The One Thing That'll Make Sunny Weather Even Better
Condiment: Five Faves: Apt2b.com's Mat Herman
Alys Fowler (above) says you can grow herbs anywhere, even in small pots in an apartment. Photo: Chronicle Books
If you're like me, you daydream about having a little kitchen garden. I like to think of myself snipping off a little sprig of rosemary to toss with some potatoes. However, I live in an apartment and don't have room for a full-on garden. I decided to check in with Alys Fowler, author of Garden Anywhere and a New York Botanical Garden-trained garden pro, to see if she had any advice for growing herbs in containers. Here's what she had to say:
What kinds of herbs can be grown in containers?
All herbs can be grown in containers. Mints, basils, coriander, parsley and chives are an easy place to start. Dill, fennel and caraway have long tap roots and grow very tall so you'd need deep pots -- 40cm+. Bear in mind, nothing does well in a pot if you don't love it, water it and feed it!
And what kinds of herbs can be grown indoors?
Basil, flat leaf and curly parsley, stevia, chives, coriander can survive inside, but all would prefer a summer outside. Basil is probably the easiest to grow indoors, as it likes hot conditions. Beware though, you have to watch out for aphid populations building up indoors/
Can you recommend a nice mix of herbs to plant for someone who is just starting out? And what's the easiest herb to grow?
If you have partly shady conditions (not full sun all day), try mints. Plus, mint is good for those who aren't good at loving their plants -- it's really hard to kill mints. Black stemmed peppermint is my favorite for tea; while ginger mint has pretty leaves. If you're in sun, try coriander and basil -- both are very easy to grow from seed. Lemon basil has a lovely taste and cinnamon basil is good in Asian dishes. Coriander is very easy to grow from seed.
Coriander (above) is particularly easy to grow in containers. Photo: Chronicle Books
Do you have any tips for growing herbs in containers?
Rosemary, thyme, French tarragon (don't bother with Russian tarragon -- no taste) need to be repotted every five years or so, while mints do best repotted with fresh soil every other year
What is the best type of container to use?
Chose a container with good drainage for herbs. Otherwise, be creative -- you don't have to buy plastic or expensive terracotta unless you want to. Metal containers can get very hot and very cold in winter.
Any other green thumb advice for herb gardening?
If it says it needs to grow in sun -- it does! If you over-water your herbs, you dilute the flavor.
