Fun Containers to Consider

Do you want to know how to grow herb gardens for your outdoor kitchen? This is a popular topic because herbs are attractive, fragrant and useful. One of my favourite places to place potted herbs is in my outdoor kitchen, next to the grill.  They are a cinch to grab and use as inspiration strikes. This summer, I used a funky old wooden box with a wine insignia on it as my container.  I filled it with good soil and picked out the herbs I use most often: Rosemary, Basil, Cilantro, Dill and Thyme.

Arranging Herbs in Pots

To grow herb gardens for your outdoor kitchen and make the most of my arrangement I considered the growth habits and needs of each plant. For instance, Basil, Rosemary and Dill tend to get pretty tall and like good, hot sun. I nestled them along the back of the container. In front and off to one side, I placed the cilantro.  It, too likes to be hot and tends to fan out a little as it grows. This placement allowed ample space. Finally, the thyme went in, tucked a little off to the other side for sunshine but also near the edge of the container as it likes to tumble and cascade.

Using Herbs to Cook

With a lovely pot of your favourite seasonings near your cooking space, it’s easy to include the fresh taste of herbs on summer menus. One of my favourite things to do with rosemary is to snip off long pieces and use them as skewers (check out this delicious recipe). I soak them in cool water after cutting and then thread veggies or meat onto them. Drizzle or brush on a bit of olive oil, then salt and pepper. Pop them right onto the grill and the result is kebobs that look super fancy but have imparted the piney flavour of rosemary to your grub. So delicious.

Now that you know how to grow herb gardens in containers, another fun use is to use a few fresh basil leaves and tear them into strips. Use them to garnish spaghetti or any dish with tomato sauce. Thyme is lovely with grilled or roasted chicken and cilantro makes both Asian and Mexican-inspired foods shine. Container gardening with herbs and in the landscape is always a win!