Grow Abundant Herbs and Greens

WHAT’S INSIDE
THIS EBOOK?
2

My Story

5

Why I Love Growing Herbs & Greens in Pots

10

3 Plants I Love to Grow

14

These Babies Need You!

16

Gone Potty

23

Rosina’s Awesome Potting Mix Recipe

31

Organic Potting Mix Supply List

33

Don’t Break Your Seedling’s Neck!

39

Going Deep: Planting From Seed

44

Watering & Feeding Your Potted Herbs & Greens

47

45 Herbs & Greens for Dynamic Health & Flavour

51

How to Grow an Indoor Herb Garden

55

Augh I Killed My Basil

58

4 Secrets to Growing Coriander

61

11 Strategies to ‘Pest & Pet Proof’ Your Potted Garden

66

Your Potted Garden Shopping List

68

The Weekly Garden Check-List

70

How to Make Fresh Home-Grown Herbal Tea

72

Want to Grow More Organic Food?

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MY STORY
I’M NICOLA CHATHAM AND I MOVED TO
THE COUNTRY THREE YEARS AGO TO
HEAL MY HEALTH. MY DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
HAD BECOME SO HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO
PESTICIDES, I COULDN’T EAT
CONVENTIONALLY GROWN VEGGIES
WITHOUT FEELING LIKE MY GUT WAS ON
FIRE.

IT GOT SO BAD I REMEMBER PUTTING
AN ICE-PACK ON MY BELLY TRYING
TO REDUCE THE SWELLING AND
BURNING AFTER EATING A
CONVENTIONALLY GROWN RED
CAPSICUM.

My naturopath did some tests and we
discovered I could eat organically grown
veggies without feeling like I wanted to cry.
Which brought me to a rather scary
realisation... If I was going to feel safe eating
anything again, I was going to have to know it
was grown organically. And the only way I felt
I’d know for sure it hadn’t been sprayed with
pesticides, was if I’d grown it myself.
So I bought one and a half acres in the
country and had visions of rows and rows of
vegetable beds extending down my property.
I thought my life was going to become a fulltime occupation of growing food.
Thankfully, I was I wrong!
I found I could grow enough organic food in
the back corner of my yard, and I only spent
about one afternoon every three months
actually maintaining the garden.
But how did I do that? How did I make a
garden that’s so abundant and requires such
little maintenance? I did what you’re doing
now; I armed myself with knowledge and
insider tips from people who’d done it before
me. I ﬂew down to Victoria and studied my

N I C O L A C H AT H A M . C O M

Permaculture Design Certiﬁcate at Melbourne
University, joined my local Permaculture
group and made friends with older, wiser
organic gardeners who taught me so many
clever organic gardening methods and tips
so I could make a garden that saves me time,
effort and a great deal of belly-ache.
Doing that research armed me with an
understanding of how plants grow, what they
need, where to put them, and ways to have a
garden that produces organic food all year
round.
It’s a little bit like heaven.
Right now I have mandarin trees laden with
fruit. The lemon tree is literally drooping with
lemons. There are over forty herbs in the
garden including basil, rosemary, chives,
parsley and a bunch of more unusual ones I’ll
introduce you to in the following chapters.
The mango tree provided my dessert for
months over Christmas. I eat salad from the
veggie patch every day, and the changing
seasons continue to provide delightful
inspiration for my other love, which is painting
landscapes and abstract oil paintings based
on nature.
My health has improved SO much since I’ve
surrounded myself with all this nutritious food
and included it in my day-to-day meals.
Watching the garden develop and grow has
nurtured my soul. My stress levels have gone
down. And my digestive system is the best
it’s been in over a decade.

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But where does my herb garden ﬁt into all of this?
Why do I believe growing herbs and greens in pots is
the best way to begin growing organic food,
particularly if you don’t want to do what I did, and
turn your life upside-down to move to the country and
start anew?
And how can herbs support your health, improve
your nutrition and provide a deep sense of
abundance to your life?
In the next chapter you’ll discover why I love
growing herbs and greens in pots... and you will
too!!!
Welcome to the joy of growing your own organic
food. It’s so much fun once you get started! I’m sure
we’re going to have a blast on this journey together.
With love,


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WHY I LOVE GROWING
HERBS & GREENS IN POTS

