Home Gardening - Starting small

Want to start a veggie patch but not sure where to begin? Start small with a few pots of herbs and build from there.

If you have a bit of space in the garden, even within your flower bed, plant a few herb varieties. They are very easy to grow, and many are quite long term plants so you don’t have to plant them every year, just give them a trim back and a bit of plant food. They are also very convenient, just pop out to the garden and pick what you need, and also this saves money and time, and reduces waste that you often get with store bought herbs. 

Try growing some rosemary, great with roast lamb, tarragon and thyme go well with chicken dishes, parsley either curly or flat leaf, the most popular herb variety used, and maybe some oregano and sage. 

More seasonal herb varieties that are easy to plant as seedlings or from seed include basil, dill and coriander. Now is a great time to plant these varieties for summer salads, pasta and fish dishes.

Mint is another herb that is easy to grow and is lovely in salads and even summer drinks, make sure you grow it in a pot on its own as it has a tendency to spread and take over a garden bed if planted in the ground.

Give fresh herbs a try in the garden, you won’t be disappointed!