Where do you place a herb garden?

[MrsJones]

I'd like to try a herb garden but my concern is where do you place it if you cook a lot. How do you protect it from cooking particles that travel in the air? I see that a lot of herb gardens are situated in windows too, is that a norm for herb gardens?

 

[Nikkishea21]

Well i just plant things at random around the yard. The vegetable garden is toward the back but others are located either to the side or the front.

 

[marlingardener]

Herbs are happiest in the ground, preferably not very fertile ground since fertility leads to lush growth and less flavor. Plant your herb garden as close to the kitchen as possible. Our main herb garden is just outside the kitchen door, next to the patio. I will dash out for a clipping, but being lazy, I probably won't trek out to the vegetable garden to get an herb. One exception is putting basil in the vegetable garden with the tomatoes. They seem to enjoy each other's company!

 

[ChanellG]

Herbs are best planted where they are convenient for you. If you cook a lot and will be cutting them daily, you will want to have them as close to the kitchen as possible. Herbs grown indoors on the windowsill won't grow as well as herbs grown outdoors, and herbs grown in large flower pots can be moved around as needed. Choose a sunny location that makes harvesting easy.

 

[claudine]

In my opinion a kitchen windowsill is the best place for a herb garden. Herbs are very resistant and easy to grow, they don't need any special conditions. Don't worry about cooking particles, they won't harm them

 

[kammy]

I have a herb garden right outside the back of my kitchen and i also have a wide array of herbs on window sills...there is even a few on my balcony. I think you can grow your herbs where ever you have ample space and a place that's most convenient to you.

 

[MrsJones]

Herbs are happiest in the ground, preferably not very fertile ground since fertility leads to lush growth and less flavor. Plant your herb garden as close to the kitchen as possible. Our main herb garden is just outside the kitchen door, next to the patio. I will dash out for a clipping, but being lazy, I probably won't trek out to the vegetable garden to get an herb. One exception is putting basil in the vegetable garden with the tomatoes. They seem to enjoy each other's company!

Okay, I need to know what 'fertile' ground is? Isn't all ground fertile?

 

[marlingardener]

All ground is not fertile. If you had ever seen the caliche in the Texas hill country, you'd know what infertile soil looks like!
If you place herbs in quite fertile soil (loose, lots of organic matter, fertilized) they will grow like crazy and have little taste. If you put herbs in not very fertile (still loose enough to dig in, no added compost/fertilizer, and watered sparingly) the "tough love" will allow them to grow, but the natural oils that provide flavor will be more concentrated and you will get tastier herbs.
Most of our culinary herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.) are Mediterranean in origin, where they live and thrive on thin soil and hillsides (good drainage).

 

[Pat]

My herb garden would have to be a container garden if I had one. My concern would be the amount of sunshine they should get.

 

[MrsJones]

My next question would be animals, specially squirrels. This would determine if I want to plant herbs outside in my yard. Would squirrels take a liking to any kind of herb?

 

[claudine]

My next question would be animals, specially squirrels. This would determine if I want to plant herbs outside in my yard. Would squirrels take a liking to any kind of herb?

I don't think so. In my area, there are lots and lots of squirrels. They love it here I've never seen them eating herbs. My mother planted mint in her garden, they ignore it completely.

 

[Mika]

I prefer to keep my herbs in a pot outside. One year I put my basil in the ground and it took over the garden. I would love to keep them in the kitchen; however, our kitchen faces northwest and most herbs don't like that. If you are using the herbs a lot though, by all means keep it in the kitchen. I prefer to grow basil and thyme outside. They seem to like it a lot better out there. I also prefer to dry my basil. It doesn't seem to give hot dishes much flavor when fresh. My Rosemary sits in my bedroom though. That way I can ruffle it around and go to sleep with my room smelling of Rosemary. I grow cilantro inside so I can watch for it to bolt. I let it grow outside one year and the one day I forgot to check on it, it bolted and turned bitter. Bleh.

 

[marlingardener]

Mika,
I also prefer to dry my basil. It doesn't seem to give hot dishes much flavor when fresh.
Basil is best added to hot dishes just before serving--the flavor is there and doesn't get lost by the thermal heat.
Have you tried chopping basil leaves very fine and adding them to just enough vegetable oil to make a slurry? I find this keeps the basil flavor and also the color. I make tablespoon dollops of the oil/basil and place them on waxed paper. After they are frozen, I transfer the dollops to a freezer container and use them as needed. This also works with parsley.

 

[IcyBC]

I have cilantro, rosemary, basil and thyme in containers along the side wall outside of my house. They seem to take well from the heat of the wall even when the temperature is bit chilly outdoors, and they usually stay way pass November in Michigan.

 

[Shimus]

Minus the good smelling ones, I keep mine out beside my fruits sections and next to my vegetables (given a berth of space, of course).

They tend to do well, even into the cooler months around here (November onwards) and then I tend to transplant ones I want all year into my kitchen's windowsill.