Sage: Sage is a great herb for cooking with and really easy to grow. The only thing it doesn’t like is wet ground, so plant it in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil.
There are loads of sage varieties to choose from, including some with colored leaves. Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more to grow. We encourage you to get in touch with the Auburn Landscaping Pros if you have any questions with your herb garden.
I like to describe sage as the “Cabernet Sauvignon of herbs.” Similar to Cabernet grapes, sage is sturdy, hardy, prolific, and drought-tolerant. It grows well within a wide range of temperatures and planting zones. Sage also boasts a long growing season. Since this resinous herb is evergreen in most zones, you can harvest sage well into late fall. While tender herbs, like basil, might die on the first freeze, sage will still be growing strong.
Parsley: This biennial herb has so many uses in the kitchen! Give seeds a head start by sowing them indoors on a sunny windowsill. Alternatively, sow directly in the ground when the soil warms up.
Parsley can be slow to germinate, so speed things up by soaking the seeds in water overnight before planting. Choose a spot with rich, slightly damp soil in full sun or partial shade. Plant parsley in spring once the ground is workable. The edible green foliage is great to grow on its own, but is also a wonderful complement to flower beds and window boxes. Before planting, ensure your native soil is packed with nutrients by mixing in several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. Promote prolific leaf production by regularly feeding with a water-soluble plant food.
Oregano: Oregano plants thrive in warm, sunny spots and like light soils. They have lovely pink flowers and make great ground cover at the front of borders.
Sow the seeds in spring when the soil has warmed up, or start them off in pots indoors. When the plants reach 10cm tall, pinch out the vertical growing tips to encourage more leafy side shoots. Plant oregano in spring, once all chances of frost have passed. The long stems look great spilling over the edges of containers and also work well as a ground cover. Space oregano plants 8 to 10 inches apart in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0. Offer partial shade if growing in warm climates. Keep soil consistently moist and water when the top inch becomes dry.
Mint: You can grow mint from seed but it is often different from the parent plant, so I’d advise buying young plants from the garden center instead.
Bear in mind that mint spreads easily, so plant it in pots to contain the roots and stop it taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth. Plant mint in spring after the last frost. This fast-growing herb can grow just about anywhere and makes an excellent addition to indoor and outdoor gardens. Space mint plants 18 to 24 inches apart. It’s best to grow them in pots to keep them from taking over your garden (even if you’re planting in the ground). Give your garden a great foundation by improving native soil with several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. For container growing, consider a premium bagged potting mix. Give your garden a great foundation by improving native soil with several inches of aged compost or other rich organic matter. For container growing, consider a premium bagged potting mix.