Herbs glorify gardens with their fragrance and variety of color and texture. They bring a country feeling to a windowsill, even in a city condominium! With common varieties available to suit any need or garden skill, herbs are functional, yet beautiful in a hanging basket, on a lanai or patio.

Kitchen Gardens carries over 40 varieties of herbs, all of which are well-suited to southern climates during either a portion or the entirety of the year. 

What is an herb?

The Herb Society of America defines an herb as plants "valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal properties and coloring materials" though nearly every book, website or plant afficionado will have a variation of this definition, as the HSA definition covers nearly every plant under the sun!

What is the difference between annuals, perennials and biennials?

Annuals germinate, flower, seed and die in one growing season, regardless of their geographical location. 

Perennials live for at least three seasons and while this category includes many herbs it also includes plants such as shrubs and trees.

Biennials live for two growing seasons: they germinate and form leaves in the first year and then flower, seed and die in the second season. 

Herbs in containers!

Growing herbs in containers is one of the easiest methods for growing your kitchen garden. Especially in Florida and the southern United States with hot, humid, rainy weather that stretches from June through September, container growing allows you to control the environment of your herbs. Florida winters present few problems to herbs, with the exception of the basils which need to be brought indoors when there is a threat of frost.

Groups of herbs can be assembled into on large container. Also, small individual pots can be placed in groups to enhance a patio, flank a flight of stairs, decorate a kitchen window or accent an entrance way. Always choose pots with drain holes. Watering should be checked daily, taking into consideration the weather. Small pots need more water than larger ones.

Some varieties are ideally suited for hanging baskets. Thyme, mints, oregano, curly parsley, tansy, burnet and marjoram are especially good for this purpose. We recommend planting these with a mixture of 60% peat, 25% perlite and 15% vermiculite. For fertilizing, a solution of 20-20-20 will work well. The larger the pot, the less fertilizer needed. Another method is to use a time-released fertilizer, such as Dynamite Triple 13, following the directions provided by the manufacturer.

Caring for your herbs, especially in the south, can be a challenge.  Click any of the herb varieties below for more detailed origin, use and cultivar information. 

For more detailed care information, we highly recommend: Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill & Gwen Barkley with Jean Hardy, published by Shearer Publishing.

 

Arugula Basil, including: Sweet Italian Opal Spicy Globe Cinnamon Lemon Thai Catnip Chamomile Chervil Chives & Garlic Cilantro (Coriander) Culantro Dill Fennel French Sorrel Lavender Lemon Balm Lemon Grass

Lovage Marjoram Mint, including: Spearmint Peppermint Pineapple Orange Lemon Chocolate Nasturtium Oregano, including: Greek Italian Tropical Oregano Parsley, including: Curly Italian

Pepper, Red Hot Chili Rosemary, including: Creeping Common Sage Salad Burnet Savory Tansy Thyme, including: Silver Lemon English Creeping Tomatoes, Cherry