Our 5 Favorite Herbs to Grow at Home
THE FARMHOUSE
One of my favorite things to grow in our garden is herbs! They’re hearty (read: hard to kill!), produce all summer long, and instantly freshen up any dish in the kitchen. If you’re new to gardening, or love to cook, they’re a great spot to start! Here are our 5 favorite herbs to grow at home…
We like to grow herbs outside in the garden from starts. For the past few years, we’ve kept one raised bed dedicated to herbs (plus one loan rhubarb plant). It’s easily the most poplar raised bed in the garden, getting used all summer long and well into the colder months too!
photos from our Farmhouse garden
When we first started growing herbs, I was surprised by how pretty they are. Many people actually grow herbs as decorative plants rather than culinary ones, and I can see why. Couple this with the fact that they’re relatively hearty and produce all season long, and it’s no surprise that herbs are some of my very favorite plants to grow!
Here are our 5 favorite herbs to grow at home…
Thyme is a small, attractive shrub that can be grown as a perennial in most climates. It’s native to the Mediterranean and thrives in hot, dry climates and sandy soil. The herb can be used fresh or dried. Bonus, it’s small flowers are pollinator-attractors and I love to use the flowering stems as decoration on cakes and in flower arrangements. Thyme can become woody and slow-to-grow after a few years, so we’re planning to divide our’s this spring to start new plants.
Rosemary is a fragrant shrub that we use as an herb and as a decorative bush in the garden (that smells ah-mazing!). It hails from the Mediterranean and can be grown as a perennial in warmer areas, often growing into a large bush. In mild Seattle, rosemary grew prolifically year round outside, but here in Eastern Washington, it needs to be potted and brought indoors to survive our cold winters. The leaves can be used fresh or dried and I especially love it in soups and breads.
Sage is a low-growing perennial plant with woody stems and downy leaves in a whiteish or grayish green color. The leaves can be used dry or fresh and add great flavor to soups, stuffings, sausages, and more. The plant is attractive and evergreen and is often used as a decorative shrub in the garden.
Oregano is a woody plant with small purple flowers and vibrant green leaves. It can be grown as a perennial in warmer climates, although even with our cold winters here in Eastern Washington I’ve found it comes back from year to year. The leaves can be used dried or fresh and we like to use them in pizza and pasta sauces and grilled veggies.
Basil is an annual herb that is grown for its flavorful leaves. The plant grows well in containers or in the garden and likes sunshine and well-drained soil. We’ve found that on extremely hot days, it likes a bit of shade as well. Fresh basil is one of those special summer treats and we love to use it on pizza, bruschetta, and in salads.
And here are a few things we’ve cooked with the fresh herbs from our garden…
