Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. Since we
bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
to plant things in! I was thinking about setting up a small herb
garden.

The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
in my apartment. What would work well in a small plot outside, or
even in a series of containers outside? Are there any that i could
then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?

thanks,
tint

On Feb 8, 12:26*am, tintalle > wrote:
> Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
> icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
> grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. * Since we
> bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
> to plant things in! *I was thinking about setting up a small herb
> garden.
>
> The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
> in my apartment. *What would work well in a small plot outside, or
> even in a series of containers outside? *Are there any that i could
> then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?
>
> thanks,
> tint

gardening is so satisfying! what you can grow is somewhat dependent on
where you live (what zone). you want a fairly sunny location,
preferably close to the kitchen, facing south is good. I have a veggie
garden in the side yard, but I grow herbs in half barrels and
containers just outside the kitchen so i can pop out in the midst of
cooking to grab what i need. youmay want to observe the sun's position
thru spring summer fall to decide the best location. containers can be
oved a nd may be a good way to start. Siome herbs will come back- like
sage, mints, (maybe thyme, rosemary) or you can bring those in if
there's a sunny window. if you have a sunny window, you can start
inside now.

"tintalle" > wrote in message
...
> Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
> icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
> grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. Since we
> bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
> to plant things in! I was thinking about setting up a small herb
> garden.
>
> The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
> in my apartment. What would work well in a small plot outside, or
> even in a series of containers outside? Are there any that i could
> then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?

If you're pushed for space, don't bother with rosemary - you can get that
out of other people's gardens.

--
http://www.gillsmith999.plus.com/

tintalle wrote:
> Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
> icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
> grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. Since we
> bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
> to plant things in! I was thinking about setting up a small herb
> garden.
>
> The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
> in my apartment. What would work well in a small plot outside, or
> even in a series of containers outside? Are there any that i could
> then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?


FWIW, I have nice sandy loam. I don't use enough of most herbs to bother
getting seeds for most of them. I go to the garden centre and buy the
potted plants. Most of them prefer full sunlight. Oregano is a
perennial, so once it takes it will keep coming coming back, and getting
bigger and bigger. You can dig out some of the roots to keep it under
control. Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand,
but you need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control,
take over you garden and possibly the lawn.

Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them selves
and will keep coming back.


It doesn't cost much more to buy a potted plant than it does to buy a
small batch of fresh herbs at the grocery store. It is about the same
price as a package of seed, but if you only need on, no point in getting
the seed and having to wait longer for it.

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:11:31 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>Oregano is a
>perennial, so once it takes it will keep coming coming back, and getting
>bigger and bigger. You can dig out some of the roots to keep it under
>control.

Oregano behaves in my garden.

>Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand,
>but you need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control,
>take over you garden and possibly the lawn.

Mint likes damp feet, so you must be where it rains a lot.

>
>Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them selves
>and will keep coming back.

Parsley too.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 10:36:52 -0800, sf wrote:

> On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:11:31 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>>Oregano is a
>>perennial, so once it takes it will keep coming coming back, and getting
>>bigger and bigger. You can dig out some of the roots to keep it under
>>control.
>
> Oregano behaves in my garden.
>
>>Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand, but you
>>need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control, take
>>over you garden and possibly the lawn.
>
> Mint likes damp feet, so you must be where it rains a lot.
>
>
>>Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them selves
>>and will keep coming back.
>
> Parsley too.

Mint, you should plant it in a dug in old bucket with the bottom removed.
That keeps the plant in the bucket. Be aware of overhanging branches, that
could start new plants outside the bucket..

--
Groet, salut, Wim.

sf wrote:

>
> Oregano behaves in my garden.

I started with a one in a small pot. By the end of the second summer it
was more than 2' across. It was starting to overgrow other things, herbs
that I use a lot more of than oregano I had to dig around the roots to
take out the new ones.

>> Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand,
>> but you need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control,
>> take over you garden and possibly the lawn.
>
> Mint likes damp feet, so you must be where it rains a lot.

That's where watering comes in handy. For the last few years I have been
growing it in large pots. If they are not watered regularly it withers
right up. Luckily, being basically a weed, a little water brings it
right back to life.

>
>> Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them selves
>> and will keep coming back.
>
> Parsley too.

