Container Herb Gardening

There was a time when I dreamed of nothing more than owning a house. At least, I thought it was a house I wanted. When I dreamed of house, what I really was dreaming about was a yard. I wanted a nice, clean patio to lounge on in the mornings while I listened to the birds and sipped my coffee; a place for the kids to play and the pets to run around; I dreamed of an outdoor ritual area for meditation or celebrating holidays; I envision flagstone paths to secret nooks, a rustic stone wall, and a birdhouse in every tree. Most of all, I wanted to have a big, lush garden and grow all sorts of tasty crops and pretty ornamentals.

As things came to pass, I did not end up in a house, but in an apartment. We both grew up in NYC, and apartment living is just more practical and comfortable to us. We like having an apartment with a maintenance man and all the amenities-- pool, clubhouse, gym, dog park, laundry, etc., frankly without having to be responsible to take care of them. I could have never afforded a home with as much to offer. We tried the house rentals but were not happy, and couldn't imagine wanting the financial or maintenance responsibility of owning a home. Personally, unless I strike it really rich so I can pack up and move to Disney World and hire a full staff, I plan on being in this apartment for the rest of my days.

But it meant giving up my big yard and gardening dreams. This was a bit tough for me, but we managed to find an place that had select units with a large screened-in porch. We had to pay extra for the unit, and wait an extra month for one to become available, but my porch was really worth it. I have decided to make it a microcosm of the dream garden I never had.

One thing I love about my unit is that it is a corner unit on the edge of the complex, so outside of our door, rather than facing a parking lot or another building, we face the complex's stone retaining wall, grassy ground, and there are residential homes across the street. It's a nice view and a pleasant place to lounge! We're also on the first floor, which is another plus. Doesn't feel so much like an apartment from my porch, but a house with a nice, big front yard.

Another thing is that we have perfect Southern exposure! I couldn't have asked for a better location! In the mornings, the sun comes up and my plants get the mid-morning sun until about one or two in the afternoon. At that time, the sun is so high that the porch ceiling shades the plants. Later, about five o'clock until it gets dark (at this point, around 8:30), it gets the sun as it sinks low in the west. So basically my plants get the best 6 to 8 hours of light the day has to offer, and are shaded from the harsh mid-noon sun.

I feel like I was guided to this apartment. I knew it was for us because it has a giant cactus right in front of the porch, that blooms in the moonlight with head-sized white flowers. Straight up through the cactus grows a palm tree, so we get lots of critters to watch-- squirrels, birds, lizards, even black racer snakes seeking shelter in the tree that the cactus firmly shields anyone from ever disturbing. I felt an affinity for this little set-up the first time we came and looked at it. It seemed to call to me, I knew I would feel at home living beside it. The nights when dozens of these pods begin to open, featuring these huge blooms, is quite an event to sit out for-- and they're gone by morning!



Even though a porch was not my dream yard, we decided to fully make the best of it. I grow some of my favorite vegetables, strawberries, and-- my favorite-- herbs. .We like to spend a lot of time out there, doing crafts, homeschooling on the table, we have barbecues out there, holiday brunches, and I often take my coffee out there to greet the morning or bask after dinner. It's become my sanctuary, it is just enough of a taste of the big yard dream to satisfy me so that I don't feel those pangs of it might have been

If you look closely at this picture, you'll see that my youngest son even cleverly gave me my own rustic stone wall.

1Be Mindful of Your Growing Zone! This is very important. I started container gardening when living in New York City. I moved to Florida and continued to follow the guidelines of the same book, bought at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, that had served me well for years. I ended up with dead plants. There is a vast difference between gardening in New York vs. Florida, or Southern California vs. Maine. Depending on where you live, the instructions on the seed packet, on plant marker or in generic "how-to" gardening books may be useless-- they tend to give instructions for the mid-zones rather than the extremes.

Seek out a couple of good books on your region, climate or zone, rather than just going for generic guides, especially if your area is a bit unique by being unusually cold, warm, humid, dry, etc.... Don't know your zone? Check out the U.S. National Arboretum Plant Hardiness Zone Map by clicking here.

2Take advantage of the mobility! The micro-environment can sometimes be more important than the macro-environment. Plants that people tell you "just can't be grown in your zone" may very well thrive in just the right spot, with just the right combo of sun, shade, and shelter. If a plant isn't looking too hot, try moving it just a few feet, or elevating it a little more or less-- it could make all the difference. Change them around seasonally-- for example, your parsley may love being out in full sun all Spring, but as Summer heat sets it it may pout; put it in a semi-shaded spot to protect it from excessive sunlight until the Fall. Drag plants in for frost warnings, over-winter, or when a hurricane is coming to protect them from extreme conditions. Don't forget to take advantage of the fact that you can turn your plants, about a quarter-turn per week or two, so that your plants get evenly exposed on all sides.

3Use a light-weight growing medium! Heavy pots can not only be difficult to move, transplant or put in hanging planters; it can harm you r plants. Heavy soils can compact on the roots and not give them room or air. I prefer to get an all-purpose vegetable and herb potting mix, such as Miracle Grow, which also continues to feed the plants for two months. You can also mix one part sterilized topsoil with one part peat moss and one part compost (add some Perlite to make it even lighter).

4Water control! Too much water, and your plant roots can rot and be susceptible to all kinds of molds and diseases. Too little water, and they will dry up, turn brown, decrease production, or die. With any gardening, there has to be a happy medium. With container gardening you need to be particularly careful because each container will retain water differently. Porous containers, such as wood or clay, will dry out a lot faster, especially in dry, arid regions. Sometimes plastic, however, may not dry out quickly enough and retains too much water, especially in humid regions.

