Grow an Herb Garden

There’s nothing like a sweet vanilla ice cream cone in the summer or a peppermint candy cane at Christmas. We enjoy tasty flavors like vanilla and peppermint because of herbs (plants that can be used for flavoring, food, and even medicine). Your mom might cook with herbs like sage and rosemary, or you might drink some herbal tea like chamomile. Other herbs can be used as medicine, such as aloe vera which helps soothe scrapes and burns.

In Genesis 1:29, we read that God gave Adam and Eve “every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth . . . You shall have them for food.” Not only did God give us some plants as food, but he also gave us some plants to flavor our food and to help keep us healthy.

Hello there! I’m Buddy Davis, the host of Out and About on Answers TV. Let’s get our hands a little dirty as we investigate God’s amazing creation.

Herbs are easy to grow inside or outside. Plant your own herb garden and enjoy eating what you grow.

Materials

• Seeds or seedlings (young plants) of your choice
• Potting soil
• An empty egg carton if you’re starting with seeds
• Scissors
• Outdoor pots or containers
• A watering can

Planting

1. Ask an adult to help you choose which herbs to grow. You can buy seeds or seedlings at your local nursery (a place where plants are grown and sold), online, or sometimes at the grocery store. If you’re starting with seedlings, skip to step 3.
2. If you’re starting with seeds, cut the lid off the top of your egg carton and add some potting soil to each section. Place a seed in each section, cover the seeds with a little more soil, and water them. Cover the carton with plastic wrap and set it in a sunny spot. When the growing seedlings have a few leaves, they’re ready to plant.
3. When you have seedlings, add potting soil to pots or containers and dig little holes about two inches below the container rim. (You could also plant them in the ground if you prefer.) Handle the seedlings gently, lifting them with their roots and soil and placing them into the holes. Gently press them in. Sprinkle more soil around them and water them right away.
4. Your herbs need 5–6 hours of sunlight every day. Water them often but check the soil first. Herbs grow best in moist soil that’s not super wet. You may need to pull out weeds around your plants. Some herbs, like basil, may need to be trimmed.
5. Eat what you grow. Your plants will continue to grow even when you snip off leaves to use in recipes. Enjoy experimenting with your homegrown herbs and the unique flavors they add to different foods!