Outdoor Herbs

Shop-Rite periodically sells small pots of herbs for $1.99 each.  At the beginning of the season I bought containers of basil and spearmint.  The mint thrives, the basil shriveled within days.  My own plantings have not done well.  Rosemary that I purchased from a garden center should keep my recipes fulfilled through the first frost, though I've not been successful at winter storage.  Those planted from seed have not prospered.  I have some dill and some parsley, though nothing like the cooks on TV snip from their portable containers.  Chives never flourish.  Thyme struggles.  Basil from seed has done well indoors, though not in my front door containers.  Oregano has some sprouts.  Spearmint from a previous year, often abundant approaching weed status, did not reappear in last year's container. There is some coriander which may be usable by summer's end.  And time will tell if the sprouting oregano progresses.

So as I unexpectedly rolled my cart past the herb selection, now at mid-season and again reduced to $1.99 per pot, I added mature chives and basil to my grocery purchase.  When I got home, I simply inserted each into empty larger pots, placed them outside for the upcoming rain to hydrate them, and will harvest some within the next week, while monitoring their progress.