I wish. It certainly hasn't in my experience. I have been growing it for
years. I keep hoping that it will grow back and when I don't see any
by late May I go out and buy a new plant, but then one or two pop up. I
can barely manage to keep it going, whereas the cilantro and dill are
like weeds.

Wim van Bemmel wrote:

> Mint, you should plant it in a dug in old bucket with the bottom removed.
> That keeps the plant in the bucket. Be aware of overhanging branches, that
> could start new plants outside the bucket..


I once made the mistake of planting mint in a garden. I could not keep
it under control. I could go around it with a trowel and dig up all the
soil for a foot or two around, but the damn stuff still kept popping up
yards away. It is worse than a weed .... except that it is useful. I
like mint with lamb, in yogurt sauce, and especially in Mojitos.

Dave Smith wrote:

> I once made the mistake of planting mint in a garden. I could not keep
> it under control. I could go around it with a trowel and dig up all
> the soil for a foot or two around, but the damn stuff still kept
> popping up yards away. It is worse than a weed .... except that it is
> useful. I like mint with lamb, in yogurt sauce, and especially in
> Mojitos.

I did the same thing, many years ago. Every spring I pull out
most of it and it doesn't seem to mind at all. I like having
springs for iced tea. At least it's rather pretty.

I haven't had a problem with my oregano going nuts, either.

nancy

On 08 Feb 2009 20:52:39 GMT, Wim van Bemmel >
wrote:

>Mint, you should plant it in a dug in old bucket with the bottom removed.
>That keeps the plant in the bucket. Be aware of overhanging branches, that
>could start new plants outside the bucket..

Heheh, I'd be happy if it grew at all! It's too dry in my neck o' the
woods and we're about to start water rationing so it's even dryer than
ever.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:05:54 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>especially in Mojitos

I'd probably eradicate it single handedly in mojitos alone if I had
your problem.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:12:52 -0500, Nancy Young wrote:

> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> I once made the mistake of planting mint in a garden. I could not keep
>> it under control. I could go around it with a trowel and dig up all the
>> soil for a foot or two around, but the damn stuff still kept popping up
>> yards away. It is worse than a weed .... except that it is useful. I
>> like mint with lamb, in yogurt sauce, and especially in Mojitos.
>
> I did the same thing, many years ago. Every spring I pull out most of
> it and it doesn't seem to mind at all. I like having springs for iced
> tea. At least it's rather pretty.
>
> I haven't had a problem with my oregano going nuts, either.
>
> nancy

No, oregano does not go underground as much as mint does, if it does at
all, which I dont believe. It seeds. Follow my advice: keep mint in the
bucket. It works. its roots do not go deeper than the bucket. So it stays
within. If one bucket is not enough to suit your needs, dug in a second.
But remember to remove the bottom of it. To let the worms in that keep the
soil sound.

--
Groet, salut, Wim.

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:51:41 -0800, sf wrote:

> On 08 Feb 2009 20:52:39 GMT, Wim van Bemmel >
> wrote:
>
>>Mint, you should plant it in a dug in old bucket with the bottom
>>removed. That keeps the plant in the bucket. Be aware of overhanging
>>branches, that could start new plants outside the bucket..
>
> Heheh, I'd be happy if it grew at all! It's too dry in my neck o' the
> woods and we're about to start water rationing so it's even dryer than
> ever.

A good watersaving idea is to cover the ground with dark plastic, the sort
waste bags are made from. Cover the ground around your plants, if they are
there already, or else cover the ground and make a hole in the plastic,
and put your plant through that. Water through that hole. The plastic
stops evaporating. It also stops bad herbs growing.

--
Groet, salut, Wim.

On 08 Feb 2009 23:14:29 GMT, Wim van Bemmel >
wrote:

>A good watersaving idea is to cover the ground with dark plastic, the sort
>waste bags are made from. Cover the ground around your plants, if they are
>there already, or else cover the ground and make a hole in the plastic,
>and put your plant through that. Water through that hole. The plastic
>stops evaporating. It also stops bad herbs growing.

