Container Herb Garden Ideas: Grow Your Own!
Grow your own herbs with these container herb garden ideas. Easy tips for getting a big harvest from a small amount of space.
Growing herbs is one of the things I like best about summer. I’m to the point where taking care of our yard sometimes feels more like work than pleasure…but not when it comes to my herb garden. I love everything about it from choosing the containers, to planting the herbs, and watering. For a small amount of work, an herb garden offers a huge return. Every year I try to plant at least one herb that I’ve never grown before. This year I planted chamomile because I want to dry the blooms to make tea. More on that later in the post!
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Container Herb Garden Ideas
Use whatever vessels you have on hand. Planting an herb garden doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult. Simply gather some buckets or containers, fill them with potting soil, and plant whatever herbs you like the best. At this time of year, herbs are readily available at grocery stores, discount stores, home improvement stores, etc.
- Tip: Make sure to drill holes in your containers for drainage.
I use a mismatched collection of galvanized & enamelware buckets, olive buckets, galvanized wash tubs and baskets. I started out very small and each year I add a new container or two. This year I added the lined willow & wire baskets. (These baskets are no longer available.) I love the way they look with my other vintage containers and I’m hoping they weather well. I may have to replace the liner, but that’s not a hard job.
- Tip: Place your container herb garden as close to a door as possible. Easy access is so convenient when you want fresh herbs while you are in the kitchen.
Keep a hose stored nearby. Watering is perhaps the most labor-intensive part of maintaining an herb garden. Having a hose handy makes the job so much easier. I have a hose stand right on the other side of the deck railing and it makes watering a breeze.
I don’t have the best luck when it comes to growing tomatoes, but I always plant a few each year and hope for the best. I never really know what type to plant, so I look for a variety that does well in containers. This year I chose Bonnie Organic Better Bush tomatoes. I’ll let you know how it goes!
This year’s herb garden:
- Lemon Balm ‘Melissa’
- Chamomile
- Rosemary ‘Foxtail’
- Rosemary ‘Tuscan Blue’
- Basil ‘Dolce Fresca’
- Mint ‘Chocolate’
- Mint ‘Mojito’
The rosemary and basil I use in cooking. The mint, chamomile, and lemon balm I’ll use for making tea…and I’ll use the mint all summer in drinks. I’ve been doing a little research and making your own tea doesn’t look too complicated. I’m going to try a couple of different methods for drying the herbs and as soon as I can figure it out, I’ll be back to share. In the meantime, get busy and plant some herbs!
I already have a tiny bloom on one of the chamomile plants. I know it tends to go a little crazy so I put two plants in each of the galvanized wash tubs. With just four plants, I most likely won’t get enough blooms to make a huge amount of tea. I plan to mix the chamomile with mint or lemon balm to make it go a bit further. If I get a few jars of dried herbs I’ll be happy.
If you’ve never planted herbs, I hope you will take these container herb garden ideas and put your own stamp on them. If you are already an herb gardener, I hope you got a fresh idea or two. If you have made your own herbal tea, I hope you will leave your best tips in the comments!
Herbal Tea Sources:
A few of our favorite recipes that use fresh herbs:
- Caprese Salad
- Savory Rosemary Buttermilk Quick Bread
- Fruit & Herb Infused Water
- Easy Grilled Chicken & Rosemary Potatoes
Galvanized Container Sources
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