The Best Herbs to Grow in the Kitchen Garden

Herbs are famed for their role in culinary and healing work. If you do a lot of cooking, you’ll know firsthand how essential herbs are in a dish! Just adding a few herbs to your food elevates its flavors. However, purchasing your herbs from the store is not only expensive but also the less fresh option.

Besides being handy when cooking, growing herbs by yourself, add a fresher look to your kitchen garden. Herbs can thrive for years in pots and are also considered to be good indoor plants. Generally, these crops do not need a lot of space to grow, so you’ll love them even when you have limited space.

From hearty soups to refreshing cocktails, having herbs available on hand truly creates a whole new world of recipes. Are you excited to grow your own herb garden but unsure which plants to start with? Below, we list down some of the best herbs to help you.

Mint

This plant is commonly known for its commercial use as a flavoring for toothpaste, candy, and even beauty products. Growing them at home, however, can liven up your food and drinks in an instant. Moreover, they are a quick remedy for soothing common cold symptoms.

There are various types of mint for anyone. If you’re a sweet tooth, consider getting a chocolate mint; it has an aroma of chocolate and is ideal for sweeter applications for desserts and drinks.

They’re pretty aggressive growers, though, so it’s best to plant them in a container to prevent them from covering the ground. Additionally, chocolate mint is a sterile hybrid, so you won’t be able to plant them by seed. Learn more about growing these plants when you visit Gardener’s Path for tips and tricks.

Thyme

If you live in a dry, sunny area, then thyme is a great herb to grow! It originates from the Meditteranean area and will survive even if you forget to water it from time to time. They also barely need any fertilizer, but you should keep weeds away from it.

Thyme is adaptable, growing almost anytime in the year. After just a few months, they’ll be mature enough for harvesting. While the best time to harvest them is before their flowers fully bloom, thyme can still retain its flavor after flowering. It produces a fragrant scent, perfect for savory dishes like grilled meat. Likewise, it goes well with the flavors of tomatoes and garlic.

Sage

Commonly associated with poultry dishes, sage is also an excellent herb to grow in your kitchen garden. These plants are low woody shrubs with gray-green leaves. In addition, sage is easy to grow both indoors or outdoors on the ground.

The herb is cold-hardy, so it will be able to come back and regrow when spring rolls around. In addition, the way sage is harvested depends on the variety of your plant, so make sure to know which type you have at home. Do note that younger leaves are more flavorful than older ones, so don’t hesitate when it’s time for picking.

Chives

A cool-season crop, chives flourish best during spring and fall. They grow up to 12 inches tall and have beautiful round, pink flowers when in bloom. However, while its flowers help add more color to your garden, you’ll have to be careful letting them fully develop. If left unchecked, these blooms will scatter their seeds and proliferate on the ground.

Chives are related to onions, leeks, and garlic and are typically used for garnishes. Similarly, they add fresh flavor to dips, omelets, soups, and salads. You may also freeze them for later use. Indeed, it’s easy-to-grow and easy-to-use nature makes it popular for many home chefs turned gardeners.

Tarragon

Tarragon is a staple in French and English cuisine, adding an aromatic, fresher taste to food. If you’ve had experience with cooking its dried form, you’d be surprised how differently you’ll have to use freshly harvested tarragon. Due to its strong taste, you’ll have to add in at the very end of your cooking, or else it turns bitter.

This herb is a perennial, which means it regrows every year. They grow best on the ground using their seedlings, cuttings, or divisions. Tarragon thrives on a sunny and sheltered spot with well-drained soil. Planting them indoors gives you easy access when cooking and enables you to protect them from the winter chill during cooler seasons.

Takeaway

Save yourself from wasting cellophane-wrapped herbs by growing them in your garden! Apart from being more environmentally-friendly, you’ll save your money and have fresher-flavored food. Furthermore, they’re great houseplants if you want to brighten up your home.

It doesn’t even matter if you’re a beginner—herbs are among the easiest plants to care for. Not to mention, almost every supermarket or hardware sells the pots, seeds, dirt, and any other material you’ll need when starting out.