Five Tasty Herbs for Containers
The following five container plants can do double-duty in a small-space garden: Sage, spearmint, oregano, parsley and basil are herbs that can create a beautiful garden space on an urban balcony as well as provide fresh herbs for cooking.
1. Sage. Sage is a wonderful-smelling herb often used in medicines and in food dishes. Sage is a great addition to an urban kitchen garden for gardeners who like its smell (for a better smell, rub a leaf between your fingers) and who like to cook with sage. Sage’s flowers, which bloom in late spring or summer, are most commonly blue to purple, but some sage varieties can have pink or white flowers. This container plant grows up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and it can be pruned back to live in a large plant container. It is best to avoid cultivars if you are growing this plant for cooking. Sage cultivars are generally grown for aesthetic properties. This container plant grows well in the same container with rosemary, carrots and cabbage plants. Read more>>
2. Spearmint. Spearmint is easy to grow and does well in plant containers in shady balcony gardens. Mint leaves (fresh or dry) can be used in mint teas that taste great and aid in digestion (mint tea on a hot day is a wonderful refreshment). The spearmint plant has purple flowers that attract butterflies, wild birds and beneficial insects. Read more>>
3. Oregano. The variety of oregano used for cooking and flavoring dishes is Greek oregano. There are many varieties of oregano, and while others may be more beautiful to look at, make sure to purchase Greek oregano if you want to grow it in your kitchen garden so you can eat it. Greek oregano’s delicate purple flowers grow on spikes, but if you want to harvest your oregano for cooking, pinch these pretty flowers to promote more leaf growth that you will be able to harvest. Read more>>
4. Parsley. Italian parsley is an easy-to-grow herb that will do well in small plant containers. It can even be grown in very small containers in a kitchen windowsill herb garden. Although there are many varieties of parsley, Italian parsley is grown for use as a culinary herb. Curly-leaved parsley is often used as a garnish. Parsley is an easy container plant to grow, easy to harvest, and it tastes great! Read more>>
5. Basil. Sweet basil, which is the basil plant variety used in Italian dishes, is an aromatic herb that you can grow in plant containers in your balcony garden or inside near a sunny window. The sweet basil plant has beautiful shiny leaves that are delicious in fresh dishes! Read more>>