I LOVE THINGS TO BE PRETTY SIMPLE IN MY LIFE.
EASY. MANAGEABLE. AND FUN. AND GROWING
ORGANIC FOOD IN POTS IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
When I lived in the city, I was renting and didn’t have permission to
make permanent gardens in the back-yard. Plus, I never knew how
long I was going to stay there (it turned out to be 7 years… plenty of
time to have made a garden!), if the rent was going to go up, if I’d meet
a man and fall in love, or some other enticing adventure might come
along and make me want to end my lease. So instead of digging up the
lawn and planting potatoes, I gathered together ﬁve small, and three
large pots for herbs, leafy greens & ﬂowers.
I remember saving up to buy those pots (some of which I still have
today). Even though they were only a few dollars, I was on a tight


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budget as an art student living alone, and was always counting my
coins. I remember the pride and excitement I felt, bringing my pots
home. The sense that they were not only going to help me save money
(one of my favourite things to eat was baby rocket and spinach; both of
which were about $3 a bag) they were also going to give me something
to nurture and look forward to checking on each morning.
I knew enough about gardening from my Grandpa and watching
Gardening Australia to ﬁnd some sunshine, which was on my backsteps, and placed them carefully in a row. They looked delightful.
I still remember what I grew; in the 5 small pots I planted parsley,
spring onions, lemon thyme, oregano and Greek basil. In the large pots
I sprinkled seeds for rocket and spinach, and planted seedlings of
mixed lettuces and colourful violas.
For years I cared for those pots, and they produced an enormous
amount of food for my salads. I stopped buying lettuce and always
had herbs on hand to spruce up my simple meals and make them
taste mouth-wateringly delicious.


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When friends came over, I’d boast how I’d
grown the lettuce we were eating, and the
proudest moment was when two chef
friends ate my chicken and mango salad.
They said the lettuce was the best they’d
tasted. “It actually has flavour, Nic. Most
lettuce these days just tastes like water,”
they said.

the time, as well as digestive problems I
also had chronic fatigue and Epstein Barr
Virus. My veggie patch out the back was
already growing an abundance of food
and very low-maintenance since it was set
up with a simple automatic watering
system and plenty of mulch to keep the
weeds down.

Wow. Satisfaction.

However, lots of people were asking me for
helpful instructions on how to grow organic
food in their rental property or apartment.
And I like to maximise my efforts, so I
decided to make my balcony garden and
film my online gardening course Grow
Organic Food in Pots at the same time
because that way, if I decided I didn’t
need my potted garden, it would have still
been a useful exercise in helping other’s
learn what to do.

Back then, I didn’t know how to make my
own organic potting mix, and I simply used
a bag of Searles vegetable and flower mix.
I fertilsed with liquid worm castings
though, which were organic, and can’t
remember ever having a problem with
caterpillars or bugs.
I’m not a scientist, and I haven’t tested this
theory, but I suspect even if you grow your
own food in conventional potting mix
(some of which are much better than
others) and feed your plants with organic
fertiliser, you’ll be far in front when it comes
to nutrition, flavour and less chemicals on
your food than the conventional food you
buy at the supermarket.
But since then, I’ve studied organic
gardening and learnt a few handy tricks
I’m going to share with you. One of which,
is how to make your own organic
potting mix which will ensure you’re
eating the best, most nutritious food
possible.
These days, I grow organic food in pots on
my balcony… and funnily enough I had to
convince myself it was worthwhile, that I
wouldn’t kill them, and I’d find a way to
water them even with my limited energy. At


Fast forward one year, to now.
Recently I returned home after a nine week
road-trip in my van down to Melbourne
and Tasmania, and came back to discover
exactly what all that time away (without
anyone doing any watering or gardening)
had meant for my veggie patch and potted
garden.
Well, the veggie patch was like a jungle. It
had rained quite a bit, and the nasturtiums,
bush basil, pumpkins, and not to mention
weeds such as cobbler’s pegs and bluetop had pretty much taken over the
pathways. In fact, there was a pumpkin
bigger than a basket ball, just waiting to
be made into soup, where there hadn’t
even been a pumpkin plant growing when
I left.

