Want to get started growing herbs but don’t have a lot of space? Why not try growing an herb garden in a basket?
Are you ready to start growing herbs? Short on garden space? Planting an herb garden in a basket could be the answer! By using a basket as a container for your herb garden, you can have fresh herbs right at your fingertips!
I’d love to show you how to create your own portable herb garden! I’ll recommend a few herbs and give you tips on how to care for them. Are you ready to add some greenery, flavor and fragrance to your life by growing herbs? Let’s get started!
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How To Create An Herb Garden In A Basket
Creating an herb garden in a basket is very similar to the concept of a European dish garden. What exactly is an European dish garden? By definition, a European dish garden combines green and blooming plants. The secret behind this concept is in the way it is put together and what types of plants are used. The plants are left in their individual pots and grouped together in a single container. Leaving the plants in their individual containers and arranging them in the basket is a great time saver!
Choose A Basket For Your Herb Garden
The first step is to choose your basket. You can use any type of basket you want: wicker, wire, willow, metal or even plastic. Please take into consideration where your finished basket garden will be sitting. The basket will most likely not be water tight, you will want to add a liner or something that will catch the water so it doesn’t leak out and make a mess.
For my herb garden in a basket, I picked out this medium sized basket that will hold at least three plants.
To protect the basket, I lined the inside of the basket with plastic wrap. I will also place the herbs I choose in speed covers before adding the plants to the basket. Speed covers are made of either foil or treated paper so that water doesn’t leak out of the plants.
Select Your Plants
When you are choosing which herbs to grow in your basket, here are a couple of things to keep in mind. Consider which herbs you use most often in your cooking. This will help assure that you will use the herbs you are growing.
Herbs require certain things to thrive. Adequate sun is one of these things. Some herbs require more sun than others. You will want to choose herbs that have similar light requirements. Some herbs, such as basil and parsley, prefer full sun, while others, such as mint and chives, can tolerate partial shade. The beauty of planting your herbs in a basket is the ease in moving your basket garden to a different location .
You will also want to consider how large the herbs can grow. Some varieties of certain herbs, such as rosemary and thyme, can grow quite large and may not work in a small basket garden. You can either choose varieties that may not grow as tall or select smaller herbs, such as basil, parsley, and chives.
Because I like to sometimes break my own rules, I’m going to use rosemary, a scented geranium & lemon balm in my herb basket garden. These three plants are herbs that I consider to be “dessert” herbs. To learn more about dessert herbs, please see this post: How to Create A Dessert Garden
A Little Info About Each of The Herbs
Rosemary is considered a tender perennial. In most areas of the country, it grows better in pots rather than planted directly into the ground. In the right climate ( parts of California for example), it can grow to be 6 feet tall. Most of us will need to be happy with smaller plants, usually 1 to 2 feet tall. Rosemary resembles an evergreen tree with its long, fine needles. Rosemary requires soil that drains well. A few winter hardy varieties have come on the market over the past several years.
Rosemary is a very fragrant herb. It has a strong , pronounced flavor that doesn’t blend well with many other herbs that may be used in desserts except for lavender. Rosemary will add sweetness to fruits without the addition of added sugar. Fresh rosemary is preferred over dried when used in cooking, primarily because the dried leaves are very tough. If using dried leaves, be sure to mince them very finely. The stems of the rosemary plant can be dried and used as skewers with fruit or meat kabobs.
If you were to ask me what my favorite herb is, the answer would be scented geraniums. My love for scented geraniums is where this madness oh I mean my wonderful journey started! The background pertaining to my discovery of scented geraniums and the path that it took me on can be found here:
I can talk for days about scented geraniums! Scented geraniums are known for the scent in their leaves. They normally have very tiny flowers. The flowers are edible though. In all honesty, the scented geranium I am using in my herb garden basket is actually a citronella scented geranium and would not be used in dessert or any cooking. It was the only variety I could find at the greenhouse (aka the hardware store) today! It would, however, help keep the mosquitos at bay!
Scented geraniums are also considered tender perennials, meaning they will need to be brought inside for the winter in most areas of the country. They can be planted directly in the ground and then dug up in the fall or planted in pots that are then planted in the ground. I prefer this method if I am going to plant the scented geraniums in the garden. Around the middle of September, simply pull the pot out of the ground. Let the plant adjust to being out of the ground for several days before bringing it inside to spend the winter. You will want to wipe off the pot and make sure the plant hasn’t become root bound over the summer. Scented geraniums can grow to 2 feet tall so they would be a good candidate for the middle of your dessert garden.
