Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
jeri

First Timer not sure how to begin...

jeri
10 years ago

You need to know that I have had Zero gardening experience.

I would like to plant: Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Cilantro, Basil, Mint, and Tarragon. Perhaps a few others as well. These will all be used for cooking.

I don't know if I should plant in the ground, raised planters, pots, or a mix? The side of my house where I would grow these faces south, and I think I am Zone 9.

DH is very handy, so if a raised bed is preferred over in ground, that would not be a problem.

How do I start??? Should I just put each in it's own pot and call it a day?

Comments (3)

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    You are off to a good start with a raised bed, location facing south(plenty of sun).. I am sure others will advise you also but here few things I want to say.

    Number one, DO NOT plant mint in the garden. Mints are invasive and can take over the entire bed and beyond(LOL).

    Perenials: Rosemay, thyme, sage, tarragon... will come back year after year and get biger in size. This is especially true for rosemary and sage. So give them a little more space. I would also recommend to buy establishe plants from nurseris and plant them. I, personally, with some gardening experience would not bother starting them from seeds.

    Biennial: Parsely lasts for two years. So if you plant them this year they will come back next year then bolts.

    The rest in your list are annuals,; that will be around just this season. ABOUT cilantros: Are you in zone 10? if yes, then I think it is too late to plant them this year. They like cooler weather.

    One more thing: Most herbs like well drained soil and slightly on the sweet(alkaline) side or nutral. So, with raised bed the drainage issue sould be taken care of to some extent. But need to sweeten the soil a bit.

  • balloonflower
    10 years ago

    Hi! Welcome to the fun world of herb gardening! The first thing you need to do is learn just a little bit about what the herbs prefer. Out of those you listed, Parsley, Cilantro, Basil, and Mint like water. Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, and Sage are much more arid and need to have really good drainage and not as much water. So, just learning a bit about your herbs will go a long way. That will help you group them properly, so that you don't put thyme with basil and either drown your thyme and starve your basil. Also, some are annual (one season only), some are perennial (come back year after year). Parsley is biennieal--with leaves the first year, then some leaves the second then flower stalks and seeds. All of those are full-sun, though cilantro is a cooler season that will bolt to flower and coriander seed when it gets hot.

    Definitely mint needs its own pot--it is very invasive (code for you will never get rid of this plant). Depending on what you want to use it for--Spearmint is that basic, peppermint for more dessert applications (or chocolate mint), I prefer apple mint in my iced tea, and there's a nice hybrid of spearmint and apple mint called Kentucky Colonel that's a good all purpose. And about 50 other varieties.

    For thyme, I would start with a French or Lemon Thyme. Nice all-purpose ones, and culinary varieties (thyme has a lot of ornamental types too). Rosemary--Tuscan Blue or Barbecue are nice varieties. Basil--Sweet or Genovese is the main one, but there are lots more. Do a little research on what types you'd prefer-there's lemon, Thai, cinnamon, etc. Tarragon--you'll want a French Tarragon (not Russian). I would also suggest onion chives, Greek oregano, marjoram, and sage.

    If DH will get you some raised beds ASAP, they can be very nice, since it brings the herbs up more to your level, and helps facilitate the drainage that the herbs need, if you don't completely seal the bottom with plastic or such.

    Do some searching here in the herb forum (which I know can be more difficult than it sounds)--there's lots of great tips. Or, just google "how to take care of basil" or whatever. I think the National Gardening Association website has some nice basic details that you would like.
    Once you're established--regular harvesting of most herb plants is beneficial to the plant. General rule of up to 1/3 of the plant at a time. Some, like chives can be harvested down to the ground and come back right away. Regular harvesting (pinching) of basil encourages bushiness and more production. Again, just a little info on how to handle the plant will be a great help. Don't be intimidated--a little knowledge will get you a long way, and it's lovely to have your own fresh herbs at your fingertips.

  • fatamorgana2121
    10 years ago

    Raised beds can be nice, but we just removed most of ours last year and expanded the beds. We removed them to make maintenance easier.

    Get yourself a nice gardening reference book from a bookstore or library. A good book is invaluable to beginners. There are lots of nice herb gardening books so find one that appeals to you.

    FataMorgana