Herbs in Raised Gardens vs. Kitchen Gardens

You want fresh herbs to spice up your tomato sauce. You've seen the sprouters and herb kits that you can use in your kitchen. Much easier than maintaining an entire herb garden along with your vegetable garden, right? After all, you just got your raised vegetable garden off the ground, pun intended.

A kitchen herb garden may be convenient, but herbs may need more sunlight and water than you think! Some need extra warm temperatures--rosemary is a good example. You can build another raised garden to add to your vegetable garden design. Or you can plan to plant herbs when you rotate your crops.

Several herbs are friends to vegetables, so herb garden design takes note of this. Basil, for example, benefits everything. So does oregano--good news for your marinara sauce! If you're unused to growing herbs, try the kitchen herb garden first and then transplant your oregano and basil into a vegetable garden or a prepared herb garden.

Note that some herbs, such as basil, do need to be replanted every year, but you'll soon get the knack. Now stew those tomatoes and make that pasta sauce! Move over, Mario Batali!