8 Reasons You Should Grow Your Own Herbs
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I get it, every time you walk into the supermarket, there are those little packets of herbs just calling out. “Hi shopper, here we are, ready to go,” they say. It is simple and I’ve succumbed plenty of times myself.
But there are some solid reasons why you should grow your own herbs. Okay, I’m not saying you can never buy from that pre-packed herb stand again. Or that you need to grow every single herb you ever use in a recipe. But let’s think about allotting just a little space in the garden or a window box to growing herbs.
And to help win you over to the idea, here are some of the solid reasons why you should do it.
What counts as herbs again?
Quick pause before I start convincing you to take a moment to think about what we mean by herbs. It is a group of plants that are edible and that we eat the leaves from. Some double up as spices, coriander is one example – we eat the leaves and the seeds.
Some of the most commonly used examples of herbs include:
Yes, they are a familiar group and all readily available at the supermarket in fresh and dried form. But they are all also pretty easy to grow yourself. And as my chef husband tells me, there’s nothing better than fresh herbs when you are cooking.
8 reason you should grow your own herbs
Okay, let’s dive into those reasons to grow your own herbs and see what you can get if you venture into the world of growing your own food, even on this small scale.
Reason 1 – they are fresh
I mentioned that my hubby who is a chef says that fresh herbs are always best and he’s not alone. Some spices are fine either way, some are even better dried. But there’s almost no occasions where someone would recommend a dried version of a herb over a fresh one apart from making herb and spice blends.
Now herbs in those supermarket packets are relatively fresh but not as fresh as something just picked from the garden, straight from the plant.
Reason 2 – it is cheaper
Herbs are relatively budget-friendly at the supermarket but you can say that every packet cost between 50p and £1.50 here in the UK (and I’d imagine similar elsewhere). So if you buy five packets a month, you’ve spent probably £5 or more.
A single herb plant at the garden centre will usually cost £2-5. Harvested carefully, that plant can last at least one year and often, herbs are perennial which means they come back each year. That means you could make a significant saving on your supermarket packets.
Reason 3 – freshest means most health benefits
As well as being freshest and best for cooking, fresh herbs also contain the most nutrients and goodness. I’ll not go into the health benefits of different herbs but each one has its own claim to nutrient fame. The fresher the herb, the more nutrients you get from it just like fruit and vegetables.
Reason 4 – they look great and smell amazing
One of the top reasons to answer yes to the question of is it worth growing your own herbs is that these little plants look lovely with a variety of flowers and smell amazing. Brush past a basil plant and there’s no doubt what it is. Be near rosemary in the sunshine and the smell is lovely.
Herbs may be functional plants but they are still plants and that means colour and scent are a big deal.
Reason 5 – they are easy to grow
Another great reason to grow herbs is that even if you aren’t a natural gardener, you’ll be able to grow them. Most herbs are very simple to grow and don’t have complicated needs or requirements. You can even grow them indoors, in a window box or pot on a windowsill.
Reason 6 – you can grow what you use
There’s nothing worse than going to the supermarket with a list of ingredients for a recipe and finding the herbs are missing. But if you grow your own, you can choose to grow ones you frequently use and ensure you never run out.
Reason 7 – they work for companion planting
If you plan to go beyond just growing herbs, you can pair these plants with others to get extra benefits. Known as companion planting, it is a scientifically proven system that shows some plants either help or protects others.
For example, basil is great alongside vegetables such as asparagus, bell peppers, cabbage, potatoes and tomatoes. It attracts beneficial insects and helps the plants have the best possible crops.
Reason 8 – you can grow them in containers
Herbs can be grown even if you don’t have much garden or just a yard. In fact, some are better in containers as you can control them better. Parsley is one that will take over a bit given the chance. But growing it in a pot or container cuts back its ambition a bit.
Dipping into grow your own
One thing I will warn you about is that once you dip your toe into growing your own, it is a bit addictive. Next thing you know, the flower bed is a veg patch and there’s not a window in the house that isn’t growing something that can be eaten or added to food! But even if you have modest ambitions of a plant or two, growing your own herbs is a great place to start!
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