When it goes right, you can’t beat it! Some herbs are just like that. All you need to do is put them out and make sure that your plants get sunlight and plenty of water and your herbs will do the rest.

Here’s a list of herbs that once you plant them and get’em going, they will take care of themselves:

  • Borage: Boil the leaves to reduce the chewy texture, because without this, the long, wooly and prickly leaves are not easily digestible. If you cultivate your borage plant in dry, dark soil and give full sun, you’ll have blue or purple star-shaped blossoms in no time at all. Start your seeds in early summer and by Independence Day your herb will have grown to up to two feet tall.
  • Caraway: The leaves of this biennial are a lot like the foliage of a carrot during the first year. When the second year comes around, white or pink flowers that sit in umbrella-shaped clusters replace the carrot-like leaves on one to three foot stems. Give your caraway plant full-sunlight and also make sure it has well-drained earth for the best outcome. Since this is a biennial, you can sow seeds outdoors in spring or fall. Since caraway is a self-seeder, you can let the dead blooms fall to the ground and you will not have to reseed it for the next growing season.
  • Dill: This fast-growing herb with thin, fern-like leaves loves well-drained soil and full sun. Don’t let your herb get more than 3 feet tall before you begin using it in your meals; you can start harvesting once your dill reaches a foot. Dill is great for bouquets because of its pretty, yellow umbrella-like heads, which can also be used as a seasoning. These will thrive well from seed and because this plant grow fast you will not need to start the germination process in advance.
  • Fennel: The adult version of fennel looks a lot like dill, but its licorice taste is nothing like dill. If you sow your seeds in early summer, you’ll have a full-grown, 4-foot-tall plant in just a few weeks. Your plant will do best if you plant it so that it will get full-sun with well-drained soil. Don’t forget to harvest the delicious seeds! You will want to harvest them before they go fully brown. Dry the seeds and use in baked goods, soups and stews.
  • Lemon Balm: If you like the sweet, lemony aroma of lemon balm, you will be happy to know that this perennial appreciates light, shady, well-drained soil. I like its heart-shaped leaves. Seeds take too long, instead start with a market-bought lemon balm and set it out in a pot or in your flower bed. Before you know it, you will be able to divide your lemon balm herb and replant the divided section in another spot. As a self-sower, lemon balm will quickly spread so give your plants plenty of space. If you want to stop self –sowing, pinch off all the dead flowers.
  • Sweet Cicely: This perennial likes light shade as long as you give it loose, rich soil. Add in organic compost and mulch to support sweet cicely’s development. Since sweet cicely is a self-sowing herb you will only need to buy the first couple of plants and it will take over from there.

If these herbs are not enough to get you going, you should try German chamomile and chicory.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Home Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.  

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