A Kitchen (Barrel Half) Herb Garden

This is the perfect size herb garden for city dwellers and/or beginners. If you have a balcony, deck or small porch this garden can work for you. It may not have all of the herbs you want, but it certainly will have the important ones to provide the fresh taste of herbs to enhance your summer cooking.

First decide which herbs you want to plant. Purchase small transplants from a nursery. Select plants without blossoms and avoid long, tall, leggy plants. Do not plant mint or dill (they tend to overtake the other plants) unless you use a separate barrel half.

For a pesto garden you may want to plant 8 sweet basil plants and 2 parsley plants. For a grilling garden, plant 1 rosemary plant, 2 parsley plants, 2 lemon thyme plants, 2 chive plants and 1 sweet marjoram plant.

A half barrel will hold 8 to 10 transplants, leave 2 to 3 inches between plants and if it gets too crowded, thin by pulling up entire plants to use for cooking. An all purpose garden should consist of 1 chive plant (perennial), 2 parsley plants, 1 rosemary plant, 2 to 3 basil plants, 2 to 3 thyme plants, 2 sweet marjoram or Greek oregano plants.

This will be a beautiful, fragrant garden, so be sure to place the barrel outside of your kitchen door or on a sunny deck by a window you can open.

You will need:

• 1 half barrel (sometimes referred to as a whiskey barrel)
• 4 bricks
• good quality soil or soilless mix
• 8 to 10 herb transplants

Drill 10 to 12 holes in the bottom of the barrel half. The holes should be one inch in diameter. If you do not have a drill, ask for help at the hardware store or garden supply store. They are often able to drill holes for a small fee.

Set the barrel on bricks, flat side down. This is necessary for good drainage and for air circulation.

Fill the barrel with soil, leaving 3 to 4 inches of top space. Press the soil down slightly.

Form a small hole and pour water into the hole. As you remove the transplants, gently pull the roots apart. Place plant in the hole, cover roots with soil and press the soil firmly around the roots. Plant chives close to the edge of the barrel as it gets pretty large and may drape over the edge by late summer. Plant taller plants like basil and rosemary toward the back of the barrel so they do not shade the shorter plants.

As plants grow, snip the blossoms from the center of the plants to encourage side growth. This will prevent tall leggy plants and you will be able to harvest leaves all summer. Feed and water often to encourage growth. Harvest herb leaves in the early morning before the sun is too hot. Hot sun warms volatile oils in the herbs and diminishes flavor.

Fresh Herb Butter

You may use unsalted butter, margarine or olive oil for this recipe. Spread on thick grilled bread slices or use to season raw, lightly grilled or steamed vegetables. Make small batches and be sure to refrigerate leftovers. Prepare at least a day in advance and use leftovers within 5 to 6 days. 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup olive oil) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh green sweet basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest 1. Wash herbs leaves under cold running water. Drain slightly and pat dry. 2. Use kitchen shears to snip to fairly fine pieces. 3. Mix herbs with butter or oil. 4. May use a food processor, pulse briefly or the mixture will puree and turn green. 5. Make a day or two in advance so the flavors can blend. Store in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature to use. Makes 1 cup

 

Early Summer 1998
Vacations and the Yard & Garden | Periodical Cicadas | Bronze Birch Borer | Moss Problems in Lawns | Bug Bites—Grubs Are Coming to Your Lawn! | Lawn Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Food Handling: Picnics, Barbecues and Outdoor Eating | In the Kitchen: Persuading the Public | Locally Grown: A Kitchen Herb Garden | Health Update: Gardening in the Summer Sun

Index | Feedback