For several years, we would grow basil, cilantro and dill as single plants in eight inch, herb sized pots. But they never did as well as we hoped. Almost immediately after potting the single starts, the cilantro and dill would bolt. Also as a single plant, the basil would so easily stress over the hot part of summer days. We figured the three plants just weren't cut out for our dry desert air. So we struggled along with our less than exciting herb garden.

Then one day a couple years back, we happened to be at our neighbor's house across the street where we saw basil being grown as a thick forest of crowded plants. The pot was large, a barrel type container, and flourishing. So, we tried it. We bought seeds and a good potting soil, and sowed the seeds as you can see in the photo. Each pot provides a little herb forest.

The basil, both green and purple as pictured, is growing quickly now that the weather has become consistently warm and the nights are less cool. We will soon be randomly picking the leaves off these plants. We read somewhere that the cilantro can be mowed like grass, so we tried it. This helps to keep the plants from going to seed, as they are otherwise prone to do rather quickly.

Located lower right in the purple pot is the dill. We're attempting a little dill forest in this pot. It is an experiment. Not that we need to find a solution to bolting. Dill often does perfectly well as a single plant in a pot. We're just interested in seeing what happens.

This year this herb garden also has two fennel bulbs growing in a single pot. They faint if they don't get enough water, but if watered, they are growing large and beautiful, with that deep fennel green. So delicious, too. We can't wait to eat them.

Drycreek has a great selection of seeds. Supplies are limited. You can plant several types of herb seeds anytime of the season, to keep your herb garden going.