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Growing Herbs in Containers

By Michael Russell 

Today it is becoming increasingly popular to grow herbs either for decoration or for cooking. Herbs can be grown in the garden or in a container. Container planting comes into its own if there is lack of garden space, to ensure the survival and confine a plant or just for easy access.

Container planting enables you to position herbs where they can delight the sense of smell, prolong their growing season and create a visually appealing environment that is a constant source of interest.

Herbs do thrive more vigorously in the ground but with a certain amount of care and common sense they can be grown in pots either outside or indoors.

If placing a container on a balcony or free standing structure be sure to make sure that it is sturdy enough to support the weighty combination of soil and water.

Herbs in a group of pots can provide a focal point and look more pleasing to the eye than one lonely specimen. They also seem to enjoy each other's company and benefit from the microclimate that grouping creates. By changing the position of the pots seasonal gaps can be filled or the appearance of the garden can be changed.

Herbs in pots are an excellent way to create different color schemes in large or small areas. For a silver or moonlight garden, plant artemisias, santolinas and curry plants. To create a golden garden, use lemon thyme, variegated lemon balm, calendula, lady's bedstraw, nasturtiums and variegated sage. For a blue garden choose hyssop, borage, catmint, rosemary and sage.

The space needed by particular species will dictate how many plants can be put in a planter. A container 1 meter long can hold four or five low-growing herbs that will benefit from being kept well trimmed, such as sage, thyme, marjoram and salad burnet. A tub or barrel filled with culinary herbs; such as rosemary, chives, sage, mint (in its own container), or lemon balm make a delightful addition to a barbecue area.

These plants, though, are dependant on care and are more vulnerable than plants in open ground.

If general guidelines are followed you can grow herbs in a container quite successfully.

First of all always start with a clean container and make sure that the plants will have good drainage. Make sure that the soil is friable and porous. It is best not to use ordinary garden soil but use a good commercial potting mix.

It is important to ensure that the container size and the plants are compatible. Small plants flounder in large pots and large plants will be stifled in a small pot.

Check indoor herbs regularly to see if they need watering. They should never be allowed to become bone dry. For instance rosemary never fully recovers if left to dry out completely. By contrast, though, sage will collapse if watered too frequently.

To aid vigorous growth keep the pot weed free, remove deadheads and trim the leaves back.

Herbs should be fed through their leaves or the soil every two weeks during the growing season, easing off as their growth rate slows.

If a herb looks sorry for itself, check if it needs water, or feeding and whether it is standing in a draught or not receiving the correct amount of light.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Gardening

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