Black Thumbs
I have 2 black thumbs. My husband laughed the first time I told him I was going to start herb gardening. You see, around here, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, and plants don’t say “Mom, what’s for dinner? Mom, I’m hungry? Mom, can you bring me something to eat?” when you forget to water them.
I’ve always had a lot of allergies so just the thought of sitting outside, in the dirt is enough to make my eyes start itching, and don’t even get me started on the bugs! I have cats inside to keep the creepy crawlies outside. I’ve never understood when someone says “Gardening is relaxing.” How is fighting with a stubborn weed only to have them come back a few days later relaxing? No thanks!
The fact of the matter is, for all the things I love to do, gardening isn’t one of them. I’ve always said, my idea of gardening is sitting on a blanket in the sun, watching my husband garden!
Accidental Gardner
Even with my lack of love for pulling weeds and wading through bugs, I have discovered a love of fresh herbs. There’s nothing better than smell of fresh cut Parsley or Cilantro when you’re cooking, and since I use these things regularly, I’m outside clipping or watering them almost every day which makes them easier for me to maintain. Plus, herb gardens don’t take up a lot of room. They can be easily You can plant them in flower pots, planter boxes, or even just a bucket.
So I accidentally became a gardener. By accidentally, I mean, I never set out to make a garden. I just wanted a few fresh herbs for cooking, but once I discovered how easy herb gardening could be if I planted things I used daily, it just sort of evolved.
Growing Onions
I started my herb garden with what I’ve found to be the easiest thing to grow, green onions. Did you know, when you buy green onions, you can cut off the bottoms, and plant them right into the ground? They will keep regrowing each time you cut them.
They grow very fast and technically you can grow them on your kitchen counter in just a glass of water. You don’t need to put them in water on your counter but it’s fun for kids to watch the onions grow, and if you have limited space or nowhere outside to grow a garden, you can use this method instead.
Once I figured out how easy green onions grow, I bought a bag of potting soil and filled an old flower pot with it. Next, I poked a hole about 2 inches deep for each green onion I was planting, put the green onion into the hole root side down, and pressed the dirt up against the sides to hold them in place. Give them some water and voila! Now, I never have to buy green onions!
Growing From Scraps
I recommend starting with organic green onions so you’ll know you’re growing the best green onions without any chemicals in your garden. This technique also works for regular onions, and celery. Happy herb gardening!
