Growing your herbs in a vertical herb garden has many advantages. You can locate the garden near your kitchen so that it’s easy to cut a few sprigs whenever you need them. Plus, a vertical herb garden takes up less space and is easy to maintain.
You can grow a variety of herbs in your vertical herb garden. The most suitable ones are parsley, mint, oregano, thyme, coriander, and chives. You could also add basil and rosemary but you’ll have to keep these well-trimmed so that they don’t shade out the other herbs.
1. Growing Parsley In Your Vertical Herb Garden
Parsley has to be one of the most versatile herbs. You can add it to just about any dish and also use it extensively as a garnish. It likes to grow in full sun but can tolerate some shade. This makes it ideal to add to your vertical herb garden.
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There are two basic types of parsley, namely flat-leaf and curly leaf. Both are exceptionally easy to grow and don’t require any special care. Once you have it growing in your herb garden, you’re sure to find plenty of ways to use it in your kitchen.
In fact, you can throw some chopped parsley in almost any dishes that you cook at home. It goes well on top of grilled or roasted vegetables, in salads and soups and you can even make a pesto from it to use on pasta.
2. Mint Is Ideal For Growing In A Vertical Herb Garden
We all know that mint can be quite invasive in the garden. Therefore, it’s ideal for growing in the confined space of a vertical herb garden. It grows quite fast and is great for just cutting as you need it.
You can also find a few different varieties of mint that are easy to grow. There’s the normal peppermint but you can also get spearmint, apple mint, and even chocolate mint. If you love using mint in the kitchen, you could even have an entire herb garden dedicated to growing all the different types of mint.
We all know that mint goes really well with lamb but you can also use it to make a refreshing tea or add to homemade ice cream. You’ll find plenty of recipes that use mint, such as mint julep, mint chutney, and pea and mint soup.
3. Grow Oregano To Use In Tomato-Based Dishes
Oregano is another versatile herb that will grow easily in your vertical herb garden. It has a delicate flavor that enhances any tomato-based dish that you want to cook.
Oregano is also a great pest repellent and has numerous medicinal benefits as well. It’s lovely to sprinkle on roast potatoes or to add to chicken and fish dishes as well. You can even make a pesto with it.
4. Thyme Is A Herb That You Should Add To Your Herb Garden
This lovely, lush green herb is one that you definitely should be growing in your vertical garden. It’s extremely fuss-free and will delight you with its subtle aroma and lovely little flowers when it blooms. Thyme flowers are also good for attracting bees to your garden.
Thyme goes really well with chicken and fish and is perfect for flavoring your steamed or roasted vegetables. You can also add it to soups, stews, and casseroles. Thyme also pairs well with tomatoes, eggs, and cheese, so is ideal for adding to omelets or quiches.
5. Coriander Or Cilantro
Whether you know it as coriander or cilantro, this herb is the absolute favorite for Asian cooking. It’s extensively used in Thai dishes as well as many other styles of Asian cuisine. This herb does like a little bit of shade on hot days, so you can grow in the lower levels of your vertical herb garden quite successfully.
When harvesting this herb, bear in mind that not everyone likes it because some people think that it has a soapy taste. In fact, it has one of those flavors that people either love or hate.
However, if your family adores Asian cuisine, then you simply must have coriander in your herb garden. It goes great in curries and laksas. Pair it with some lime juice and make a nutritious and delicious pesto.
Interesting fact: Did you know that the people who think that cilantro tastes like soap, have a group of olfactory genes that enable them to detect the soapy-flavored aldehydes in the leaves? This is actually genetic, so members of an entire family may well love or hate the taste of this herb.
6. Chives Can Add Some Interest To Your Vertical Herb Garden
Adding some chives to your herb garden is a great way to diversify your cooking with their lovely, soft onion flavor. Chives are amazingly easy to grow and require very little maintenance. They also add a bit of color with their lovely purple flowers.
As a bonus, chives help to repel mosquitoes which is great if your herb garden is just outside your door. Plus, they can be added to any dish that you like to prepare to add a bit of extra flavor. They’re especially good when added to some sour cream to top your baked potatoes.
7. A Note About Basil And Rosemary
Both basil and rosemary are quite large growing herbs. Whether you add them to your vertical garden depends on the size of the garden that you’re going to create. Both of these herbs need a little more space for their roots to grow, so they may be a little large for different types of vertical gardens.
One way to overcome this is to plant each herb in a large pot of its own and place one on either side of your vertical garden. This means that you can still grow these aromatic herbs and have them available to add to your cooking.
Frequently Asked Question
Mint is best grown in its own space because it can become invasive. Fennel should not be grown next to cilantro. Plus, fennel and dill should not be planted together because they have a habit of cross-pollinating.
Most herbs will grow best when exposed to sun for most of the day. However, some herbs, such as parsley, mint and lemon balm can handle a little afternoon shade.
There’s no reason not to grow these two together as long as you’re aware that basil will need a little more water than rosemary does.
Final Thoughts
Growing herbs in a vertical garden is one of the best ways to have a range of fresh herbs available on a daily basis. Just remember to harvest them regularly so that you keep them nice and trim. This also helps your herbs to put on plenty of new growth.
