As the community continues to social distance and spend time at home, many have discovered and developed their green thumb. Starting your own garden filled with your favorite herbs and produce is not only a great way to spend time as a family, but is an excellent way to save money.

Regardless of where you reside, gardening can be done nearly anywhere. As long as you have a source of sunlight and water, you too can begin growing!

A simple way to start your gardening journey is with a smaller test garden, such as an herb nursery, or window plot. Herbs are used in nearly every dish, but can become quite expensive at the grocery store. You will notice the difference between fresh and jarred herbs not only in your wallet, but also your taste buds.

We recommend you start small, but invite you to go big if you have the space and the confidence.

Materials:

  • Herb seeds or sprouts
  • One small starter pot per herb type
  • Spray water bottle/mister
  • Sunlit area such as a windowsill or lanai
  • Potting/planting soil
  • Labels (one per herb type)

Instructions:

  1. Choose your herbs – we recommend starting with two to five herbs that are most used in your kitchen.
    • Note: You can either begin with seeds or sprouts. Sprouts may be easier to begin with, but seeds also offer a fresh start.
  2. Rinse your start pot with hot water to remove any debris or cleaning chemicals.
    • Warning: Avoid using soap or chemicals as the soil could pick up residue and harm the herbs.
  3. Fill your pot with soil, leaving approximately one inch of space from the top edge. Soil should be ‘fluffy’, so do not pack it in.
  4. Lightly mist the soil using your spray bottle or mister.
  5. Using your finger, gently push five to ten seeds approximately one centimeter deep in the soil.
  6. Gently cover the seeds either by sprinkling more soil or by scooping some from the pot and redistributing over the seeds.
  7. Give the pot one last light mist and place it in a sunlit area, away from disturbance (pets, high wind, etc.)
  8. Label your pot in order to keep the herbs in order.
  9. Repeat for the rest of your herbs, placing one type of herb in each pot.
  10. Be sure to keep the soil damp. Mist your herbs daily and water two to three times per week as needed until the seeds begin to sprout.
  11. Once the herbs start to get larger, you can transplant to a larger pot.

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