Herbs Ideas, Tips & Guides

You may include rosemary in your herb garden each year, or tuck it into your containers as an ornamental, but do you know how to harvest rosemary to get the best flavor? The chemical compounds that give the rosemary plant its signature aroma are at peak levels during certain points in the plant’s life cycle. Whether you want just a few fresh rosemary sprigs or you plan to dry and store rosemary for long-term use, learn how to properly harvest this fragrant herb. Why grow rosemary Avid cooks routinely use rosemary to flavor everything from soups and stews to salads and sauces. Since rosemar

Native to the Mediterranean, lavender is a hardy medicinal herb from the mint family, comprising over 30 species. This evergreen shrub is all the rage in gardening because its utility extends beyond good looks and amazing fragrance.

When the season changes, your indoor plants’ needs also transform. So, why reduce watering in fall and winter? This modification benefits your plants and helps them confront the oncoming cold and less bright days. Let’s explore the details.

This fragrant herb softens all the wilderness in any garden with its delicate blooms and leaves and offers many practical benefits. We suggest you grow this wildflower as a garden border for several reasons! Let’s find out.

Nothing spoils “blissfully lost in the garden” feels like rodents! Be it your fresh lettuce, juicy strawberries, or even cardboard boxes and electrical wires—rats spare none! They are easily the scourge of all your prized garden staples, but we show you how to keep a rat-free garden without hurting them as much as possible!

Overfeeding your herbs with fertilizers has many drawbacks, so it is important to reduce fertilizing. If you ask why—we’ve explained everything below. Read on to learn why it’s better not to feed herbs very often and what you should do instead!

Lavender has been trending as the most sought-after hedge plant in the last few years in the gardening world. Why? Because there’s much more to this timeless classic than meets the eye, or nose, for that matter! We’re pretty sure this article will convince you to grow lavender as a hedge in your garden. Tune in to find out!

One of the secrets to producing big, bushy basil plants is trimming. Many gardeners are shy about harvesting from their herbs and don’t want to cut them back in case it damages the plants or reduces yield. I’m the opposite, constantly trimming herbs like basil to use fresh, or preserve by drying or freezing. Not only does it promote bushier growth it also increases stem and leaf production. Are you ready to learn how to trim your basil plants for maximum yield? When it comes to pruning basil, it doesn’t matter if you’re growing basil in containers or garden beds. It doesn’t matter if you’

Who doesn’t love the fragrance and exquisite taste of fresh mint sprigs in dishes and drinks? This multi-purpose herb is not only great for culinary purposes but also packs a ton of medicinal and gardening benefits. But that’s not all. Read on, and you’ll find out exactly why you need to grow it in your garden.

I think it’s time we have a talk about cilantro. This popular herb is quite possibly the most misunderstood crop in the vegetable garden. If you’ve ever said something akin to: “I can’t grow cilantro. Whenever I try, it bolts right away!”, you’re not alone. Many people have a hard time growing cilantro and some have given up entirely. But all is not lost. With a little bit of planning, it’s possible to harvest perfect cilantro from the garden virtually any time of year. 

This small woody shrub belonging to the mint family is grown for its fragrant, edible, and medicinal leaves and flowers. Growing hyssop has a host of health benefits and is also useful in maintaining a thriving, pest-free garden. Let’s dig in!

Basil is an herb known for loving sun and warm weather conditions, so it might be alarming to suddenly see the shiny, fragrant leaves shriveling up, and beg the question: why is your basil wilting?

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9 Reasons Your Basil Plants Are Wilting and Drooping

WHEN MOST OF US think of growing herbs each spring, what we probably put into our shopping cart, whether from online seed catalogs or at the garden center, are the culinary must-haves: the basil, the parsley, the dill and such.

If you detest using chemicals to repel insects and other unwanted visitors in your garden, try these pest-resistant flowers. They not only remain pest-free but also save other plants from infestation. These beautiful blooms resist pesky bugs through their fragrance, colors, and essential compounds. Let’s explore!

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Herbs and vegetables often need plenty of sunlight and space, which is seldom the case in urban homes and apartments. But we have whipped up a selection of edible plants anyone can grow easily, even in low-lit, compact spaces inside your home. Check it out!

