How to Plant a Raised Bed Herb Garden!

This will sound like a complaint but it’s not. We have a small yard…even by Southern California standards. That said, it’s perfect for this time in our lives. When we were younger with many little children we had a house with a big yard and we planted a large vegetable garden. Unfortunately with all the children and their activities we didn’t tend it like we should have and it became an eyesore. So we dug it up, planted sod and were done with gardening, or so we thought.
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A wicker basket filled with fresh herbs: How to Plant a Raised Bed Herb Garden! : Recipes Using Herbs

 

Thirteen years ago when we still had five kids living at home we moved to our current home with a mini yard. It wasn’t the most practical situation for a large family, but one by one the kids left for school, marriage and life. Now the yard fits the two of us perfectly. It’s small but pretty, lush and colorful with plenty of room and seating for entertaining and backyard BBQ’s. It also has a spectacular lake view. The irony is now that we have this tiny yard, we actually have the time and desire to garden. But as you can see it has very little room, if any, for a garden. And for 13 years I have let my self believe that. But not anymore. We now have a little raised bed herb garden, and I use those herbs for cooking almost every day!

A small but pretty yard with umbrella and patio furniture: Planting a Raised Bed Herb Garden

 

Why We Chose to Plant Herbs: Easy, Saves Money,Practical!

First, herbs are easy to grow, nutrient rich and add flavor to food. Second, I cook a lot…obviously…and a pet peeve of mine is spending 2-4 dollars on cut organic herbs at the store when the recipe I am making requires only a teaspoon or tablespoon and the rest wilts before I can use it all. Now I can walk into my backyard and cut fresh herbs, and only use what I need when I need it all spring and summer long. No waste!

Why We Chose a Raised Bed:

We have wild bunnies that come into our yard and eat whatever they like. So we decided to plant in an Earth Box Garden Kit that comes with wheels or a stand, but there are more decorative choices here and hundreds of other choices here. I used bamboo skewers and mini clothes line clips to label my herbs (affiliate links), but it’s totally unnecessary. I can easily move this planter about the garden, even placing it in the flower beds above existing plants and the bunnies can’t reach the herbs.

Planting a Raised Bed Herb Garden

 

Choosing a Container:

Choose your container, it can be a pot or multiple pots, a basket, or even a flower box. There is no wrong choice, just consider your needs and how many herbs you think you will use and plan accordingly. 

How to Plant a Raised Bed Herb Garden for Cooking!

Now Plant!

The next step is to choose your soil. My nursery recommended I start with organic planting soil or cactus mix and seedlings. Each seedling cost about the same (or less) than one bunch of cut herbs. Such a money saver! I planted the herbs we use most often leaving several inches of space between each plant, you can see they filled in nicely. Now if you are thinking “This is all very lovely but what would I do with all these herbs?” I have you covered! Links are provided below for recipes using each herb.

How to plant a raised bed herb garden for cooking!

 

What Herbs We Planted and Recipes To Use Them In!

Rosemary:

Rosemary grows like crazy in California and was already planted throughout my yard but I wanted to mention it because it’s a great source of Vitamin B6, calcium and iron and makes food taste great! For recipes using rosemary click here, here, and here.

Mint:

Mint smells heavenly, is a natural pest repellant, mouth and breath freshener and helps soothe nausea and indigestion. Click here and here for recipes using mint. Helpful hint: Mint has a tendency to take over. You may wish to plant it in a container of it’s own.

Oregano:

Of course oregano is a staple of Italian cooking but also contains: fiber, iron, manganese, vitamin E, iron, calcium, omega fatty acids, manganese, and tryptophan. Recipe using oregano here.

Thyme:

Thyme is a natural diuretic and as antibacterial properties! For recipes using thyme click here and here.

 

Cilantro:

Cilantro is staple of Mexican food and is a wonderful detoxifying herb used to remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body. Recipes: here and here.

Parsley:

Also amazing for it’s detoxification ability and is used as a garnish and breath freshener. Recipes: here, here, here, and here.

Sage:

Amazing in brown butter and tea this herb is a natural anti-inflammatory known to improve memory. Recipes using sage here.

Chives:

Chives are used to garnish many dishes and sometimes may replace onions in recipes. Chives contain allicin, an organosulfur that is being studied for its ability to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Recipes using chives: here, here, here, and here.

Basil:

Yet another aromatic herb used in Italian food that has anti-inflammatory benefits! Basil recipes: here, here, here and here.

Taking care of a raised bed herb garden is a cinch! I water it everyday, trim back as needed and that’s it! And it can pretty much fit anywhere, a small porch, an apartment balcony or a tiny courtyard.

How to Plant a Raised Bed Herb Garden! : Recipes Using Herbs

 

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