Does anyone have an herb garden? Or grow herbs in containers? I've grown some, but would like to expand a little this year, since the price of herbs have gone up with everything else. I've grown sage (but don't have any now), oregano, dill and garlic that I can think of right offhand. In your experience, what grows best in containers? 

Also, I started a small stand of chives last year in one of the raised beds, then last fall when we cleared off an "island" that had been devoted to flowers, we put the excess dirt in the raised beds and I totally forgot about the chives. I know about where they are, so I'm going to try do dig them out and reset them. I know nothing about chives... will that work? 

It snowed last night and it's warming up today, typical spring time weather here. I keep telling myself, "But it's not spring yet!" I'm ready to garden.  

 Pat, chives are hard to kill. I am betting that they will come up again. I have onion and garlic chives.  pepper mint, catnip, what is called mountain mint ( not sure of the real name). They all do really well just in the gardena and come back every year and spread. The chives are easy to divide. I have them 4 different places now. I started with a three inch pot. I have had sage and find that here it will last 3 or 4 years then I have to plant it again. Basil , I grow in the garden. I have tried in containers......oregano, basil, chives, thyme. They did great outside but not when I tried to bring them indoor. Not sure what the problem was. They lasted for a short time then just died out. Babs

I've grown mints, like spearmint and peppermint in pots, and they did well.  Pennyroyal also.  I've heard sage, parsley, thyme, basil, lemongrass and rosemary grow good in containers.  Most of my herbs in pots died when I brought them in in winter.  Although I've had my sweet bay plant (bay leaves) indoors this winter and it's doing fine in a bright window.

As for waiting for spring, I couldn't stand it anymore - I had to plant seedlings this past weekend.  Planted some cool weather stuff... romain lettuce, spinach, buncing onions.  Also marjoram and blue bedder salvia.  I am SO ready for warm weather!!

By the way, it's not on the herb subject, but I am amazed this worked... I started leaf lettuce indoors last October, but our weather turned cold early, so I never planted the seedlings outside.  Was hoping we'd have another mild winter and could get one more set in.  Well, they've been growing indoors all winter!  I've repotted them once using some compost and good potting soil.  They're not big, but they're bushy and I've snipped leaves now & then to add to salads.

babs:

 Pat, chives are hard to kill. I am betting that they will come up again.

 I neglected to say that the chives are buried under 6 - 8 inches of new soil. I need to dig them up and replant on the new ground level. Do you think they'll be OK if I do that? 

I had a sage plant that lasted several years but I don't remember how long. I left it when we moved, but should have dug it up and brought it along. I had oregano in the ground, not in a container and it came up again every year... maybe it needs to die back and that's why it wouldn't overwinter?  

Have you ever grown caraway? I'm curious about how it grows.  

I like growing herbs. I live in the southern part of Louisiana so some herbs grow easily and some dont. I grow chives and green onions, rosemary, pennyroyal, basil and parsley. I find that these grow really well where I am at.

For pennyroyal, this is a natural mosquito repellant. It has a minty smell. I plant it around my porch. It does help, I think. It's pretty invasive, but easy to just pull up. It looks a lot like a weed.

My grandmother grows lemongrass. She likes Thai food and it's a popular ingredient. Grows easily down here.

Basil is probably my favorite. I used it for many dishes.

I've never grown sweet bay but would love to because a lot of cajun cooking (such as gumbo and stews) use bay leaves. I think I might do that this year.

A hint for herbs, though: many of them really like well-drained soil. So, especially if you are growing them in pots, mix in some sand with your soil. They will like this, especially the rosemary.

CharlieB:

Most of my herbs in pots died when I brought them in in winter.  Although I've had my sweet bay plant (bay leaves) indoors this winter and it's doing fine in a bright window.

I wonder if all of those need a dormant period? Maybe time to do some serious research!  I know what you mean about ready for spring. I like winter weather, but for some reason, this year I'm ready for it to be over, although I'm NOT looking forward to the heat. 

Leaf lettuce, radishes and spinach grow pretty well indoors, I've found. They don't seem to need the full spectrum light that most plants do. They do better with it, but a bright window seems to be enough.  

 Pat, Chives come up really early. They may jus pop through all that soil. If they dont, then I would dig them up and try moving them. Babs

I've grown mint in big pots on the patio and they've done well as long as I don't forget to water every day during the summer.  My favorite was chocolate mint. Just brushing against it smelled wonderful. Right now all that is growing is chives and sage, neither of which died out for winter, but then our coldest night has only been about 34 degrees. They both are in a big 4x8 planter. I had alysum grow all winter; I thought it was an annual. That is a heavenly smelling plant, it smells like honey all the time. It isn't an herb as far as I know. Edey

Ok, thanks, Babs. I'll wait and see, then. (Not that it's time for them to come up, but it will be soon.)

 I grew chocolate mint in a pot but I set it at the edge of a tiny plot where I grow odds and ends. It escaped by running over the pot and got hold of the soil, now I have tons of it to pull out each year. I like to make tea with it in the winter so I don't try to get rid of it altogether. I'd like ot grow spearmint. 

It gets pretty cold here (Colorado), but the little patch is close to the house and protected from the worst weather, so things sometimes overwinter very well there.