The Fab Five Herbs to Grow At Home

Do you love to cook with fresh herbs?

Herbs can turn something good you are cooking into something great. However, if you do not already have an herb collection, purchasing various herbs can be expensive, especially fresh herbs.

Today, we are going to talk about the fabulous five herbs that everyone should grow. Growing your own herbs will not only save you money, but it was also make your home smell beautiful.

Basil

The most common type of basil is known a basil or Italian basil. According to the Backyard Gardening Blog, basil is an herbaceous annual, meaning that they are green and leaf like and that you have to plant them yearly. It benefits to grown them in the home because they will most like last longer. Outside the home they may die off at the first frost. This herb is not troubled with pests and insects. Basil loves well drained soil and the sun while it is growing. Due to basil becoming leggy, you may have to cut, pinch or eat the terminal growth every so often. By doing that, you will keep your plant looking more bushy. Basil is full of antioxidants making it very healthy for you.

Parsley

The kind of parsley we are talking about here is the flat leaf parsley, and it is a great addition to so many dishes. Parsley is a biennial, meaning it get replanted every two years. This herb is wonderful because it grows so fiercely that you can harvest almost everything, and it will keep growing back. Like basil, parsley too likes to be in well drained soil and lots of sunlight. Here is a list of food that with the addition of Parsley can become mouth watering:

Thyme

Thyme is a perennial ground cover. Do not worry about it taking over your garden. It is safe to plant. It seems to grow best is rocky areas, between cracks and crevices and also like the previous two herbs, thyme likes well dried soil. Thyme is even tough enough to take some foot traffic. You do not have to worry about losing flavor if you chose to dry your thyme or allow it to age.

Mint

Mint is great for flavoring chocolate, shakes and deserts. With these hot summer days upon us, a cool cucumber salad with a dash of mint can hit the spot. There is a wide variety of mint such as spearmint and peppermint. Mint loves to be planted in well drained soil and needs lots of sun. It is great for growing inside or outside of the home. Mint is also a wonderful gift because it grows well. All you would need to do is divide the plant into several smaller pots. Those smaller pots can become the perfect gift. Also, mint is a perennial plant and only needs to be replanted every 2 years or so.

Rosemary

The Backyard Gardening Blog only gave rosemary a honorable mention, however, we included this herb into our Fab Five. Rosemary is not that hard to grow, and it is not that expensive. Rosemary is great for meat dishes such as stew and help makes a potato mouth watering. Rosemary is slow to grow and unless you live in a warmer climate, will need to be purchased every year because it tends to die every winter. However, if you live in the South, rosemary is a perfect herb for you to grow at home.

Growing your own herbs is a great way to save money and in this economy, who does not love to save money? While growing your herbs will save you money, it will also make your home smell great, and make you a better cook.  Make sure to come back on Friday because it is Rose Friday again and we are discussing the best way to water your roses.