I'm already ahead of the game on the basil. I bought 2 plants for $5, cut about $4 worth off the first day and they're already almost as bushy again as when I bought them. The rosemary has almost doubled in size in a month. It's like a weed. It must have needed reportting badly. I don't know if my sage is gonna make it, though.

Funny about mint. My mother grew it in the garden back in MA to garnish iced tea. It never spread much, but always came back the next summer. Maybe it takes a short season or deep freeze to contain it. Anyway, I appreciate the advice on that. If it's gonna go nuts, AL's the place for it.

Been growing veggies and herbs since I was a little kid. Here in Hawaii, annuals such as basil act like perennials and just keep growing all year round.

I am currently growing parsley, cilantro, basil, rosemary, thyme, and dill in my backyard and things are going well. I also have tomatoes and jalapeños growing.

Things tend to grow very well here up until mid-July then the heat starts taking its toll.

I look at my herbs about once a day or every other day just to make sure nothing has got a hold on them.

Recommendations for sage and rosemary varieties?
 

I have a tiny plot in a NYC community garden of 150 members, situated in the middle of a residential block, a wonderful urban oasis. Free fertilizer from the stable down the block! City gardening has a different set of challenges -- no slugs or deer, but pigeons, squirrels, and the occasional feral cat. And space -- herbs are the main things I grow because there's not enough space for greens or squash or melons. Also, tempting crops like beefsteak tomatoes tend to become missiles in nocturnal food fights :eek:. But I can buy fantastic tomatoes at the city farmers' markets, and my own fresh-picked herbs are a satisfying special touch.

I just cleared my plot of dead stems and weeds. The tarragon amazingly survived a second winter, but not the rosemary. The chives, which someone mysteriously planted 2 years ago, are full and tall already. I yanked out the overgrown sage to replace with a more compact type with smaller leaves. The mint, which spread from my neighbor's plot, has been severely pruned, and I also pulled out the so-called fraises des bois - with their paltry yield, bubblegum flavor and spreading habit they didn't earn their space. Lavender would be nice, but I've had no luck since my first healthy bush died a few years ago.

Now it's time for new stuff: seeds for basil, dill and cilantro; plants for parsley, maybe lemon thyme again (nice but spreads like crazy). Maybe something a little more oddball like shiso (though it didn't grow before) or epazote (though not sure I'd recognize it!). Maybe one of those salsa kits: onion, cilantro, husk tomatoes, jalapenos.

Would love recommendations for good replacements for the rosemary and sage. Spring is so busy that I usually end up buying plants at the greenmarket late in May, but I can order online if I know what I'm looking for. It's been so long since I have bought from Johnny's (they're wonderful) that they stopped sending their catalog!

Oh, and chervil! How could I forget chervil? Beautiful, lacey parsley-like leaves with a delicate anise-like scent. Easy to grow, too. An annual -- think I grew them from seed two years ago and got a self-seeded crop last year.

Chives are easy to grow and so with basil. And oregano too. :)

indoor garden?
 

I am thinking about a small indoor herb garden - sage, rosemary, oregano, ...

I found these two:

Indoor Culinary Herb Garden Starter Kit

Indoor Herb Garden

I'm not a gardener, do have plenty of sunlight, only want enough produce for one.

Input?

Sylvia

What timing. This was exactly my question when I went into this forum. I'm just about to start a new indoor herb garden. Haven't even thought too deeply about the details yet, but I'm thinking I'll not buy a kit but rather just some dirt and seeds. All good suggesations here and I'll let you know how it goes.

I've not used the second one on your list (looks fancy and space age) but I have tried the pellets that expand with water and you put the seed in it. I find them difficult to work with and inconsistant.

Personally, if you're going to grow indoor, buy the seeds and some clay pots. Get a great soil mixture and plant yourself from seed. And plant a bunch of seed in a decent size pot (IE: 5 or 6 sages, etc). Water and then see the sprouts. I think the kits like your first post have never worked for me.

I now just use wine barrels outside, cut in half and planted some from seed inside and some from the store early spring, then transplant.

Some friends of mine got busted for their herb garden :D

I'm on my third summer potted herb garden. The rosemary is indestructible - and huge after 2 1/2 years. We put it in the ground and it winters over just fine. It's not a harsh winter but temps can get down to mid teens overnight. The oregano and last year's addition, fennel, have done fine indoors over the winter. I added mint and if it hadn't been potted, it would have taken over the entire yard. Basil, parsley and cilantro are replaced every spring. Chives were a dud - probably didn't thin early enough. I think I'll add thyme and sage next spring. I'm also looking for garlic - I want to use it green in the spring.

BamaVol Jr got one of those $150 indoor greenhouse herb gardens and likes it but productivity is low if you're looking to cook a lot with herbs. He looks at my overflowing pots of basil and oregano with envy.

In the South/Southwest Rosemary and Sage are "Shrubs", with both not uncommon as landscape plantings. Rosemary can grow huge.

The left out herb... Mint - Basil's cousin and not just important for iced tea, mojitos and juleps - but a mainstay of Middle Eastern cooking. Grows best under the AC's condensate drain to insure permanent moisture, and Mint beds last for decades.

Thyme, easy to grow, and Mexican Oregano, more flavor and hardier than European breeds.

Flat Leaf Parsley and Cilantro are fairly bug resistant, but are unlikely to survive even Southern Winter outdoors.

Has anyone ever cultivated Lemon Grass? Sumac?

Those temps seem to be o.k. We had a very harsh winter (snow on the ground for weeks) and lower temps than usual. Together with the damp, it seemed to have killed off most of the rosemary in the city. The gardeners recommend wrapping rosemary up in bubble wrap to insulate them. Also took out every one of my french/spanish lavender though I don't like those that much.

Same here. In the past I’ve planted chives, parsley, oregano, basil, etc. but I just don’t seem to have the time to look after plants properly. My one basil plant is not doing so well right now. A good alternative I’ve found is freeze-dried herbs, especially in the wintertime.

i planted 5 kinds of basil, and 10 other herbs. you can put in a few peppers. also shallots.

before starting the herb garden season, plant various lettuces. by the time the lettuce is done, it's time to put in the herbs.