Herbs are beautiful plants, versatile in the kitchen and easy to grow. There's few plants in the garden that are all three. We love growing herbs in our vertical planters. You can grow a variety of herbs from seed, starter plant and even cuttings. There are so many to choose from, so we though we'd share our favorites. Of course in the 5 Tier GreenStalk Vertical Planter there's room for 30 herbs so you don't have to narrow it down to only a few.
Keep reading to find out what our favorite herbs to grow are (they may surprise you!).
Basil
No garden is complete without basil. It grows great in the summer and takes really well to pruning - which is great because pruning is code for harvesting! We usually buy this one as a starter plant. We enjoy growing purple basil for some pops of color. Typically one pot that you buy at the store will have at least three plants growing in it so you can divide them and plant in different pockets. Basil loves full sun and is a great compliment to growing tomatoes, because well who doesn't like caprese salad?!
Rosemary
There are so many reasons to grow rosemary! First of all, it's a perennial so it comes back year after year (and in many areas it stays green year-round). This herb is super fragrant and well suited for vertical gardens. It has woody stems and grows easily. If you grow from seed it can take some time, so we recommend buying a starter plant for this one. When your rosemary starts to overtake your vertical planter, move it to the garden and it will be a beautiful accent to your in-ground garden.
Sorrel
I told you this list might surprise you! One of the most fun things about growing a garden is that you get to try edibles that you won't find at your local grocery store. We grow sorrel from seed and it's a perennial for us in zone 7. We love this conversation plant. It's gorgeous and unique, and Jack enjoys the flavor - but the rest of us are still on the fence. Either way, we love trying new (to us) plants.
Thyme
There are so many tasty varieties of thyme. My favorite is the lemon variety. It's super cute with yellow and green leaves and the plant grows well in my GreenStalk. I plant this one every year but in several areas it's a perennial so check your tags. Thyme is one of the most versatile herbs to use in the kitchen plus its dainty leaves adds a nice texture to your container garden. All around it's a win-win!
Lavender
Lavender is a multi-purpose herb. You can use it in the kitchen or make it into some soap or even just cut some and place around your house for nice natural fragrance. The purple flowers are beautiful in both the garden or in cut arrangements. This has been our trickiest herb to grow from seed, so we always buy starter plants. Another reason to grow lavender? It's a bee-MAGNET!
Mint
Even though this one makes our favorites list, it comes with a warning: IT WILL TAKE OVER. If you've ever grown mint, you know that it's easy to grow and hard to control. If you're planting mint in your GreenStalk Vertical Planter, make sure to devote an entire tier to this herb. But the good news is you won't have any trouble having a big harvest! Of course, mint smells amazing and can lend itself useful to a variety of dishes and arrangements. It's perennial and probably the easiest to grow herb on this list. Just be sure to plant mint on the bottom tier so it doesn't flavor the plants below!
That wraps up our favorites list. Herbs are fun to grow and they should be a part of any edible garden. Herbs are known to help keep harmful insects away from your vegetables and are some of the simplest plants to grow. Like most edibles, be sure to plant in full sun and water as needed. Only trim one-third of the plant at a time to keep your harvest bountiful. Mix and match your favorite herbs to create a fragrant and beautiful garden display.
What are your favorite herbs to grow?
Happy Gardening!
Cody Catherine Thomas
grow@greenstalkgarden.com
