Fresh herbs are super-important to my impressing-the-guests strategy. They can get expensive when I only end up using half the leaves I buy and letting the rest wilt in my fridge, but Tali inspired me to fix that plus add a little green to my place. For those who seem to kill everything they get near, here’s the how to.
- Choose your herbs: Start at a grocery store or nursery, maybe Home Depot, and head for the herbs. Think about how you cook – if you’re a pasta-lover, like Tali, choose basil and parsley. For tacos, you can’t go wrong with cilantro, and mint is always good for Greek (tabbouleh!) and mojitos…
- Where to plant it: Yeah, you could have a big fat pot for several varieties, but I don’t even have space for all my heels, much less an 8-gallon container. Tali’s idea is perfect – keeping the herb in its original planter, stick it in an extra ramekin (or get one for $2 at Target) to keep it neat. For a fancy upgrade, try this triple herb pot.
- Keep it alive! Oy. The hard part. First, keep your new baby near a sunny window. As for watering? Pour in a half cup whenever it looks sad and droopy. Every day is too much.
- Reap what you sow: When you use some of your herb in a dish (or drink), cut off the leaves with a scissors so they can regrow. Start from the top of the plant, where leaves have been growing the longest.
Now get to it! I give full permission to fit “these fresh herbs I grew” into dinner conversation as many times as possible.
Pippa x
