Summer is right around the corner, which means you’re likely spending a lot more time outdoors participating in activities you love.
For many people, one of their favorite spring and summer pastimes is enjoying their home garden.
While there is a definite learning curve to home gardening, your hard work pays off in spades with money saved on groceries, the physical and mental health benefits, not to mention the variety of ways your produce can be used.
Most home gardens have some version of an herb garden as well, as herbs are essential for cooking and cleaning and some medicinal purposes.
If you’re wondering which herbs you should be growing in your garden this year, keep reading to learn the best and most useful herbs to grow at home.
1. Mint Varieties
While you have to be careful with mint as it can quickly overtake your garden (it’s quite invasive), it’s one of the easiest herbs to grow, not to mention its various uses.
It can also be an excellent aromatherapy tool, from garnishing cocktails to its numerous culinary benefits. Mint can soothe stubborn headaches and be a mood booster too.
2. Basil
Basil is an easy herb to grow and incredibly aromatic, making it enjoyable to produce as well.
While it’s primarily used as a culinary herb, basil is a rewarding plant to grow – it easily cultivates from seed and requires little care aside from watering and pruning.
Make sure you have the essential tools for gardening like sharp pruners for this plant as it grows quickly and can get rather large.
3. Calendula Flower
While Calendula is technically a flower, you’ll often see it in home gardens for its many uses. This plant has many benefits, from soothing burns to stimulating the immune system.
Not to mention its beautiful orange-yellow flowers are a sight to enjoy in your herb garden. While it would take a lot of practice to make your own Calendula oil, plenty of people do and use it throughout their homes for common issues.
4. Thyme
Not only is the Thyme plant beautiful, but it’s also delicious! While Thyme requires frequent watering, this cute herb has several varieties and can be cultivated year-round.
Thyme also makes for an attractive ground cover if you want to make a sustainable choice for that reason instead of just appearances.
5. Lavender
Who doesn’t love the relaxing scent of lavender? Lavender is easy to grow and requires little effort on your part to keep it thriving – not to mention it comes back year after year to delight your senses and your tastebuds!
While primarily used as an aromatherapy choice, lavender is edible, not to mention a pest deterrent. Lavender isn’t technically an herb but is commonly found in herb gardens for the reasons discussed earlier, as well as it helps protect the pollinators.
6. Rosemary
Perhaps the toughest of all the plants on this list, Rosemary is a must-grow in your home herb garden for several reasons.
While it can quickly overtake your garden if you don’t prune it back, this plant can tolerate virtually all harsh weather conditions and keep coming back year after year.
This fragrant herb is a delicious addition to your kitchen too. Be warned it can grow quite tall and wide, so you may opt to grow it in a container if you don’t want to deal with cutting it back constantly.
7. Oregano
Oregano is a distinct tasting herb used in a variety of dishes. While it’s not too tricky to grow, with its signature taste, it may not be worth it to you if you don’t cook with it often.
However, the plant has well-known and studied medicinal purposes and could be worth growing for those interested in natural medicine.
Oregano doesn’t require much water or attention, and the more often you prune it, the faster and fuller it will grow.
There are, of course, several other popular herbs that home gardeners grow, like Chives and Parsley. Still, the above-mentioned are not only easy to cultivate but have a variety of uses beyond the kitchen.
You can get the most out of your home herb garden by planning based on your household’s needs and gardening skill level. Happy Planting!
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