We are still waiting for rain.
While the Ventusky weather App promises rain for Sunday morning, I won’t hold my breath. The surrounding countryside is burned to a crisp due to a lack of water, and it’s only thanks to the weather Gods that last week’s winds blew from the north, making the massive wildfire rage south instead of in our direction. We were lucky. Today we have southerly winds.
This week, my Six on Saturday gardening post focuses on my pathetic attempt to grow herbs in pots. That said, they have fared better than those growing directly in the soil.
Basil
My last pot of supermarket-pregrown basil lasted for over a year. Its recent demise was due to a plague of hungry green caterpillars. The basil is situated in a shady area on the terrace. Well watered to the point that the soil is always damp. I used a general-purpose compost.
This is my latest purchase. I do love basil with tomato and mozzarella cheese salad.
Dill
I love fresh dill with salmon. This plant is growing in a secluded area on the terrace. Unfortunately, it does not enjoy much sun, so it is leggy, but I have enough for my needs. Dill requires FULL sun to thrive well as per https://www.picturethisai.com/care/sunlight/Anethum_graveolens.html
Lemon Thyme
Lemon Thyme is one of my favourite herbs. I add it to salads, including fruit salad. When I bought these plants, I placed them in the Madagascar cactus palm pot for safekeeping. This was not meant to be their permanent home, but for some reason, they thrived; their roots grew through the bottom of the pots and took hold.
This was about my sixth attempt to grow lemon thyme. Each one a fail. I don’t know why these adopted the cactus palm. It thrives in full sun. Water? I have no idea because it shares with the palm, and I mostly ignore both, leaving the irrigation system to its own devices with the occasional top-up.
Mint
Mint is meant to grow anywhere, yes? Sun or shade. It’s invasive and hardy. But mine struggles. Mint refuses to grow in the ground, so I try to persuade it to grow in pots. The plants cling to life. These plants are growing in semi-shade. We love mint sauce with lamb and mint tea. I wish I could grow more!
This mint was growing in full sun, and the leaves shrivelled.
Chives
My efforts to grow chives met with limited success. I grow them in semi-shade. Checks: https://www.thekitchn.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-growing-chives-220337
No wonder they are not thriving; I should be growing them in full sun. (goes off to move the pot) Unlike the dill, these pots are movable.
Herbs Growing in the Ground
My herb garden is a miserable excuse. Even mint refuses to grow, and that is purported to grow anywhere.
Erm… apart from the Rosemary bush, which is about fifteen years old and given to me as an established plant, herbs don’t seem to thrive well in my herb garden, and I have no idea why! Maybe I should give it another shot. I’ve now included on the irrigation system. And will ask my garden gnome to dig over the bed and add manure, etc to feed the soil.
Which herbs do you have most success with?
Related posts:
My thanks to our gardening host, Jim for motivating the Six on Saturday garden bloggers
Piglet in Portugal 
Oh to be able to grow basil outdoors! Mine has to live in the greenhouse or, from September onward, on the kitchen window-ledge where it seldom lasts more than 7 or 8 weeks! The Lemon Thyme plant looks healthy & happy where it is.
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Hi Catherine, I’me unsure if the basil will remain outdoors once the night time temps dip to single figures. Last year I kept it in a tray of water on my window ledge. We will see. Yes, the lemon thyme is healthier for me neglecting it.
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Herbs – for me, all in ground. I have excellent success with chives, french tarragon, thyme, and dill which self seeds freely – I pull it where it interferes with my plans, but I really love the softness that the masses of flowers adds to the spring garden, and it is a host for black swallowtail butterflies. In spring, my salads have smoked salmon and dill. I have cilantro, but it bolts early, so I have limited amounts of fresh, but I harvest some of the seeds for cooking. Recently I have let basil self seed with amazing results. I need to make some pesto this weekend to make use of more of it. Oregano is a beast, but I grow it for the pollinators – it is not flavorful grown in my soil and climate. I think the best should be classic Mediterranean herbs for your soil and climate, but pots can allow the roots to heat up too much and they probably need watering every day. Much of what I am growing is in clay heavily amended with woody mulch/compost/manure. I guess your soil is more lean? I could not grow french tarragon in Seattle to same my life – the soil there was maybe too rich and acidic? Here it is more basic if anything, a lot of limestone. My mint is in a space designed to hold it in check, so I don’t have as much as if it were in a prime location, but I get enough for my needs.