A good solution is to provide your plants with excellent drainage. If your container doesn't have good enough drainage holes, make some more. Put a layer of gravel or styrofoam peanuts on the bottom to allow air flow, and because they are nice and light to keep the container easy to move. Then put in your growing medium and plant. Water your plants regularly... if you have good enough drainage, you don't really have to worry about over-watering because excess water will just drip out.

A good way to keep track is to put a plain wooden pop stick or paint stirrer into the side of the container when you are planting. Bury it down deep in the soil. If you want to see if your plants "feet are wet" simply pull out the stick, like a dip-stick, and see if it is wet. If the wood is very saturated, your pot isn't draining well and you should water the plant less frequently, or re-pot it where it will get better drainage. If it is bone-dry, you'll know you'll need to water more often. It should be damp, nice and moist-- this will tell you your drainage and watering habits are just right.

5Fertilize more often! Plants in containers need good drainage; but that drainage ability washes away many nutrients. Lightweight growing medium retains less nutrients. Unlike plants in the ground, the only nutrients container plants get are the ones you directly give them. Instead of fertilizing once every few weeks or few months, use weak, diluted teas made of your fertilizers and water with them more frequently.

If you are new to gardening altogether and know little about what type of nutrients each plant will need, this will require research for each individual plant. In the mean time, you can use an all-purpose fertilizer made specifically for vegetables and/or herbs. Dilute it to 1/4 it's regular strength and water with it once per week to give your plants a continuous boost.

There are all kinds of containers available on the market for container gardening that are well suited to herbs, or you can convert any number of interesting items into a planter. The main considerations are that they should be suitable for the size plants you want to grow and have very good drainage.

TypesThe most common type of container is the standard free-standing pot. They are usually round (though can be square), and usually slightly wider at the opening than the base. The come made in just about all materials and are great for placing on the ground, plant stands, walls, or even planting into the ground.

Hanging plants work well for herbs, especially those that creep or are compact and bushy-- not so good for herbs that require height, like dill. They make an attractive display and are convenient up out of the way.

Window boxes are long, narrow containers that are useful for growing a variety of herbs. Of course they can be set in a window, but can also go just about anywhere a standard pot can go.

Strawberry pots, as seen in this image to the right, make great options for a compact herb container, because all of the holes enable you to grow several plants in one vessel, while making an attractive and unusual display.

Tiered planters are also great space savers, and may or may not be mobile depending upon the materials they are made of. I have a Martha Stewart planter I snagged for just ten bucks at K-Mart when they were going out of business, it is made of black metal in an open-weave design, and coconut husk inserts are used to hold in the soil. It's beautiful, I use it more for ornamental displays than herbs, but it would be very useful for herbs. I wish it wasn't the last one, I'd have gotten a couple more.

Materials Clay pots are great in humid or we climates because they are porous, they are also inexpensive, but are fragile.

Plastic pots are lightweight, inexpensive, and getting more and more decorative. They help retain water, so they are good for dry areas. In wet areas, however, they can retain too much water. They must be well drained, and usually the four little tiny holes on the bottom aren't enough. Take a drill to them and put in a few more holes before planting in them.

Wood planters are attractive, but the wood does rot and eventually they will begin to fall apart. If you are making wood containers yourself, you need to be mindful of the kind of wood you use, and that you're not planting edible plants into something treated with a poisonous chemical.

Glazed clay pots make beautiful displays and provide good drainage without over-drying, but they can be expensive and are heavy. Likewise with stone or cement pots, which you'll never be able to move around.

There are even unusual planters now-adays, such as grow-bags and chicken wire tubes that may not be as attractive, but are fairly inexpensive and practical.

Converting Containers One of the fun parts of container gardening is converting old, unusual things into containers to house your herbs. They add a lot of interest, can be very convenient, it's great to know you've recycled something, and often times they can save you money.

I once grew my herb bed in an old child's pool-- the plastic type that's about 9 inches deep. I drilled a few holes on it and threw it on some bare ground in the back of a house I rented. Consider also trying old wheelbarrows, fallen logs carved out, chimney pots, large PVC pipes, old sinks removed from the house, baskets, coffee cans, 5 gallon containers, and anything else you come across that will hold dirt. Be pragmatic-- and be creative-- and you'll probably find lots of things you can use.

Just be certain to make enough drain holes, and that it is not coated or treated with something that would be toxic.

Don't let your good herbs go to waste!
Have you ever watched your perfectly good, fresh herbs turn into a green pile of goo resembling a primordial swamp right there in your own refrigerator? Don't let this happen to you... there are several easy ways to preserve herbs so you can make the most of them and have them readily available when fresh grown are not in season." Click here to read full article

Photobucket Images

"Herb's" Banner......................Patthewitch
Moon flower............................von_troetsch
Foxgloves...............................gryphonogram
Strawberry Pot........................hopefantastico
toilet planters..........................summertor

SXC.hu

Mixed WindwoBox..................aubsmell
Mint leaves............................beresah
Basil......................................topfer
Rosemary.............................kris b
Chives..................................knips
Parsley..................................l Avi
Oregano...............................stagh
Sage.....................................Flashinpan
Lavender..............................sofa
Mixed herbs..........................pat61nl

By Me:

boy digging in garden (my son at age 5)
my screened porch container herb garden
my basil plants, with chives between them, and my son's stone "wall"
A few pots on my porch floor, including sage and my 10 year old's multi-mint planter
boy holding flowers in pot (my son, now 8, with his beautiful torenia)