4.16.2010

'matoes and herbs

pots for my herb garden and my favorite tennies

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!

my herbs

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.

ripen

{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!

10 comments:

Sueann said...

Sounds fabulous! No I am not a herb gardener...but I did purchase one of those topsy turvy tomato planter thingys!! LOL!! I am looking forward to working with that this year. Darn gophers!! Take that!!
Hugs
SueAnn

spread your wings said...

you've inspired me to go get my plants this weekend. i like to have mine in pots on the deck - i don't have a good plot in the yard that get's good sun.

Michel said...

Oh I can't can't can't wait to get my hands dirty in the garden this year. I am going to give a herb garden a go this year. I did a few last year, there is something so organic and earthy about a bunch of small pots with herbs on a window sill. YAY spring!

S. Etole said...

your pictures make me catch my breath ... my DIL grows herbs and then dries them for winter use, too

Angela H. said...

i'm going to do the same this weekend! good weekend to do it.

driftwood said...

great idea. If your starting from seed I'd suggest you start them off on a windowsill maybe, although it depends how warm it is with you..... good luck xxxx

ginny said...

well done .. your herbs are great. good luck with sowing for this year's crop. we have a herb and vegetable garden and are lucky to have a small greenhouse to start them all off in. originally the garden was my domain but my husband has been helping me grow stuff for a few years now and he has sown all the herb seeds this year. ... have you thought of edible flowers such as orange nasturtiums to add to salads too?
tomato and mozzarella combo is one of my favs: )

you sound up and happy which is fab... i so feel brighter too when the sun shines and the promise of days outside and fresh home grown summer foods loom.
wishing you the happiest of weekends dear friend.
ginny x
thanks also for your comment and i would be delighted for you to use my pic on your shhh site.

Just Jen said...

I'm not a gardener but I do enjoy eating herbs. You know it is pizza Friday. (wink) I think your 1-8 herbs pic belongs on the cover of a book.

sMacThoughts said...

SO jealous. Oh to be able to grow my own tomatoes and herbs... Good for you!

Anonymous said...

Hi Miss G:)
We grow tomatoes not hard to do. But they need allot of water.
Be careful with your Dill the baby caterpillars love dill so keep an eye out for those.
Good Luck hope to see you after the baby gets here. 30 more days.
Talk to you soon.
Happy Spring!
Julie T:)