How to Grow Herbs on a Peaceful Patio
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When you’re living in a home furnished by someone else, you tend to crave a space that speaks to your soul. So, you spill yourself all over the front patio, invest in a few pretty pots and create a colorful welcome for guests who will soon be bombarded with brown crochet and eagle sculptures on the wall inside.
So maybe I’m speaking from experience.
My daughter Alyssa adores the outdoors. She holds a deep natural respect for the bounty of earth, and I knew planting a few personalized pots at our new house would help her feel at home. Such a planting would also help me. Because holy holy. If I had all the money spent over the years on those fresh cut herbs in the grocery store, I’d be a wealthy chicken.
So, we buzzed down to a local greenhouse (highly recommended over those big box stores who hold a limited and less-than-inspiring collection of plants and pots, compared to the individualized attention and shopping palette available at indie growers) and found a few giant, glazed pots that whispered or shouted to us with their funkydelish colors, shapes, and personalities.
It was fun.
Once in place, it became funner.
On the way home, we stopped by our local Import store and grabbed strand after strand of Tibetan prayer flags. These beautiful, colorful lengths of fabric printed with “auspicious” symbols are used to bless the surrounding atmosphere. Each flag is decorated with woodblock, symbolizing peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. It is believed the flags promote prayers and mantras through the wind to spread good will and compassion into all pervading space. Thus, prayer bringing benefit to all.
I’m not Buddhist but I love this idea. I love the colors. I love that my son, Jacob, in stepping onto the threshold of our patio and seeing the flags said “Mom, this is wonderful. It’s like everyday, we remember you’re praying for us.”
Always.
Want a pack of your own Prayer Flags? Tell me about a time when you prayed or wished or whispered for peace, compassion, strength, or wisdom and felt the fruits of that hope in your own life, and I’ll enter you in a giveaway for a 5-pack of prayer flags for your own patio, backyard, or local mountainside.
5 Tips to Growing Herbs in Pots
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Sun Exposure. Most herbs need ample sun to grow, so placing your containers in a location that sees 4-6 hours of sunlight every day is ideal. Before planting your herbs and placing your pots, check the sun requirement of each herbs and adjust accordingly.
2. Proper Watering. Because they don't have enough soil to hold ample amounts of water, herbs in pots need to be daily. The soil should feel cool and not dry, but not overly swampy or moist.
3. Feeding and Fertilizing. If your herbs begin to look pale or unhealthy, they might be begging for a fertilizing. Always use all-natural, organic fertilizers specially marked for food plants because it can affect the taste and health value of your herbs. When applying fertilizers to your herbs, go easy. Herbs that are grown too fast can grown with less oils and flavors. If you planted your herbs in a good, nutrient-filled potting mix, chances are you won't need to feed your herbs often.
3. Pruning Herbs. Pruning your herbs properly will encourage a nice bushy shape with lots more herb to use. Luckily, culinary herbs thrive when cut and pruned. The more you use them, the more you will see growing back. Trim your herbs as you use them or prune as needed with snips or shears. Even in hedges, keep plants far enough apart for good air circulation, and whenever pruning, lay a piece of plastic, paper, or cloth beside and beneath the plant to catch the clippings. During the end-of-season harvest, make sure to harvest no more than 2/3 of your herbs to allow the leaves to grow back.
5. Deadheading. Similar to pruning, deadheading is done by removing spent flowers to prevent your herbs from seeding. Once they've seeded, the plants tend to think they've finished their purpose and will stop growing. Snipping off spent flowers tricks the herbs into growing more leaves.
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Rana on May 21, 2012 at 8:15 am
I recently lost my grandfather – the first of my grandparents, I’ve been so blessed – and much was learned from that experience. Prayers were sent from far and wide for he and our family. I believe they were received as we were somehow strong and cohesive and much was accomplished when we had each other to lean on. I prayed for peace for him.
Colleen on May 21, 2012 at 9:18 am
I did a lot of praying for strength and wisdom over the 2 years my husband had to live out of state from our family for his job. I needed strength to parent my two children most of the time as a “single mama”. I needed a lot of wisdom to know that “this too shall pass” and to be supportive to my husband who was struggling with his own issues from being so far away from us and only coming home every other weekend. He has been back home with us full time for 9 months now. I try really hard to remember to be thankful and realize my blessings now that my prayers were answered.
Kari on May 21, 2012 at 1:23 pm
I pray for these things every night. For myself and my family.
lissa on May 21, 2012 at 2:36 pm
I am a preschool teacher in a temple. my 4 year olds built and painted (from tissue boxes) our own Kotel, or Western wall to look like the wall in Israel, All the children put messages on the wall for peace, kindness to all, the whole world to be friends and health. Whenever i look over at the wall it makes me smile, and gives me the strength to just go on!!! Everyday that i wake up is a great day!!
Leanna on May 21, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I am getting ready to move into a new place with a great patio, but this could make it so much fun to hang out in the back yard. I would love the splash of color.
Mandy on May 21, 2012 at 3:43 pm
In the last two months, I’ve lost my faith because I found out that the church I was raised in was not true which has led to broken friendships and family ties. Then I lost a friend to suicide. These two events have caused me to need to put positive thoughts, positive energy and universal prayers out into the universe for strength, direction and understanding. Those flags are beautiful, and the meer presense would remind me of all the good there is in the world! It’s easy to forget because I sometimes find it hard to see beyong the cubical of my own life. I think we all need to create a calm, relaxing, spiritual place were we can remember the good and feel at peace. You’re patio looks amazing.
Jacqueline Todd on May 21, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Each night I pray for peace and compassion to light the heart of all. Life would be much easier if those virtues were prevalent in every heart.
Thank you for sharing your lovely patio. It does indeed look peaceful. And, thank you for sharing your awesome recipes!
mangiabella on May 22, 2012 at 9:59 pm
bella bella, catching up on the plethora of posts I’ve missed these past few weeks. smiling as always. vegan manna lipsmackers – ha! love the vegan lunch ideas. Muir Glen is bomb dig…hands down. and those meatballs…they got me thinking. Did they taste good enough to toss in with some quinoa pasta and some crushed muir glen to re-create spaghetti & meat-a-balls? Loooovin’ those pots…u rock mama, and a belated happy mother’s day to you too. xo, j
Rana on May 23, 2012 at 5:11 pm
WELL, how things can change quickly, eh?! I have just found out that we are moving across this fair country in July (date could change slightly). I also have four kids, boy 11, b/g twins 3, and girl 1.5. 6000kms! My head is veritably spinning as you can appreciate. Pray for me, it’s going to be a busy two months! I may need more than Prayer Flags, ahahahahah, but they’ll be a good start in my new place, wherever that may be.
Rana on May 23, 2012 at 6:46 pm
(Canada, by the way)
Rana on June 8, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Are there still prayer flags up for grabs here?