'matoes and herbs

i'm once again giddy with excitement as i think about growing {and consuming } herbs in my very own herb garden this year. having an herb garden was something i wanted to do for years, but never got around to... until last year, that is. i finally just did it!

i went to home depot and bought eight little herb plants and put them in the ground next to the already existing chives that were in my yard along the side of the garage. i also bought two banana pepper plants.

it was absolutely one of the best things i ever did... for so many reasons. one. i accomplished a goal that i had thought about for so long. two. it taught me a lot. three. it was a great experience to get down on my knees and dig into the earth like that. four. i watched things grow -- things i nurtured myself. five. it taught me patience and stick-to-it-iveness. six. it was so much cheaper than buying herbs at the grocery store. seven. we ate fresh herbs all summer and even into autumn, and they were most tasty and made for some delicious meals.

this year, i plan to grow them all again, but this time i'll start from seed... more challenging... but more of the process for me to be a part of {and cheaper, too!}. also this year, i plan to replace oregano {which i rarely used } with tarragon, which i have recently become a very big fan of... ever since i used it in a recipe that my sister gave me to use for easter dinner. it was part of the dressing for a very delicious salad, which i will be sure to share with you very soon.

{tomato pictured above is store-bought } also this year, i plan to grow tomatoes instead of peppers. then i can have my caprese salads to my heart's content, with only the cost of mozzarella cheese and gas money it takes to drive to the store to buy it... unless i go buy a cow and start making my own. {*wink*} haha! i'm resourceful, but not that resourceful!

anyway, my goal for the weekend is to get my herb seeds purchased, planted and watered. i can't think of a better project to fill my weekend. my herb photos are from last year and were originally posted on my jorjah-b blog. but i thought i would recycle them, since they never made it onto this blog. i asked then, and i'll ask again...

do you have an herb garden? have you any good herb gardening tips for me? i'm still a "beginner", but i plan on becoming a "pro" herb gardener, so any tips you might have would be greatly appreciated!