You can think of herbs as culinary exclamation points or as the earliest magical in this era of earth. Chinese herbals date from as early as 5000 B.C., and medieval monks preserved herbal lore by writing it out and hiding it in monasteries during the Dark Ages. While in ancient times herbs were valued because of their religious and medicinal significance, modern gardeners grow herbs largely to spice up meals. Whatever your plan for herbs, then you can grow your own efficiently in window boxes or planters on a sunny patio or windowsill.
Measure your planters and mark their dimensions including length, height and width. Whether they are window boxes or planting boxes around the patio, then you will need to know how much space you have for herbs. Evaluate the sunlight the planters receive daily; most herbs need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun. In case your planters are outside, determine the temperatures that the herbs will have to confront during the coldest part of the year.
List every herb you use on your cooking during an entire month. Increase the list herbs you’ve always wanted to try. Carry the list with you to the garden shop and evaluate the alternatives. Select potted herbs whose containers fit nicely into the space that you have available. Glance at the tag on every plant to be sure you choose plants that thrive in your climate with the amount of sunshine available on your eyelids.
Alternatively, purchase seeds for the very best herbs on your record and buy a flowerpot or alternative container for every herb. Measure the pots to be sure that, when massed together, they fit to your planters. Fill the pots with a great potting mixture and sow seeds in accordance with package instructions. Keep the soil moist and the pots at a protected place out of direct sun until the seeds sprout. When the plants are 2 inches tall, then they are ready for the planters.
Move your potted herbs to your eyelids. If you could not resist buying pots that are shorter than the sides of the planter, place wood blocks beneath them so the herbs growing inside gets their share of sunlight. Water your herbs lightly and evenly; they require moist soil, not wet soil.
Fertilize basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and dill (Anethum graveolens) every three weeks with a balanced, flammable fertilizer. Do not feed the other herbs on your planter as fertilization will lead to stem and leaf growth at the cost of essential oils that provide the herbs their flavor.