1) It's easy.
If you've never gardened before, a small pot of herbs is an easy, low-cost way to try it out. Most herbs are pretty low-maintenance and don't take up much space. Just buy a couple of your favorite herb plants at your local garden center or farmer's market and plant them in potting mix in an 8-10 inch pot (or whatever size is recommended for that particular type.)
2) Aroma therapy.
Just watering the plants can bring out the scent. My fave is rosemary.
3) Your food will taste better.
Seriously. Fresh herbs make everything taste better. They're way better than dried or store-bought.
4) It's cheaper to grow your own.
Buying a plant or seeds costs about the same as or less than buying a package of herbs at the store. You'll get a lot more from a plant that you can grow all season and you can cut only what you need when you need it, so it'll be pretty growing in a pot instead of turning brown in your fridge.
5) Impress your friends.
You can brag to all your hippie/hipster/tree-huggin'/foodie dinner guests that you are serving them locally grown herbs. This weekend we had chopped peaches with cinnamon and locally grown basil at my house. The basil was grown (starting from seed) less than 6 feet from where it was eventually eaten. Nice! Can't get much more local than your own front porch!
This post comes with inspiration from Colleen, who has a wonderful herb garden and knows how to use it! We were swapping herbs this week and she pointed out how cost-efficient growing your own herb garden is. Thanks Colleen!
