As the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” …or in my case, herbs. I’m better at growing herbs than flowers. 

Growing herbs is gratifying because you don’t have to be as attentive to them as flowers. Plus, you get to use the fruits of your labor! I cook what I grow, making it a fulfilling summer and fall hobby.

Several years ago, my husband decided to pull my herbs from their pots and plant them in the ground at the end of summer. Why not? I had nothing to lose. The plants caught on, and now I have an herb garden in my backyard that produces oregano, thyme, rosemary, camomile, lavender, and sage annually. I also buy herbs to grow in pots like basil, catnip (for Theo!), and parsley. 

Here are some things I do with my herbs…

-Cut them and put them in vases instead of flowers. They’ll make your kitchen smell so good!

-I dry and bottle them for cooking. I gather a bunch with twine and hang them to dry. Plus, they look cute! I often use my oven to dry herbs quickly. Just put them on a sheet pan in a 125-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until they’re dry enough to crumble and store in jars.

-We make lots of pesto with our basil! It’s fabulous.

-I use herbs in drinks to make them look fancy!

-Give them as little gifts. You can make lavender sachets, infused oil, or just put some in a decorative bag so your friends can use them fresh in their next meal.

If you’ve never grown herbs, you should! Buy one or two different ones and experiment. Smell them. Check the tag for the best place to grow them. Experiment with them. For only a couple of bucks, get into the dirt and enjoy the simple things in life!