Potherbs on the Deck

Having an herb garden on the deck is turning out to be a great idea. The herbs are thriving in their pots. For one thing, they get a lot more of attention than herbs growing in the garden. For another, they are not in danger of being overwhelmed by nearby plants, as herbs often are when in the ground.  The greatest advantage for me is that I can harvest herbs while sitting in a deck chair, which sure beats standing bent over in the garden. (At my age, sitting on the ground or squatting to cut herbs is not an option.)

From the bottom of the photo the plants are thyme, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sweet potatoes growing slips, and curry plant. Sweet potatoes aren’t herbs of course, but this is a nice spot for their developing shoots where I can keep a close eye on them.

If some of the herbs look as if they have flat-top haircuts, that’s because they’ve just been through the first harvest, which is now drying on a tea towel in the kitchen. How long the drying process will take depends on the weather. In damp weather it may take weeks, but in sunny, dry weather it can be finished in a few days. The main consideration is to keep them out of the sun.

From the left the sprigs are curry plant, thyme, basil, and rosemary.

Homegrown and harvested herbs seem far more flavorful than commercial ones. I don’t know how commercial ones are grown, harvested, and dried, but I’ll bet home grown herbs get a lot more loving care than those in commercial ventures.

Copyright 2015 by Shirley Domer