Growing your own herbs is very inexpensive and is so rewarding. Once while we lived in an apartment, we grew herbs in a sunny kitchen window in little terracotta pots. They did surprisingly well! I'm happy to have some room in the soil to plant them now, as they really thrive that way.
My parsley remained alive over winter despite being covered snow for so many months. It has even doubled in size! I planted some sage and thyme as seen in the picture above, and I plan to grow chives and mint in a partially buried pot. (This is because these herbs tend to take over unless you take some measures to contain them.)
When the weather warms up, I will plant basil, oregano, and cilantro in the space in between my tomato plants in the larger vegetable garden. Basil in particular improves the taste of tomatoes. Did you know that it is advantageous to plant certain things near one another? This is called "Companion Gardening". Certain herbs and vegetables help one another by repelling pests or improving taste and growth. The reverse is also true, some herbs and vegetables should not be planted near one another. Here is a set of recommendations for companion gardening that I have collected from various sources:
*Borage deters tomato worms. It's also good for strawberries and squash.
*Catnip deters flea beetles.
*Chamomile improves cabbage and onions.
*Thyme deters cabbage worms.
*Sage helps rosemary, cabbage, and carrots. It deters cabbage moths, beetles, and carrot flies. Do not plant it near cucumbers.
*Summer Savory improves the growth and flavor of beans and onions. It discourages cabbage moths.
*Roses like garlic and parsley. (Garlic repels aphids.)
*Tomatoes like basil and parsley.
*Cabbage likes dill and sage, but NOT tomatoes.
*Carrots like lettuce and chives, but NOT dill.
*Radishes like nasturtiums.
*Asparagus likes tomatoes.
*Horseradish keeps away potato bugs.
*Marjoram improves the flavor of all vegetables.
*Mint improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes.
*Rosemary deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies. It's also good for sage.
*Do not plant basil near rue.
*Bee balm is good for tomatoes.
My tiny daffodils make me smile!
Happy Gardening!
Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
This post is a part of the Frugal Gardening 101: Busy Mom's Guide linkup. Click on the link for more gardening posts.
I LOVE those daffodils! (We gave "sweet William" to a new baby named William.)
ReplyDeleteLove your companion gardening tips! We try to incorporate that when I can remember! You've posted some I hadn't heard of, though.
ReplyDeleteI love the tiny daffodils! I'm not sure I've seen that variety. Question on the basil--will you plant them from seed in the garden? I had terrible luck getting them to start from seed outside (although I have done it twice inside). Just curious if you had any tips for that :)
ReplyDeleteI came back here as we are getting ready to plant an herb garden this year and I wanted to tell you something funny. Over the last 2 1/2 years, I have learned so much. I had never seen dill growing before. Anyway, I started buying tons of dill to put up pickles. After buying and canning most of my cucumber harvest, I discovered tons of dill growing in my front yard. It had been reseeding itself for over 2 years before I noticed it! I was able to harvest a ton of it, and plan to pull out about 1/2 of it this spring. It's taking over my yard!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that Marigolds discourage pests.
ReplyDelete