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Home » Video » P. Allen Smith | Herbs for Beginners

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  • P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

P. Allen Smith | Herbs for Beginners | PBS

Duration: 02:00
Program: P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

If you're interested in gardening but not sure where to begin, try planting herbs. They're extremely easy to grow and perfect for a beginner. Most herbs really only need soil with good drainage, consistent moisture and sunlight.

Start with basic terra cotta containers, a good quality soil, and herb plants you have chosen. Three versatile herbs to try are rosemary, onion chives and basil.

Bonnie uses biodegradable peat pots made from natural and recycled materials so, you can plant the pots with the plant! This reduces transplant shock and there are no nursery containers to throw away.

So after planting each herb in their own container, be sure to give them plenty of water and sunshine.

There are many uses for each of these herbs. Rosemary prefers a warm, sunny and dry environment. You can cut rosemary stems at any time and the fragrant blooms are also edible. Rosemary is a wonderful herb on roasted chicken.

Onion chives are a grassy looking perennial with onion-flavored leaves and purple blooms. The mild onion flavor is a tasty addition to any savory dish. Chives are not finicky and tolerate neglect, but will do best if you don't completely ignore them.

Basil can't stand cold weather, so if you have a basil plant indoors, don't set it outside until 2 weeks after the last frost date in your area. Be sure to water them deeply during dry spells especially if planted in containers.

These three herbs are perfect for the beginning gardener.

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Post Date: July 8, 2011