There’s something magical about stepping outside to snip fresh basil for a caprese salad or a homemade pesto. The aroma alone is a little slice of summer. But if you live somewhere the sun likes to show off its full, scorching power, you know the struggle is real. That beautiful, lush basil plant you brought…
I remember the first time I tried to start an herb garden. I had visions of a lush, fragrant paradise right outside my kitchen door. I bought about a dozen different plants, fancy pots, and special soil. A month later, I was looking at a sad, brown graveyard of what I now call “The Great…
I remember the first time I saw a Monarch butterfly land on the dill in my little container garden. It felt like magic. For a moment, my cluttered apartment balcony transformed into a tiny piece of a wild meadow. I was completely hooked. It wasn’t about having a huge, perfectly manicured lawn; it was about…
There’s a certain romance to a rainy day, isn’t there? The sound of droplets on the windowpane, the cozy feeling of being indoors, a warm cup of tea in hand. But for a gardener, especially an herb enthusiast like me, the sight of dark clouds gathering can bring on a special kind of anxiety. I’ll…
I still remember the first time I tried to grow coriander. I had visions of an endless supply, ready for my homemade curries and salsas. I bought a small pot from the supermarket, stuck it on my sunniest windowsill, and… watched it die a slow, tragic death within two weeks. I tried again, this time…
I have a love-hate relationship with summer. I love the long, sunny days, the backyard barbecues, and the feeling of warm air on my skin. What I hate, with the fire of a thousand suns, are mosquitoes. These tiny vampires seem to have a personal vendetta against me, turning what should be a peaceful evening…
I remember my first attempt at an herb garden. I bought a dozen little plastic pots, a giant bag of generic potting soil, and a collection of the usual suspects: basil, mint, rosemary, and thyme. I watered them religiously, maybe a little too religiously, and felt pretty proud. But then I looked at the pile…
I’ll admit it. The first time I tried to grow sage, I treated it like any other delicate herb in my garden. I coddled it, worried over it, and basically gave it too much attention. The result? A sad, leggy plant that barely produced enough leaves for one Thanksgiving dinner. It took me a few…
I once had a dream of a sprawling herb garden, a fragrant paradise right outside my back door. I pictured myself strolling out, snipping fresh mint for a mojito or a soothing cup of tea whenever the mood struck. So, I planted a single, innocent-looking spearmint plant. It was small, cute, and full of promise….
I’ll never forget the first time I lost a rosemary bush to winter. It was a magnificent plant I’d babied all summer, and I foolishly believed its woody stems made it invincible. Come spring, I was greeted not by fragrant new growth, but by a brittle, brown skeleton. It was a sad, crunchy monument to…