With the list of potential fruits and vegetables for your garden being so long, it can be daunting to know where to begin. What’s the best place to start for the ultimate gardening novice? Herbs can be the answer. They tend to be very low maintenance, take up little space and will give you an easy harvest of aromatic leaves.
You can grow many herbs indoors in containers, or get an outdoor garden started. Many kitchen herbs are perennials so if you do start growing outside, plan ahead because your plants can be in that spot for many years to come.
A few you might consider trying:
Basil: A staple in many kitchens, it grows very well as long as it gets plenty of sunshine. It’s great for flavoring or making home-made pesto.
Oregano: Another good cooking herb, especially if you love Italian cuisine. Like the basil, give your plants lots of sun.
Mint: Mint will grow like a weed, and spread farther than you’d like if you’re not careful it’s ideal for a large pot. You can use the leaves in cooking, baking or to make tea. Partial shade is best for mint plants.
Lemon balm: You can make some excellent zesty lemon tea with lemon balm leaves, and it grows easily in sun or partial shade. Just pinch out any developing flowers to keep your plant leafy.
Dill: Dill will grow with almost no attention from you whatsoever. It’s a fairly tall plant and best left to outdoor growing though. You can harvest the fine leaves or wait for the seed at the end of the season. It needs full sun and can shade other plants nearby.
Chamomile: This is one herb you are harvesting flowers from rather than leaves. They like lots of sun, and you can pick the pretty white flowers to dry for tea later in the summer.
Besides how easy herbs are to grow, the strong scents are good at naturally keeping away the bugs. You’ll have few insect pests to deal with in most herb gardens, which means one less headache as you build up your gardening skills.