Resilient, easy to grow, and bizarrely beautiful to look at, succulents are indeed a collector’s delight. But what makes them more delightful is that some exude surprisingly pleasant scents via their rare blooms or from their foliage itself. Check out our list of the most fragrant succulents!

Tips for Growing Mint Mint is an excellent addition to any cocktail garden! Learn the secrets for growing this classic herb and how to keep it from taking over your garden. Add mint to your cocktail garden!

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Companion planting is an age-old practice that pairs plants together in the garden to provide some benefit to one or both partners. Companion plants play various roles in the vegetable garden community. Onions produce strong odors in the form of volatile compounds that can confuse and deter plant pests. Planting onions with companion plants is a great way to manage insect pests on carrots, peppers, and other vegetable crops. Onion companion plants provide similar benefits to onions, helping to attract beneficial insects and reduce pest pressure. Some herbs are even rumored to improve the flavor of onions when grown in close proximity.

The world has finally begun recognizing the value of indigenous, perennial plants in restoring diversity. Therefore, we have compiled a list of native American herbs and spices that lend stunning flavors, are replete with medicinal uses, and lure endemic wildlife back to your backyard.

Pineapple sage is an ornamental herb that I like to include in my container arrangements. It also looks really striking in a garden, especially if it grows to its full size. This edible, shrubby herb can grow up to five feet tall and two to three feet wide! Following a few simple tips for pineapple sage care will ensure a healthy plant that will eventually produce those tubular, red flowers that butterflies, hummingbirds, and all kinds of bees love. Pineapple sage’s slightly fuzzy, oval-shaped leaves release a strong pineapple fragrance when rubbed. Some of the same chemical c

Herbs are super-easy to grow in garden beds orcontainers, and nothing tastes better than fresh herbs snipped from your garden for all your homecooked favorites. But while you may always plant annual herbs, such asbasil, dill, and cilantro, you’re missing out if you’re not growing perennial herbs. Perennial herbs come back year after year, making them a smart investment in your garden. Many also have beautiful flowers that pollinators love.

When and How to Harvest Bay Leaves

Monoculture and non-native landscapes harm our natural ecosystems in more ways than one, which is why it’s important to keep balance! A good way to minimize this is by growing more endemic and native plants and herbs in your garden. Not only will this give you abundant harvests of these special herbs, but it will also help restore essential life to your biome.

One of the best things about being in the plant business for over 40 years has been trying out new and rediscovered plants. Every year I like to grow the latest perennials and annuals, testing them to see if they’re worth ordering again the following year. The herb garden—though it seems a pretty staid and quiet sanctuary—has actually had its share of exciting new plants too. Visions of sauces and meats, drinks, and pastries flavored with delicious herbs tended by my own hands are all the inspiration I need to try something for the first time. Additionally, these plants add color, texture, and scent to my containers and gardens. In many cases, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that these improved options are actually better looking and/or tasting than the familiar staple. The following are some of my favorite herb varieties. Some are new—and some have simply flown under the radar for far too long.

Rosemary is one of the easiest herbs to grow if you grow it right; if not, it can be a bit tricky to maintain and even harder to keep in the pink of its health. Discover those right things in this article to grow the most flavorful, productive, and thriving rosemary plant.

A harmonious Dorset rose garden designed by Isabel and Julian Bannerman

Adam Albright

Say you’re done making your favorite recipe, and run to your herb garden for some home-grown seasoning. But all you find are leggy shadows of a once-robust plant! Well, you can avoid this picture if you gently top your herb when it’s young with sets of true leaves and even after.

Raised garden beds are an excellent choice for gardeners looking to enhance their growing space. The best raised garden beds offer benefits, such as improved soil conditions, better pest control, and easier maintenance. Our expertise at Savvy Gardening stems from years of hands-on gardening in raised beds and thorough research, ensuring that our recommendations are practical and reliable. We’ve narrowed our favorites to a list of six. We meticulously evaluated various factors, including durability, material quality,

From kitchen gardens to edible landscapes, rosemary pairs beautifully with a wide range of plants. Many of the same herbs and vegetables that mingle with rosemary in the pot, like peppers and oregano, also work well as garden neighbors. Rosemary companion plants also include ornamental species. With upright and spreading forms available, rosemary can be used in a variety of garden settings, from containers to rock gardens. The soft blue flowers attract pollinators and other beneficial insects while complementing ornamental grasses and perennials.