The first time we made pesto, we were naive. We got a recipe and then went over to the grocery store to buy the equivalent of two cups of Basil. The equivalent of 1/8 cup of Basil was $2.99. Making pesto was suddenly put on the backburner. We found other alternatives. We went to one of the great local Farmers Markets and got a much better deal. However, we were still scratching our heads. Couldn’t we spend $2.00 on seeds at a garden center and grow our own? Yes. The first year we grew our own, we had a ton of basil. The plants produced from June all the way until our first frost in late October. This year we planted 6 Basil plants and have had more Basil than we know what to do with. We’ve made pesto, used it fresh in marinara sauces, dried it for future use, and of course used it to make traditional Margherita pizzas. Don’t forget that Cajun, Thai, and Indian food can use Basil as well. This is a standard herb.

The other herbs we grow are Thyme, Oregano, and Rosemary. These are all useful dried and fresh for all kinds of cooking. Thyme is one of the best seasonings for chicken noodle soup and Italian ragu. Each time we pick our herbs, we make a decision to either dry them or save some to use fresh in a recipe.

Growing herbs and vegetables has become a family tradition that is beyond just our frugal personalities. Our kids participate and see that you can grow your own food. We actually are eating what we grow which has improved our quality of life. We didn’t have to become gardening experts. All we had to do was a little reading and make a minimal investment of physical labor. I’ll write soon about our Cherry Tomatoes and Jalapenos.

Raised bed herb garden - built with re-purposed bricks

When we first moved into our new home in suburban Oklahoma City last fall, we decided that we did not like the builder grade landscaping and set out to do something a little better. With the design skills and help of my sister in law, we took up the old bricks and placed some new green metal borders in front of our flowerbeds. That left us with some red landscaping bricks. We decided that we wanted to make a small herb garden in our backyard so that we could have fresh herbs all summer long. If you’ve been to the grocery store’s produce section lately, you noticed that the fresh herbs are priced into the stratosphere. 

Approximately an eighth of a cup of fresh basil runs $3.00-$4.00. A batch of homemade Pesto requires two full cups. That would be very expensive to do if buying all the ingredients from the store. We’ve always grown a few pots of herbs, but they do better in the ground. This project is something we’ve talked about for years and there is no better time than now to build our own garden.

Rosemary

First, we went over to the home store and bought a bunch of bags of plain topsoil. We arranged the bricks in a rectangular shape and then filled it up with our topsoil. Herbs do not like soil to be too rich. The book I read about planting herbs recommends that fertilizer not be used if a rich soil is used. Most of these herbs thrive in plain sandy loam or river bottom type soil. Since my husband’s free time has been taken up by music and traveling this spring, we dropped the ball on growing our own herbs from seeds. As a result, we decided that we’d buy some herb plants that would be almost ready to produce – three basil, two thyme, two oregano, and two rosemary plants. The basil each had multiple plants in them so that gave us 6 plants. 

Having vegetables or herbs growing in your backyard or on your patio is not only a matter of saving some money but also a matter of your quality of life. Life is about doing things and learning. I really enjoy going out and clipping some basil and rosemary to make an Italian sauce during the summer. Thyme is a wonderful seasoning for vegetables. Rosemary is great on pork tenderloin. It’s wonderful to dry your own thyme for chicken noodle soup in the fall.  The scent of these plants, the flavors, and the oils that come from fresh herbs are so much stronger than store bought fresh herbs and there is no comparison between your own dried herbs and the store’s. Our kids will be taught a lesson in watching us cultivate our own herbs. They will also enjoy the fresh scent and appreciate the thrift in their later years. 

NOTES: We will also be growing tomatoes, green peppers, Anaheim chiles, Habanero chiles, Jalapeno chiles, and Scotch Bonnet chiles this summer. Photos and posts will be forthcoming.