Katie's Healthy Bites: A Mother's Day Herb Garden

Herb Garden - Image Courtesy Food Network Magazine

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Photo by: Peter Andersson ©Mimbild ab

Peter Andersson, Mimbild ab

One of my favorite gifts for the mom that loves to cook is an herb garden. It is thoughtful, beautiful, useful and of course tasty. Here's how to put one together, just in time for next Sunday's Mother's Day.

The Basics
  • Pick a planter, like a pot or box or reuse a wooden crate or bin
  • Choose a nutrient-dense potting soil
  • Pick you herbs: I always start with mainstream, low-maintenance herbs that most home cooks are familiar with, like basil, parsley, rosemary and chives, but you can tailor your garden to the recipient's likes and dislikes. Visit your local garden store for a large variety of sprouted herbs.
  • Label the plants with clean Popsicle sticks and tags to label each herb
  • Include a few of your favorite recipes to inspire your mom to use the goodies she's  growing. (Get my suggestions in next week's post, or try a few of the favorites listed at the bottom.)

Is your mom a pro in the garden or up for craft time? How about a DIY herb garden kit? Pick your planter or pot and use it as a basket to hold all the garden-starting goodies:

  • Herb seed packets
  • Small shovel
  • Garden shears
  • Gardening gloves
  • Small watering bucket
  • Plant tags or labels and a waterproof pen
  • Potting soil
  • Planting instructions
  • Recipes

This is a gift that shows thought, creativity and just like Moms,  it keeps on giving!

Recipes to Try:

TELL US: What are your favorite herbs to grow?

Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian, personal chef and owner of HealthyBites, LLC. See Katie's full bio »

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