A home herb garden is a beautiful way to add aroma and flavor to your kitchen. It’s easy for any beginner or advanced gardener to get started growing a variety of herbs. Herb gardens are simply a group of live herbs growing in a container of soil. Usually, an herb garden is grown indoors so the freshest seasonings are right at your fingertips. Then you can grab some garnish for a ‘Gram-worthy plating or whip up homemade sauces quickly! 

Herb Gardens

An indoor herb garden is easy to care for because you can keep a close eye on it. It requires just a small amount of maintenance for a big, tasty payoff. Use whatever herbs you want! Common herbs to start your herb garden include basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley, dill, and sage. These are used often to cook dishes in cuisines all over the world.

Herb gardens are a great way to save money and waste less, too. Purchasing packs of herbs in plastic packaging is a thing of the past! You can simply pick them fresh from your herb garden whenever you need a little extra something for your meal. A pretty kitchen and tasty food has never been so simple.

Starting an Herb Garden

Starting an herb garden is one of the easiest ways to add extra pizazz to your meals. It’s as easy as picking a sunny spot (like the kitchen windowsill) and selecting your favorite herbs. Avoid invasive herbs like mint, which grows abundantly like a weed. Pre-made kits make starting an herb garden quick, but it’s easy to put your own together with fresh starts or cuttings of plants. You can use herbs already planted in soil and just transplant them to your container of choice. Tacoma Boys offers a wide range of potting soil for your fresh herbs to grow in a raised bed or container.

If you’d rather take it outside or take things on the go, Tacoma Boys’ various ceramic pots are a beautiful option. Our guide on planting herbs in ceramic pots offers some great tips on choosing just the right pot.

How To Care For Herb Gardens

One reason starting an herb garden is so simple is because of the low maintenance required. It’s quite easy to care for your herb garden and doesn’t require extra materials. Some people may opt for plant food or fertilizer, but it’s not necessary. 

• Water the herbs once or twice a week, depending on what herbs are planted. To see if your herbs are thirsty, touch the first inch or so of the soil of the plant. If it feels dry, go ahead and gently water the roots.
• Harvest the herbs regularly as you cook and eat. Frequent harvesting is good! It encourages further growth of the plant. Go ahead and dry or freeze the fresh herbs if you won’t use them immediately. 
• Sun is important for your herb garden. Some herbs like more or less sunlight, but most will do well with an average of a few hours per day.
• Prune flowers when they pop up. It’s not necessary, but some herbs such as oregano and thyme will sprout flower blooms in the spring and summer. To keep your plant bushy and encourage growth of leaves (the part you harvest), snip the buds.

Cooking with Fresh Herbs

Cooking with fresh herbs is an easy way to elevate many dishes. It’s also super rewarding to reap the benefits of your gardening skills (fork, meet mouth)! Some meals and dishes can be based entirely on an herb, or simply use it as an extra ingredient or garnish. 

Breakfast

Persian Herb Frittata by The Kitchn makes great use of fresh dill and other herbs. Just start with Smith Brothers Farms Premium Eggs.

Lunch

Pesto pasta is made with fresh basil or parsley, lemon, pine nuts, and quality olive oil and grated parmesan cheese. Our favorite ingredients for a pasta pesto include Tacoma Boys Olio Dorato Lemon Garlic Olive Oil and Delallo Organic Farfalle Pasta.

Dinner

Strip Steak with Chimichurri Sauce by Jessica Gavin with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes by Rachel Cooks. Fresh oregano, cilantro, and parsley come into play in the chimichurri while rosemary perfectly seasons Baby Red Potatoes. We like Prime Grade Top Sirloin for this meal. 

Snack

Pull-Apart Sour Cream and Chive Rolls by Bon Appetit. Cooking with fresh herbs makes these buttery tolls tasty enough to enjoy as a snack any time of the day. Bob’s Red Mill Bread Flour makes them soft and flaky.

Cocktail

Basil alongside mint or lime is one of the tastiest ways to use fresh herbs in a drink. This recipe uses fresh basil alongside cocktail basics like simple syrup and club soda. 

Basil Mojito 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 10 fresh basil leaves
• Juice of two limes (2 ounces)
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 4 ounces white rum
• Club soda to top
• 2 lime wedges and basil leaves to garnish

Directions

1. Lightly muddle the basil and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker.
2. Add the lime juice and white rum and shake with ice for 30 seconds.
3. Strain into two glasses and fill with club soda to preference.
4. Garnish with lime wedges and basil leaves and enjoy!

Get Creative In the Kitchen

Swing by your local Tacoma Boys to get prepped for those fresh and flavorful meals made with your herb garden. No matter what you have planned for the menu, fresh herbs are almost always a thoughtful addition. To stay up to date on insider deals and specials, sign up for Tacoma Boys’ text list. Just text (253) 246-1661 to tell Paul you want to be on the list!

Whether you’re looking for fresh cut flowers to grace your mom’s table top, flowering potted plants for a gift that keeps giving, or hanging baskets to remind her that her front porch will always feel like home to you, Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce have the Mother’s Day flowers you need to tell your mother how much she means to you this year.

Mother’s Day is just a few short days away. What do you get for the woman who gave you life? While there’s nothing you can ever buy to repay her for what she’s done for you–the sacrifices she’s made or the love she’s given–flowers are a classic for a reason. Flowers represent life and love and gratitude–the perfect combination of sentiments for Mother’s Day. They’re the ideal gift for the woman who has everything or is just content with what she has. You can never have too much of a beautiful thing! 

