Now that spring and summer are upon us, there is no better time to consider planting a garden than the present. While gardening in Oklahoma can be overwhelming, an herb garden is a manageable and rewarding place to start for novices and experts alike.
Why an Herb Garden
Herb gardens are a fabulous way of growing ingredients that you can use in everyday food and drinks. Depending on what your personal preferences are, you can easily tailor the herbs you pick to your preferences, all while saving money on buying fresh herbs from the grocery store. Additionally, herb gardens are versatile in that you can grow them both indoors and outdoors. Lastly, herbs tend to be beginner-friendly and, generally speaking, don’t require much care.
Where to Purchase Seeds or Seedlings
In Enid, there are luckily a lot of places where you can purchase seeds or seedlings. Personally, I love the affordable selection at Plants-A-Plenty where they sell a variety of seeds year-round and herb seedlings in the spring. In March, I purchased some rosemary, thyme, mint and oregano seedlings and then grew starters at home with seeds leftover from the previous year.
I’ve had success with them, and I recommend following the instructions on the back of the seed packets or plant label. Note that since mint is an aggressive and invasive species, plant it separately from your other herbs.
Where to Plant Your Herb Garden
One of the biggest perks of an herb garden is that you can plant it indoors or outdoors depending on time of year, sunlight and the size of the garden. If you decide to plant your herbs outdoors, using a large pot or raised garden bed with proper drainage is a great option. If you are planting indoors, utilizing smaller sized pots with drainage that can be easily moved from kitchen counters to windowsills is ideal.
Finding the right container to plant your herbs does not need to be expensive. Saving glass sauce jars or vegetable cans to use as containers is a great eco-friendly way of extending the use-life of those items. Park Avenue sells items that make creative planters and happens to be where I purchased two small stainless-steel bowls that I will use to grow herbs on my kitchen counter.
Ideas to Use Freshly Grown Herbs
Once your herbs are ready to start harvesting, there is no better feeling than incorporating them in classic favorites and new dishes. This season, I am most excited to use the rosemary we grow to create infused olive oil that can be gifted and used to cook steaks or as dipping oil. I also hope to make our own dried Italian seasoning blend with oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil.
Regardless of what you select to grow, there will be no better feeling than the act of slowing down to savor the simple pleasure of adding fresh herbs into a recipe and sharing it with a loved one.
