Growing my own herbs.

WantToBeSE

I'd really like to grow my own herbs but have no idea where to start.
I have a tiny kitchen with no space at all, so I would have to grow them in a hanging basket in the garden. Can I keep them outside during the winter?


Any help or advice would be great.

PenguinOfDeath

Assuming you mean herbs to cook with, not herbs to smoke...

In my garden I have outside all year Rosemary, Thyme (normal and lemon), Bay, Oregano and Parsley and have previously had mint and Sage and they all cope fine.

I've not had much success with Basil and Coriander outside all year round but that might be because my garden seems to be some sort of standing water magnet

WantToBeSE

Yes, herbs to eat
Thanks PoD, I think I am going to go to the library and get a beginners book on it.
My garden never gets any sun though, I presume this is a problem?

PenguinOfDeath

My back garden is North facing, the rosemary thrives in a corner which never seems to get any sun, the rest get sun in a morning in summer on the other side.

It might just be luck though, hopefully someone who knows what they're doing and don't just plant where it looks pretty will be along soon

SpikyHedgehog

Basil is too tender to keep outside all year - in Mum's old garden, her tender herbs died off each winter but most grew back in the spring. They were in the ground though, in a sheltered area of the garden. Plants need to be Hardy to cope in a hanging basket over winter, as they're not protected from frost at all. I'd either start basil again each year or keep inside.

PasturesNew

I had a plan to buy one of those supermarket pots and repot it. Then I spotted one, a Rosemary reduced to 20p from £1.50, so I bought it. And I intended ... and it sat there .... and I thought about it ... and it sat there. I knew the theory "remove from pot, remove any packaging inside the pot that would constrain the roots, dig small hole, plonk it in".... in the end it didn't happen.

Instead I: Pulled it out of the pot one random day, used a garden fork to dig out an inadequate hole, tried to cut away the packaging inside the pot by ripping it and gave up, plonked it (anyway) into the inadequate hole, shoved the earth round the base - realised hole wasn't deep enough, so used the fork to flick more soil at it ... watered it and walked away.

It seems to be sprouting/growing, 2-3 months on..... it's not died.

A visitor's dog pee'd up it though, so now I don't fancy cooking with it at any future point, ever.