Lizzard Loves Blue Sky Snow Covered Vail

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Herb Garden

I love my little backyard herb garden.

Lizzard Loves this backyard herb garden
I am trying (somewhat desperately) to banish my brown thumb for good. I use the anthem "Brown thumb; be gone!" as I scramble to keep my plants alive. This is the first year I've tried to grow more than one thing....last year I had 1 pot of basil; things have progressed from there.

Lizzard Loves this dill flower
This year I have tried basil, cilantro, dill, lavender, parsley,  and chives in hanging pots in the backyard. No, I did not start them from seed.....as much as I'd love to do that- I don't have the confidence yet. So far, I have killed the dill (except 1 wonderful little plant that I have let flower. I didn't have the heart to harvest any of it- it was a survivor! The rest of the plant died off when the spring in Chicago called to mind our winter of the Polar Vortex).


Lizzard Loves the first lavender harvest

Lizzard Loves chopped cilantro and happy basil


Lizzard Loves crazy chives and lavender





























I neglected the cilantro to the point that it went to flower & I chopped it all off. Unlike the dill who shares pot space with parsley (which is thriving), the cilantro shares with basil. I was willing to cut down the cilantro in favor of some delicious bruschetta and pesto in my future!! Chives & lavender cohabitate quite nicely, they are both getting along quite well.

I would LOVE any gardening tips or tricks you might be able to share in the comments! What do you grow? What works? A great friend told me to bring my herbs inside when the weather dipped below 55 degrees (this seems to have helped- except that poor dill!). I know I need to pick off the buds/flowers if I want the herbs to continue to produce deliciously. What else do you swear by for your herb garden? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!