Hubby is even talking about hardscaping a good part of the front yard
because the coming drought is serious. It would be nice to have an
enclosed courtyard, but I worry about safety issues so I prefer to
have the house front exposed to the street. IOW, I don't know what
I'm going to do about the landscaping.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Feb 8, 5:03 pm, Dave Smith >
wrote:
> sf wrote:
>
> > Oregano behaves in my garden.
>
> I started with a one in a small pot. By the end of the second summer it
> was more than 2' across. It was starting to overgrow other things, herbs
> that I use a lot more of than oregano I had to dig around the roots to
> take out the new ones.
>
> >> Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand,
> >> but you need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control,
> >> take over you garden and possibly the lawn.
>
> > Mint likes damp feet, so you must be where it rains a lot.
>
> That's where watering comes in handy. For the last few years I have been
> growing it in large pots. If they are not watered regularly it withers
> right up. Luckily, being basically a weed, a little water brings it
> right back to life.
>
>
>
> >> Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them selves
> >> and will keep coming back.
>
> > Parsley too.
>
> I wish. It certainly hasn't in my experience. I have been growing it for
> years. I keep hoping that it will grow back and when I don't see any
> by late May I go out and buy a new plant, but then one or two pop up. I
> can barely manage to keep it going, whereas the cilantro and dill are
> like weeds.

I would be so happy to have mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil take
over huge patches of lawn. That was the plan. Last year, my first
attempt from seed, I got nothing. Maybe because I have a lot of
clay.

If spring ever comes, I'll try again, maybe some seed, some plants
from the farmers' market.

My local groceries only sell "fresh" herbs in little plastic coffins,
so, no. Dried or I learn to do without.

Bulka

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:24:06 -0800, bulka wrote:

> On Feb 8, 5:03 pm, Dave Smith >
> wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>
>> > Oregano behaves in my garden.
>>
>> I started with a one in a small pot. By the end of the second summer it
>> was more than 2' across. It was starting to overgrow other things,
>> herbs that I use a lot more of than oregano I had to dig around the
>> roots to take out the new ones.
>>
>> >> Mint is a bloody weed. It is nice to have lots of it on hand, but
>> >> you need to keep it contained or else it will expand out of control,
>> >> take over you garden and possibly the lawn.
>>
>> > Mint likes damp feet, so you must be where it rains a lot.
>>
>> That's where watering comes in handy. For the last few years I have
>> been growing it in large pots. If they are not watered regularly it
>> withers right up. Luckily, being basically a weed, a little water
>> brings it right back to life.
>>
>>
>>
>> >> Dill and cilantro will start popping up all over. They seed them
>> >> selves and will keep coming back.
>>
>> > Parsley too.
>>
>> I wish. It certainly hasn't in my experience. I have been growing it
>> for
>> years. I keep hoping that it will grow back and when I don't see any
>> by late May I go out and buy a new plant, but then one or two pop up.
>> I can barely manage to keep it going, whereas the cilantro and dill are
>> like weeds.
>
> I would be so happy to have mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil take
> over huge patches of lawn. That was the plan. Last year, my first
> attempt from seed, I got nothing. Maybe because I have a lot of clay.
>
> If spring ever comes, I'll try again, maybe some seed, some plants from
> the farmers' market.
>
> My local groceries only sell "fresh" herbs in little plastic coffins,
> so, no. Dried or I learn to do without.
>
> Bulka

I don't think parsley will pop up. The seeds need at least 1 month to
germine. By that time mostly the earth has been shuffled away... along
with the seeds. You need patience, lots of it, to grow parsley from seeds.
And the same if you let them seed themselves.
In case of clay, perhaps you'd better buy plants. And keep them moist.

--
Groet, salut, Wim.

sf wrote:
> On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:05:54 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> especially in Mojitos
>
> I'd probably eradicate it single handedly in mojitos alone if I had
> your problem.
>


It is my weakness for Mojitos that lead to planting it without
barriers...... but in a far corner of the yard.

bulka wrote:

>
> I would be so happy to have mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil take
> over huge patches of lawn. That was the plan. Last year, my first
> attempt from seed, I got nothing. Maybe because I have a lot of
> clay.
>


My sister in law planted thyme in the front yard at her chalet. It is a
nice green colour and never needs to be mowed.
Granted, she is a bit of a whacko, but this is one thing she had done
that makes sense.

In article
>,
tintalle > wrote:
(snip)
> to plant things in! I was thinking about setting up a small herb
> garden.
(snip)
> What would work well in a small plot outside, or even in a series of
> containers outside? Are there any that i could then take indoors and
> continue to nurse through the winter?