Good luck! As long as you have some success, it is worth it!
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Wow, it sounds you have herb growing down to a fine art. Our soil is thin and sandy and dries out quickly. The pots do heat up quickly so I try to put the plastic pots in display pots. But that doesn’t always work. You have reminded me I need to get some French Tragon seeds..
I am not keed on the strong prefume taste of the coriander we have here but I do like the seeds in soups. The bees do love the flowers of many herbs …
Yes, a little succuess does motivate me as I continue to experiemnt. Thank you for stopping by
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It is always interesting to see the herbs people grow, and to hear how they use them.
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Hi Noelle, thanks for topping by. which herbs do you use?
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I have a large bay tree, and use its leaves in many ways, Rosemary, sage, thyme etc You have inspired me to write up about my herbs on SOS sometime soon.
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Hi Noelle. thanks for stopping by. I would love a bay tree. Have looked at them a few times in garden centres but they are very expensive. I look forward to reading your SoS post on herbs. Do send me a link as I don’t always get around to reading all the SoS posts despite my bet intentions
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I hope you get some rain soon. I’m glad the Lemon Thyme found a place it likes – plants are funny things. Stay safe.
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Hi twoel, yep, plants are more fussy than humans at times. 🙂
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Years ago, I grew potted herbs one summer and they all did well. I only tried it the one time, but now, thanks to your post, Carole – I have a hankering to try them again (when we get back to south Texas).
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Hi Terry, I am pleased to have inspired you to try to grow hers again. Can you start a herb garden in TExas or would they not survive while you are away?
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They wouldn’t survive the extreme summer heat, Carole, and I don’t want to bother neighbours to tend them for us. I think a trial of a few pots will work over the winter months there. I’ll definitely do a post or two if I get some going.
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Hi Terry, I thought the extreme heat would be problematic if you are not there to tend to them.
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Fingers crossed that your basil survives the lack of water and the heat. Otherwise, you’ll have to eat the tomatoes and mozzarella without basil… What a shame!
I didn’t know about the plant that produces dill. Thanks for sharing. Otherwise, my chives are in full shade and they wilt when it’s too hot or they lack water. Rosemary works well here, mint, tarragon, and chives all thrive in the shade, while bay leaves thrive in full sun. Coriander works well as a semi-annual, and basil might be the one that struggles the most to survive the summer.
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Hi FRed, the herbs are certainly a challenge! You remind me I need to buy more coriander and parsley.
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Most Mediterranean herbs prefer a sunny site with free-draining soil, adding grit to the planting position to improve drainage. (Marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, lavender.) Whereas chives, mint, lemon balm can tolerate damper soil and light shade.
I grow all my mints in containers and in semi-shade and keep them well watered.
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Hi Jude,there seems to be a knack in keeping the sun loving herbs happy. Too much or not enough water seems to be the bane of my life. The Rosemary and lavender in the ground survive without barely any water I think because the roots are well esablished whereas the small plant just frizzled. Maybe if the oregango and thyme get established root system over the winter they will stand a better chance next summer
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Basil is my favourite herb. Seems I have something in common with your caterpillars!
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*laughing* it did not take long for the caterpillars to munch their wasy through. I thought I’d picked them all off and fed them to the birds…
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Oh, gosh! We have been in drought, too, but not as extreme as what you have endured. Some wells are having trouble—not ours, fortunately—but everything is not burned to a crisp. Two days ago, we got two blessed inches of rain. October is usually a rainy month, and I hope we get some more.
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Hi LAurie, it certainly has been a long, hot summer. Sounds like you have been lucky with your well. I would be doing a happy rain dance with two inches of rain. I never thought at the beginning of the year when it seemed to rain none stop would I be wishing for rain.
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Same happened in Maine. A very wet spring and then drought. Funny how our weather patterns have been similar even though an ocean separates us.
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Yes, it is strange they are similar to some degree but I am relieved we don’t have snow!
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And for me, no snow in the winter would be just plain weird. 😉 I guess we both live in the right places.
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