When it comes to flowers, you have options. Your choices range from very low maintenance fresh-cut flowers (just pick them out and put them in water) to flowering potted plants, which require a little more care, but keep on keeping on. Whatever you think is the right option for your mom, we have the highest quality Mother’s Day flowers around and a great selection from which to choose. Here, we’ve devised a simple guide to get you started:

4 Steps to Choosing the Perfect Mother’s Day Flowers

1. Choose Your Type

You know your mom best, so this part is up to you. Take a moment to consider your mother’s lifestyle and preferences. Is she a vase-on-the-table kind of girl or does she love being out in her garden? Does her porch or patio have a perfect spot for a hanging basket? Here are some options to consider:

Fresh-Cut Flowers

It doesn’t get simpler than fresh-cut flowers! These are a great option if your mother has a notoriously black thumb or simply doesn’t have an interest in caring for plants (she cared for you all those years, she deserves a break!) but still appreciates the thoughtfulness and temporary beauty of a bouquet. Here at Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce, we have a great selection of fresh cut flowers. Choose from bright, colorful tulip buds for a sweet spring look. Or you can’t go wrong with classic roses. If you don’t know your mom’s favorite flower, grab one of our beautifully arranged mixed bouquets for a gift that’s sure to make her smile. 

Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are a great option if your mother has an outdoor space she loves! Whether it’s a porch, patio or pergola, hanging baskets will greet your mother with color and cheer every time she steps outside. Hanging baskets are a great alternative to potted plants if space on the ground is limited, as in a small patio or porch, or if she loves garden flowers but has no garden. Hanging baskets often include vining plants or flowers that creep over the edge and give the whole space a lovely fragrance. 

Vegetable Starters

It’s a little non-traditional, but maybe vegetable starters are right up your mom’s alley! If pumpkin sprouts and sugar snap peas will make her heart happy, who’s to say they’re not the perfect alternative to Mother’s Day flowers? Check out our variety of tomato starts, butternut squash plants, and cucumbers. Or contribute to her herb garden with our cilantro, parsley, and chive starters. For the more practical mom who likes to eat what she grows, our quality vegetable starters will be just the thing for her this Mother’s Day.

Iceland Poppies

Flowering Potted Plants

Flowering plants can be kept indoors or out. They’re a great choice for assisted living or apartment living where gardening is not an option. Maybe your mother loves the idea of growing flowers, but doesn’t want the responsibility of a full garden. Just a few potted plants are a great place to start! Right now, Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce have an especially beautiful assortment of colorful African Violets and Non-Stop Begonias, both excellent indoor plants. If you’re looking for an outdoor plant, our Canna Lillies and Iceland Poppies offer a beautiful pop of color.

2. Get Specific

Now that you’ve decided the general type of Mother’s Day flowers to buy, there are a few more considerations to make. Nailing down the specifics will help you get her something you know she’ll love and can care for without too much inconvenience. 

Variety

Do you know what kind of flower your mom loves? If you’re not big into surprises, ask her! For fresh-cut, this isn’t a huge deal due to the temporary nature of them. But it might be worth knowing for sure if she has strong preferences, since she’ll likely be the one caring for live plants. 

Color

Pick a color you know your mom loves! Take cues from her space and her clothes if you don’t know offhand. If buying outdoor flowers, make sure you buy flowers in a color that compliments the exterior of her house. 

Climate

If you’re choosing a live plant, knowing a little about your plant’s new home is vital. When buying your plant, keep in mind if it’s meant to be an outdoor plant or an indoor plant. Some plants, like our African Violets, thrive in indoor environments. Others, like our beautiful Salvia Blues, are primarily outdoor plants. In the same way, some hanging baskets–like our gorgeous Fuschia baskets–like a semi-sunny area, while others–like our “Madison Avenue” variety hanging basket–do best with lots of sun!

Care

Fresh-cut flowers will only need water and a vase. But living flowers will need a little extra love. Consider what level of care your plant is likely to receive. If you walk in with an idea of how often your mother is able to water her flowers, it might guide you to a higher or lower maintenance plant. Bonus gift: consider offering “plant care services” along with your Mother’s Day Flowers! It’ll give you an excuse to visit more often and take the responsibility off her plate. 

3. Read Up

Once you’ve chosen the perfect flowers for the mother in your life, be sure to read the care instructions. Degree of complication varies, but knowing proper care will ensure to set your mom up for success with flowers (or vegetables) that will stay healthy all year long!

4. Don’t Forget the Pot!

For a finishing touch, check out our huge assortment of quality ceramic pots! This is essential if you’ve chosen a potted flowering plant for your mother. We have a wide variety of sizes and colors from which to choose. Some pots and potted plants are easy pairs!  Literally just drop the potted plant into the ceramic pot, and they pair perfectly with no messy topsoil to deal with!  We know you’ll find what you need here at Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce. Swing by for a great deal on ceramic pots today!

Make Your Mother Smile with Mother’s Day Flowers

Whether you’re buying flowers for your mom, a woman in your life who is like a mother to you, the mother of your children, or another special mom in your life, you can’t go wrong with beautiful, quality flowers from Tacoma Boys or H&L Produce! Our plants are sourced locally, so you can feel great about shopping local for your Mother’s Day flowers this year. 

Aside from their beauty, there are so many ways to use our ceramic pots in your home and garden. Here are a handful of the reasons that we love potting! (more…)