Might want to try rec.gardens.edible for gardening help. As many
smart gardeners there as there are smart cooks here. Probably more. "-)

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller
http://gallery.me.com/barbschaller/100072
-- a woman my age shouldn't
have this much fun!

Dave Smith wrote:

> Wim van Bemmel wrote:
>
>> Mint, you should plant it in a dug in old bucket with the bottom
>> removed. That keeps the plant in the bucket. Be aware of overhanging
>> branches, that could start new plants outside the bucket..
>
>
>
> I once made the mistake of planting mint in a garden. I could not keep
> it under control. I could go around it with a trowel and dig up all the
> soil for a foot or two around, but the damn stuff still kept popping up
> yards away. It is worse than a weed .... except that it is useful. I
> like mint with lamb, in yogurt sauce, and especially in Mojitos.

Blergh... Having been forced to ingest Emetrol - a lime/mint carb syrup
alleged to help stop vomiting, I can't even imagine drinking a Mojito.

On Sun, 8 Feb 2009 17:12:52 -0500, Nancy Young wrote:

> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> I once made the mistake of planting mint in a garden. I could not keep
>> it under control. I could go around it with a trowel and dig up all
>> the soil for a foot or two around, but the damn stuff still kept
>> popping up yards away. It is worse than a weed .... except that it is
>> useful. I like mint with lamb, in yogurt sauce, and especially in
>> Mojitos.
>
> I did the same thing, many years ago. Every spring I pull out
> most of it and it doesn't seem to mind at all. I like having
> springs for iced tea. At least it's rather pretty.
>
> I haven't had a problem with my oregano going nuts, either.
>
> nancy

i think you're intimidating those plants with your awesome mind powers,
nancy.

your pal,
blake

blake murphy wrote:
> On Sun, 8 Feb 2009 17:12:52 -0500, Nancy Young wrote:

>> I did the same thing, many years ago. Every spring I pull out
>> most of it and it doesn't seem to mind at all. I like having
>> springs for iced tea. At least it's rather pretty.
>>
>> I haven't had a problem with my oregano going nuts, either.

> i think you're intimidating those plants with your awesome mind
> powers, nancy.

You're right. I give them The Look and they obey. It's a
good power to possess. Heh.

nancy

On Sat, 7 Feb 2009 21:26:03 -0800 (PST), tintalle >
wrote:

>Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
>icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
>grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. Since we
>bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
>to plant things in! I was thinking about setting up a small herb
>garden.
>
>The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
>in my apartment. What would work well in a small plot outside, or
>even in a series of containers outside? Are there any that i could
>then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?
>
>thanks,
>tint

Hi tint,

Younger daughter planted 3 or 4 basil plants outside last year. Barely
tended it. A single leaf of that plant, brought inside and crushed,
filled the kitchen/dining room (14' x 30') with such a strong basil
fragrance that elder daughter couldn't stand being in the room. The
stuff made some outstanding pesto! Blend a piece of pesto about the
size of a pea with more olive oil and some butter, spread on bread,
broil. Heavenly!

This year I'm asking her to do basil again, as well as cilantro,
chives, and parsley. The plan is to till the soil thoroughly, plant
the herbs, and once they sprout cover the remaining area thickly with
mulch. No more weeding.

Best -- Terry

On Feb 7, 9:26*pm, tintalle > wrote:
> Spring is a long way away still here on The Rock, but after seeing the
> icky slime they have been trying to pass off as fresh herbs at the
> grocery lately it's got me thinking about growing my own. * Since we
> bought a house recently i will actually have some real dirt of my own
> to plant things in! *I was thinking about setting up a small herb
> garden.
>
> The most i ever tried before was basil indoors, and it didn't thrive
> in my apartment. *What would work well in a small plot outside, or
> even in a series of containers outside? *Are there any that i could
> then take indoors and continue to nurse through the winter?
>
> thanks,
> tint

I always have parsley, rosemary & sage- they all winter over well
here, so they just stay where they are year round.

I live in Southern NH, so I don't have a very long growing season. My
perrenial herbs are chives, garlic chives, oregano, marjoram, thyme,
lemon thyme, mint, spearmint, and lemon balm.

