Sunday, April 11, 2010

How to plant herbs in a pot


BEFORE
If you think I am overdoing with the gardening segments... just you wait until Summer, when I am considering doing a ten segment series on the joys of eating seafood with your bare hands...  Fascinating stuff! 

But it is Spring after all, and there is a lot that needs to be done around here to get this house feeling like a home.  I have been growing herbs every season for at least the past ten years... and it is already almost tax day and I have not indulged.  April 15th is always a good time to put out your Summer color and your herbs, but here in TX the seedlings come in a bit earlier.  I was afraid that if I waited any longer the goods would be all gone!

My wonderful husband took a trip to the hardware store for another project he has going and I asked him to bring me home some herbs and a nice pot.  I think he did an excellent job.  He got home with this lovely pot from Lowe's. This beauty has a ridged outside and its organic bended shape is only enhanced by the aqua coloring on the inside, which will not be seen this season, but will probably make an appearance in the fall when it will be repurposed.

First things first.  Here is the list of materials:
  • One large pot with a drain hole
  • Organic potting soil
  • Herbs: we have several basil varieties, oregano, a hot pepper plant (OK, not an herb), sage, rosemary, arugula, thyme, parsley, etc etc etc
  • gloves, a digging tool, scissors (for cutting soil bag open)
We had to drill a hole, but you can find several pots with holes or a little removable plug

I found these cute gloves at Target. I love the toggles at the wrist so you can easily adjust its aperture
Here is a shot of the beautiful colors on the inside
Fill the pot with the organic potting soil leaving two inches on top to prevent a big mess when you water

I'm not growing mushrooms this year, so I added this one just for fun

Dig a whole and put the plant in, generally herbs are easy creatures whose only demand is some water when they are dry, so don't worry too much about which plant will require what. I try to plant the trailing herbs such as oregano and thyme in the front and place the taller one in the back.
Make sure to tap in at the base of the plant to stabilize it and get rid of big air pockets
Water it through... this thorough watering will get rid of any air pockets that might dry out the roots

And TA-DA...  You are all done.  Ready to enjoy the results of your not so hard work.  Everyday, check to see if it needs a drink.  Just stick your finger in the dirt down to a half and inch to one inch.  If you feel moisture, the plants are happy.  If it is dry, give it another good drink.
AFTER

These are looking a little tired right now, but once the leaves dry they will perk right up.  In a couple of days I should be seeing new growth, which usually comes in with a lighter shade of green.  Some of the herbs will be tossed out when it gets really warm... some will be transplanted in the garden in the Fall to come back again next year. 

Growing herbs is so easy and rewarding.  Just brushing by the leaves and enjoying the fragrance is an experience to share with your kids and loved ones.  Add to that the benefit of having fresh herbs to enhance any boring ol' meal...  They become indispensable to me.  I hope you give it a try.


Don't forget to stop by on Wednesday... Great adventures are ahead of us with a new series I will be unveiling...  It involves some fabulous bloggers who are willing to share their talent with all of us.  But that is all I am saying for now!  I promise you it will not disappoint!




38 comments:

Splenderosa said...

Catherine, we must be thinking alike. My daughter went to buy little bedding plants and I couldn't leave without tomatoes and parsley. Never had a veggie to plant before, have no idea where the idea came from. Now I know.
xx's

Kellie Collis said...

I buy so much coriander... I really need to get an actual plant! xx

Allie and Pattie said...

Just did this yesterday- and it looks like we bought the same plants!
xoxo Pattie

Laura said...

Hi-
What a great post- I am enjoying gardening so much right now, I look forward to more posts on gardening.
I too am a Texas blogger-

Enjoyed visiting,
Laura

teaorwine said...

..and I see you purchased Bonnie's Plants. Thumbs up to you!

Interiors for the Home said...

I can't wait to get home and MY hands in the dirt!

The Shiny Pebble said...

Splenderosa - you are so generous in crediting me... I'm thinking the great marketing at the garden centers might have had more to do with it. Either way, I am glad you decided to give it a try.

Kellie - here is the deal with coriander. The cilantro plant will thrive both in the spring and fall, however whenever the temperatures start to rize they will set seeds. Those are the coriander seeds. Just collect them, toast them and grind them to use as needed. Carrot soup is fantastic with coriander.

Pattie - with all of the cooking you do, I am sure you make good use of your herbs.

Laura - how neat, I am coming over to your blog for a visit later on

Pemberley - is this too soon to start planting up there?

TeaorWine - I love that you can plant the pots without tearing at their roots. Whoever came up with such brilliant idea?

Allison Shops said...

Looks nice! I love the mushroom addition. Stopping by from BNOTP.

Amy said...

Very cute! Reminds me that I probably need to transplant my herbs I started from seed outside this week-eekk! Happy gardening! *Amy

cynthia - thedailybasics.com said...

Love this! Can't wait for more gardening tips !
Glad I found you!
Cynthia

The Shiny Pebble said...

Allison - thanks, I will be stopping by later on today.

Amy - I had a late start for seeds... buying the seedlings give me such instant gratification, but growing them from seeds is so much more fun, economical, and easy to shared.

Cythia - thanks for stopping by... sorry, I'm still figuring out that twitter thing!

M.L. @ The House of Whimsy said...

Just wonderful!! Thanks for sharing! The garden gloves are a real bonus...a cute one! : )
Thanks for your prayers...my mom is having the "cement" procedure done today.
M.L.

~*~ saskia ~*~ said...

I love herbs, I love love herbs in pots!! xo

Anonymous said...

