill, short wide pots for flat growers like marjoram, winter savory, thyme, and corrsican mint. Add a few containers of edible flowers -nasturtium, viola, pansy, calendula (pot marigold), or lavender for added beauty of both your garden and your cooking.

If you like to combine herbs in containers, remember to place taller growers int he center and lower growers on the outside edges.  Thyme is a great...

Tags: container gardening, herbs, soil mixtures

I was recently asked for more information on container gardening, so here are a few tips to start and I will build on this in the next few posts.

1.  Chose containers with trays or get trays and fill them with pebbles.  herbs do not like to have wet feet, but they also like to have a bit of water todraw on in the heat of the day.  Placing the pot in a tray will keep you from watering twice during the hot days of summer.

2.  Herbs can be cross-planted, so let basil and orgeano share a pot.  Cilantro and dill with their light leaves look good together.

3.  When planting dill or cilantro, sew seed rather than purchasing plants.  In the hot months these will bolt (go to seed) so you can preserve a summar havest by dropping a few new seed into the pot every two weeks.

4. Don't let your herbs flower, unless you want to look at rather than eat them.  Herb flavors change when they create flowers, so cut those flower heads off to perserve the best flavors for cooking and tea.

Tags: container gardening

Tags: container gardening