herbs for beginner

Hi I am a complete beginner to gardening. However, now want to start. I thought that I would take it nice and easy and start off growing a few herbs for my cooking. I was looking for advice on what herbs are easy to grow and are uses frequently in cooking. I thought that I could start with basil and things like that. I have looking into basil and there are several different types. All this is foreign to me how do I decide on a type.

Thanks
Calum

 

Hi and welcome to GC.

Basil is a fantastic herb, but in my experience its not the easiest to grow. Slugs and aphids love it just as much as people do it would seem, and it is not too pleased with British weather. Its great in a container on the windowsill where weather and pests aren't such an issue.

For outdoors, I'd go for Rosemary, which is very useful in the kitchen. Also Thyme. Both of which are resistant to many pests (in fact I read that the smell actually repels aphids). I've grown Coriander outdoors. That one really couldn't be much easier, although if it gets too hot and dry it just aims for the sky at the expense of foliage.

My latest personal favourite on the herb front is Nasturtium. Its so easily overlooked but it has to be the easiest thing in the world to grow, and its leaves can be used in salads, being slightly peppery in taste, or it can be added to cooked stuff in a similar way (but different flavour) to how you'd use Basil.

A lot of people chuck in some mint. You have to watch that one because it can take over a bit. I also grew Lemon Balm once, decided I didn't like it so dug it up, but not before it had set seed. That was a few years ago and now I have the stuff growing out of the gaps between the bricks in the patio, and everywhere. I even spotted some in my neighbour's garden and I know he never put it there because he doesn't like it

 

why are my figs small and late.
The name is brown turkey . pot grown in large glass house

 

Vineman - you might want to start a new thread on your fig problem - you'll get people responding who know specifically about figs then I have a couple of baby fig trees, but know nothing about them sorry :(

Basil -can't go wrong with it - but as Clueless says - it's a ****** to grow, it's really picky about it's condition. I tend to grow it on my windowsill, and have a few pots at different stages at all times. I use it alot as the whole family enjoys the taste.

For a bit of flavour in salads, or with seafood - can't go wrong with cilantro - just don't overpower - again, I grow this on the windowsill as it goes to seed very quickly outside.

Rosemary - can't kill it - just keep it on the dry side.

Thyme - I grow it but don't tend to use it from the garden as it's very spindly, attracts spiders.....so again, use the pot on the windowsill and replenish.

Chives - an easy grow (but keep it potted or you'll have it everywhere) - great on anything with sour ceam, mayo etc.

If you are just starting out with herbs, maybe a good option is to buy some of the potted ones in the grocery store - see what you use, and you can tend them on your windowsill right in the kitchen.

Mint I use a lot of in the summer (okay, mainly in the pimms and fruit salads) but again, only on the sill as it takes over in the garden.

I'd love to have a proper herb garden - but don't honestly think I would use the herbs as much as when Ihave them right there in the kitchen.....

 

I have me a small herb garden and have had success with all the above plants.

I would agree that basil is best on the windowsill inside, but grow it from seed. I have tried growing on supermarket herbs as suggested, with very little success.

Sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, chives and mint I found all very easy to grow, and nice little plants can be found for a couple of quid at the garden centre.

I also grew some corriander and fennel outside this year with very little effort. Both of these were used for their leaves in the summer, and I am now collecting their seed for use over the winter.

I didn't know about the invasive nature of mint when I planted it in a border. Take heed, shoots are still coming up 15 feet away from where it was, 2 years after i pulled it up !!!

 

Basil is incredibly easy to grow on the windowsill in a pot. I usually have at least 2 on the go, one fully grown and being picked and one growing ready to replace the other. A good tip when picking basil - do not take the tips and shoots but the leaves, thereby leaving it room to keep growing and prolong the plant.

As for variety, well, take your pick! They're all good.

 

Basil is great too. But there are many other herbs like rosemary, sages, mints, oregano, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley and savory. To plant herbs, you have to know what kind of cooking to you want to use.

Some of them have a strong enough of accent like, sweet basil, dill, mint, sweet marjoram, tarragon or thyme. Try to look for the time when you grow the herb. Whether it's annuals, biennials, or perennials.

Happy Gardening

 

Don't forget the lovage!!

A seriously under-rated herb - possibly little know here because it's not available dried.
One of the few herbs where one plant will keep you well supplied - you can keep picking handfulls all summer
Use in green salads or potato salads
Also in soups and casseroles
Use the stems to cook with fish like fennel
Collect the seeds and use in curries