From seed re-planted each year I get basil, and dill. They both grow
very quickly. I usually get one potted basil to get a head start on
pesto. I was devastated this year when NH had a severe ice storm in
December and we were without power for a week. I lost all of my frozen
home made pesto.

From purchased potted plants, lemon verbena, and rosemary.

Most things are in the ground, but a few are in pots around the pool.
The heavy pots are on casters so I can roll them under the deck canopy
if there are too many rainy days in a row. Everything wants hot direct
sunlight. I give the whole herb garden a fresh dressing of home made
compost each spring.

I have a hard time wintering plants in the house, but this year my
little rosemary is hanging in there.

I also grow lavender, yarrow, comfrey, calendula, catnip, catmint, and
chamomile.

Denise

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:49:53 -0800, sf > wrote:

>Hubby is even talking about hardscaping a good part of the front yard
>because the coming drought is serious. It would be nice to have an
>enclosed courtyard, but I worry about safety issues so I prefer to
>have the house front exposed to the street. IOW, I don't know what
>I'm going to do about the landscaping

Grow an oregano hedge.

Carol

--
Change "invalid" to JamesBond's agent number to reply.

On Sun, 8 Feb 2009 17:12:52 -0500, "Nancy Young"
> wrote:

>I haven't had a problem with my oregano going nuts, either.

I planted one tiny potted plant, and after two years, it was a bona
fide shrub (we've since moved, so I don't know how big it is now, or
if it's even still there).

Fortunately, my rosemary died during the first winter, so I didn't
wind up with a huge shrub of that stuff. I have discovered that I
can't stand rosemary.

Carol

--
Change "invalid" to JamesBond's agent number to reply.

On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:44:09 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>bulka wrote:
>
>> I would be so happy to have mint, dill, cilantro, parsley, basil take
>> over huge patches of lawn. That was the plan. Last year, my first
>> attempt from seed, I got nothing. Maybe because I have a lot of
>> clay.
>
>My sister in law planted thyme in the front yard at her chalet. It is a
>nice green colour and never needs to be mowed.
>Granted, she is a bit of a whacko, but this is one thing she had done
>that makes sense.

Thyme smells wonderful when the leaves are crushed underfoot. Lemon
thyme is also very nice. And the plants have pretty flowers for part
of the year, too.

Carol

--
Change "invalid" to JamesBond's agent number to reply.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:35:46 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:

>On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:49:53 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>>Hubby is even talking about hardscaping a good part of the front yard
>>because the coming drought is serious. It would be nice to have an
>>enclosed courtyard, but I worry about safety issues so I prefer to
>>have the house front exposed to the street. IOW, I don't know what
>>I'm going to do about the landscaping
>
>Grow an oregano hedge.
>
It gets tall enough to be a hedge? I could grow rosemary into a
hedge, but I already have a boxwood hedge so I'm all hedged up.



--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:49:06 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:35:46 -0600, Damsel in dis Dress
> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:49:53 -0800, sf > wrote:
>>
>>>Hubby is even talking about hardscaping a good part of the front yard
>>>because the coming drought is serious. It would be nice to have an
>>>enclosed courtyard, but I worry about safety issues so I prefer to
>>>have the house front exposed to the street. IOW, I don't know what
>>>I'm going to do about the landscaping
>>
>>Grow an oregano hedge.
>>
>It gets tall enough to be a hedge? I could grow rosemary into a
>hedge, but I already have a boxwood hedge so I'm all hedged up.

Mine was knee high after just two years, and I started with one of
those TINY potted plants. You could make a maze in your yard, using
all herbs.

Carol

--
Change "invalid" to JamesBond's agent number to reply.

"Damsel in dis Dress" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 08 Feb 2009 15:49:53 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>>Hubby is even talking about hardscaping a good part of the front yard
>>because the coming drought is serious. It would be nice to have an
>>enclosed courtyard, but I worry about safety issues so I prefer to
>>have the house front exposed to the street. IOW, I don't know what
>>I'm going to do about the landscaping
>
> Grow an oregano hedge.
>
> Carol
>
>
Oregano <in the general sense> would make a decent hedge. Cuban Oregano
however, spreads out while it grows-defeating that purpose.
Cuban Oregano smells great, but is a bit difficult to cook with unless you
use a spice bag. It has thick leaves that do not freeze or dry well.
Probably better as a potpourie<sp>.