There are many flavors of scented geraniums available. They are more widely available on line or at specialty greenhouses. For your dessert garden, you want to consider the lemon, rose, spice or mint flavored ones. The pungent scents such as pine, apricot or citronella are not suitable for culinary use.
Lemon Balm is also known as Melissa. It can grow to a height of 2 feet and should be planted in the middle of your herb garden. Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family. Fortunately, it doesn’t spread quite as rapidly as other members of the mint family but you may want to contain it in some manner if you decide to plant it directly in the ground.
The leaves of lemon balm can be used either fresh or dried. Lemon Balm does have a very delicate lemon flavor. An easy way to use lemon balm is to snip leaves that have been washed off and dried with a paper towel over fresh fruit. Two teaspoons of minced leaves for every one cup of fruit would be the correct proportion of herbs to fruit.
Ready to “Plant” Your Herb Garden In A Basket
Planting your European dish garden style herb basket is so easy! After you have picked out your herb plants and covered them with a speed cover, you simply place them in the basket! How easy is that?
Since the rosemary is shorter, I placed it in the front of the basket.
The lemon balm and scented geranium plants went in next.
Once you have the herb plants in the basket, you are ready to place it in a bright location so that it will receive adequate light.
Care of Your Basket Garden
Caring for your herb garden basket is relatively carefree! In addition to proper sunlight, herb plants need water! Most herbs prefer to be kept moist but not so wet that their roots get waterlogged. You will want to water the plants when the top of the soil in the individual pots looks dry. Try to avoid letting the soil completely dry out.
A spray bottle filled with plain water can be used to mist the leaves of your herbs. This helps prevent pests.
A slow-release fertilizer can be used to help provide the herbs with the nutrients they need to thrive. Simply follow directions on the package of fertilizer. I like products by Miracle Grow and Proven Winners but there are several others on the market.
As your herbs continue to grow, you may need to transplant them into a larger pot. When potting or repotting herbs (or any plant actually), always choose a high-quality potting mix. A potting mix that contains peat moss, perlite and vermiculite will be perfect for your plants. It’s very important to avoid using garden soil, as it can be too heavy and may contain pests or diseases.
Regularly harvest or prune your herbs to encourage new growth. Always use sharp scissors or cutters that have been sterilized before you use them. I just wipe the cutting surfaces with a towel or cloth that has rubbing alcohol on it. Carefully snip the tops off of the herbs, leaving at least a few inches of growth on the plant. The herbs can be used fresh in your cooking, or you can dry them to use later.
Creating an herb garden in a basket is a great way to get started growing herbs. This type of gardening requires a relatively small investment in time and materials. This allows you to experiment to see which herbs you enjoy the most. It is a very low risk way to get started growing herbs.
From using them to make herbal condiments to crafting your own tea blends, there are so many ways to use the herbs you have grown and harvested! Learn how to make herbal honeys, sugars and vinegars! Lavender sugar is so simple to make! All you need is dried lavender and some sugar! A delicious salsa! This has to be the prettiest dish I have ever made! A refreshing way to introduce fresh herbs in to your Iced Tea! A flavorful blend of dried herbsCreative Culinary Ideas For Using Herbs from Your Garden
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I had never heard the term dessert herbs before so this was a good read for me! I do have rosemary which i love and now I think I would like to try the lemon balm;)
I like to think I coined the phrase “dessert herb” but I probably didn’t! thanks for reading!
Great info to know about herbs! I’m featuring you at tomorrow’s #HomeMattersParty. Hope to see you drop by to take a look. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Allyson! I am honored to be featured!
My oh my Kim, you have so many wonderful gardening tips. My mother grows lemon balm in her backyard, and it always smells so divine. I like to rub the leaves between my fingers and smell the lemon on my fingers. I need for you to come and set me straight on gardening and flower beds. The beds in the back are bare!
Thank you , Cara! Lemon Balm is so wonderful, isn’t it? I would love to come and help you get your garden started!
Such and interesting post, Kim. I had not idea about scented geraniums! Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About. I’ll be featuring you at this week’s party! Pinned!
Thank you so much for the feature! I absolutely love scented geraniums! I am glad you learned something new!