I couldn't live without fresh herbs, and homegrown are the best! In Idaho, our garden produced basil and cilantro that were five ft. tall! Like trees! Amazing...I can't remember how many quarts of pesto I made from that, but it was a lot! We plant our herbs in triangle shaped raised beds....dill, basil, cilantro,
thyme, lemon thyme (SO good on grilled chicken and fish ;) and Italian parsley. Fresh and so flavorful! Your pot is lovely, and I love your mushroom! XO!

shannon i olson said...

Such a cute planter, that mushroom is great, fresh herbs are so wonderful to have around.

Jo said...

What fun! I have my greenhouse up and some seeds planted but it's too cold to plant just yet ~ I've got the gardening itch bad! :)

Jo
Oddly, your posts aren't showing up on my reader ~ I'm missing out on some good stuff!

The Shiny Pebble said...

Saskia, thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Kel, we need to ship in some of that Idaho dirt down here to my gumbo soil TX yard. Is your growing season very short in Colorado?

Shanon, thakns for commenting, taht mushroom was put there on a whim... I usually grow them out of those prepackaged boxes, but havent' got around to doing it yet this year.

Jo, oh how fun to have a green house. I so wanted one when I lived up North. Down here one can garden year round. I know, I am rubbing it in just a little. :)

Mary Ann said...

catherine, you are so funny!...no wonder why your blog always shines! love those chic garden gloves and the idea of putting the mushroom in your pot..i still get intimidated by those drilling tools...2 more days before the big wed surprise! maryann

Cathy~Mille Fleur said...

Love the herbs and the pot you used is beautiful! I love growing my own...so fun to have them for cooking!

Enjoy!
Cathy

Unknown said...

No green thumb here. i will be over here in the corner with my martini, while you do all the heavy lifting...!!haha

Mary Ann said...

you left me laughing after reading your comments in my blog! how do you find the time? maybe, one day you can share time management tips from a well decorated housewife bliss! thanks! maryann

Coryanne Ettiene | Kitchen Living with Coryanne said...

Love your MM post...and look at all that sunshine! I so wish I had your green thumb.

Unknown said...

A few years ago, I added potted herbs to my back porch, and now I do it every year...you are so right about the smells and richness it adds to the season! (not to mention my salads!)

OneCraftyFox said...

Such a pretty herb garden! I used to grow herbs in little pots in the kitchen window when I still lived at home (years and years ago).

I'm curious to see your summer seafood posts, lol.

Have a great day!

Lazaro Cooks said...

Saw your profile on another page. Glad I read your interesting and well-written blog. Look forward to following you here. Cheers! Great gardening tips...

The Shiny Pebble said...

Verbena Cottage - I'm starting to think that sleep is overrated.

Cathy - that huge clay pot cost under $35 buck at Lowes

AB HOME - would love to have you over. This summer I will share some sunshine in a martini glass recipe you won't want to miss.

Housewife - The good thing is where you are moving you wont have to do much gardening. I believe cacti pretty much take care of themselves

The Zhush - I don't know why I didn't read you for a herb-y and cooking type of a girl. I love you more each day!

OneCraftyFox - Don't encourage me!

Lazaro Cooks - how sweet of you to stop by. Welcome!

Emily said...

What wonderful information! We just bought our first home, but I don't want to plant herbs in the ground and have my puppy pee on them all the time. Will be utilizing this info for pot planting. Thanks for posting.

nelya said...

That looks so great! I need to do this...love fresh basil, cilantro, and mint.

I'm excited to see what you have up your sleeve tomorrow! :0)

My Galveston Cottage said...

I'm inspired. I can't wait to plant both herbs and flowers when I get to Galveston! yeah! Love-love that big ol' mushroom of yours. In CO, we're doing a rather large bed for some veggies and herbs. Can't wait to plant but that's after mid-May. best, -s

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

I wish I wasn't afraid my black thumbs would murder them!

Atticmag said...

Always so great to have fresh herbs growing at home. And I love how-tos that show all the little things. Just great and thanks for stopping by. -- Jane F.

krissy @ thefoodaddicts.com said...

this is great! i, too, am an avid gardener. we have a ton of herbs, fruit, and vegetables in our garden and i'm so happy it's spring. i can't wait until our garden flourishes this summer. great step by step photos that will help new gardeners get the hang of planting! come check out my blog sometime and click on the Our Garden link to see what we've grown!

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

What a lovely blog you have! Thanks for the informative tutorial on planting herbs. I love them! I usually have all of them in my small herb garden, but I am thinking how fabulous a pot of wonderful smelling herbs would be on my patio! MMmmmmmmm- I can just smell them now, and if I just needed a little snip of something I don't have to walk too far! Great post. I'll be back to see what your blogging secret is.
So nice to visit!
Yvonne

carissa said...

i definitely think growing your own herbs is awesome. and your herb arrangement is beautiful! can't wait to hear about the series.

a quiet life said...

love your garden gloves, so cute~

Jocelyn said...

Very lovely idea.

Jocelyn
http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

Blondie's Journal said...

Great planting and growing tips. I am going to try some herbs in a pot this spring and hopefully I will do it right. Love your pot!!

Happy Outdoor Wednesday, Catherine! :-)

xoxo
Janie

The Simply Luxurious Life said...

Love the addition of the mushroom - Paul Allen Smith always says to add a bit of whimsy and this is perfect. By the way your watering can - lovely. Thanks so much for stopping by. You energy is intoxicating on your blog and enjoyed reading your guest blog on Struggler. We be back by soon! Have a great rest of your week. =)

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