Planting and growing love an easy way to celebrate Mom
For Mother’s Day this year, consider giving Mom a gift that will last all year, a gift that requires what she wants most, your time and companionship. Spend a day planting an herb garden in a pot. No need for a big yard or a green thumb; a potted herb garden is perfect for those who have never grown a garden before.Herbs are easy to grow and are low maintenance plants requiring little more than five to six hours of sunlight per day and water when they are dry. Herbs are virtually disease- and pest-free and need only a little compost or organic fertilizer to grow profusely. Some herbs even prefer poor soil.
Begin with a trip to your local nursery or greenhouse. There you will find a host of plants to choose from for your new herb garden. You and Mom might choose plants that have special meaning to you, for instance:
Basil - Love
Bay - Fame
Chamomile - Wisdom
Chervil - Serenity
Chives - Usefulness
Dill - Good cheer, survival
Fennel - Grief, endurance
Lavender - Devotion
Marjoram - Joy
Mint - Refreshment
Parsley - Merriment
Rosemary - Remembrance
Sage - Wisdom
Santolina - Virtue
Savory - Interest
Scented Geranium - Happiness
Sweet Woodruff - Humility
Tansy - Hostility
Tarragon - Permanence
Thyme - Daring
Whatever herbs you choose, remember to choose herbs you will use because the more you pick them throughout the season, the more they will grow.
You’ll want a pot at least 20 inches in diameter to accommodate five to six different herbs. I prefer clay pots but plastic will do as well. I avoid glazed pots for herbs as they often contain lead. If you and Mom intend to eat the herbs, you’ll want to avoid lead. Be certain your pot has drainage holes. Cover the holes loosely with gravel or pieces of an old, broken clay pot.
Fill your pot with a good, lightweight, sterilized potting soil. Plant your new herbs with the taller ones in the center and the lower growing ones around the edges. If you are unsure of their final height, consult your nursery or greenhouse manager. They are educated and prepared to answer questions better than seasonal employees at stores that only sell plants during peak seasons.
Water your newly planted herbs, and within only a few weeks, you can begin using them in cooking, sachets, crafts or potpourri. You will know when it is time to water your herbs by sticking a finger an inch or so into the soil. If it is dry, it is time to water. Watering your potted herb garden more than once a day may be necessary when it is very hot.
Preserving herbs for later use is easy and economical. One method is drying. Herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley are the easiest to dry. Tie them into small bundles and hang them to air dry. Air drying outdoors is often possible; however, better color and flavor retention usually results from drying indoors away from direct sunlight. Basil, oregano, tarragon, lemon balm and the mints have high moisture content and will mold if not dried quickly. Try hanging the tender-leaf herbs or those with seeds inside paper bags to dry. Tear or punch holes in the sides of the bag. Suspend a small bunch (large amounts will mold) of herbs in a bag and close the top with a rubber band. Place where air currents will circulate through the bag. Any leaves and seeds that fall off will be caught in the bottom of the bag.
A day planting your potted herb garden with Mom will prove to be one you will both remember. Sometimes time spent together is the best gift we can give our moms on Mothers’ Day, whether we are young or not so young.