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So, while it felt like there was an abundance of
sorts, it also felt like a lot of work to get things
back in order. I’m planning some clever new
‘veggie patch renovations’ over the coming
weeks; to lay better pathways where weeds
won’t grow so easily, and improve the edging of
my garden beds which will make the patch even
less maintenance when I go away for long
periods.
The balcony garden, however, surprised me
the most. Two pots of spring onions, a large
window box of sweet basil, and another window
box of rosemary, were not only hanging in there,
they were thriving. There were no weeds, and the
couple of plants who’d passed away (violas and
lemon thyme) where easily replaced with pretty
white alyssum and a new lemon thyme the
following day. Job done.
Where as three weeks later, the veggie patch is
still feeding me, but it’s also waiting for extra


hands to make light work. And maybe a bobcat
as well!
So, what I love about growing herbs and
greens in pots, is the simplicity of it. The
neatness. It’s all so tidy and under control.
Not like a big garden that spills over its edges
and likes to grow beyond its boundaries.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my veggie patch too,
but this book is about pots and I’m just saying,
sometimes I miss those simple days back in the
rental property when I didn’t have one and a half
acres of lawn to mow, pumpkins that take over
my pathways, and cobbler’s pegs sticking to my
track-suit pants when I pop out to harvest a
salad from the veggie patch.
Growing herbs & greens in pots is delightfully
simple when you know how & anyone can do it.
No matter where you live, there will be
something you can easily grow to enjoy with
breakfast, lunch & dinner!

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3 HERBS & GREENS
I LOVE TO GROW
IN POTS
EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE,
OR TIME, YOU CAN STILL GROW ENOUGH
ORGANIC FOOD TO DELIGHT YOUR TASTEBUDS, SAVE MONEY ON ORGANIC FOOD,
AND FEEL EVER SO PROUD OF YOURSELF.
If for some reason I was only going to grow three plants
in pots, these following herbs and greens are what I
would choose...

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SORREL
I love sorrel!!! It’s a leafy green (actually an herb)
and I use it instead of lettuce. It tastes kind of
‘zingy’ with a lemon flavour, and adds SO much
flavour to almost all my meals (I even have it with
my eggs for breakfast).
But what I really love about sorrel, is it’s super-low
maintenance. It’s a perennial, which means it
grows for years and years, instead of only lasting
for say spring or summer and then going to
flower and dying (like lettuce does).


I planted my sorrel three years ago, and it’s still
growing vigorously. I literally grab a handful,
chop it up and add it to whatever I’m about to
eat. So, it doesn’t take up space in the fridge,
and it doesn’t go ‘manky’ or soggy like leafy
greens we try to store in the crisper. It’s just
sitting there, waiting for me outside, dancing in
the sunlight.
Try it, but mix it with some other salad leaves if
you like a blander flavour!

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ROCKET
I love leafy greens that have a lot of flavour, and
rocket, also known as arugula, is no exception.
Kind of ‘peppery’ in flavour, it has a lovely kick to
it. The bitterness is supposed to be very good for
our health, but I eat it mostly because I love the
taste.

(depending on how valuable the ‘real estate’ is of
the pot it’s growing in, you may choose to plant
something else to eat) and you can save the
seeds in a brown paper bag and plant them
again, basically giving you free plants and
therefore free food.

Rocket isn’t a perennial, which means it needs to
be planted every year, but it’s super simple to
grow from seed and if you decide to let it go to
flower, those flowers will turn into seeds

Gotta love that!


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SWEET BASIL
I’m really scratching my head as to the final
plant I’d choose if I could only have three.
Also in the running would be lemon thyme,
spring onions and parsley. But sweet basil
goes so beautifully with eggs, salad, soups,
and pretty much everything else, I think it
would be my third compliment to the sorrel
and rocket.
Who doesn’t love sweet basil with fresh
tomatoes? What a match made in heaven!
During the summer months I stroll around
the garden picking cherry tomatoes,
wrapping them in fresh sweet basil leaves
and popping them in my mouth. They’re still
warm from the sun and literally explode with
flavour.
If summer had a flavour, I think that’s what it
would be.
It’s a good thing it’s easy to have more than
three pots of herbs. But these three plants
are a beautiful start even if you don’t have
a lot of time or space. Now, let’s find out
how to grow herbs and greens in pots at
your place!


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3

THESE BABIES NEED YOU!
YOU KNOW HOW LITTLE NEW BORN
BABIES RELY ON US TO PROVIDE
THEIR FOOD, SHELTER, MILK AND
OTHER NEEDS WHEN THEY’RE
GROWING? WELL, PLANTS
GROWING IN POTS ARE SIMILAR.
Except thankfully we can leave them at home
when we go out to the beach or shops and they’re

not going to die, scream or need a nappy
change. But what they do need, is some
nutrients, water and shelter.
This is particularly true for potted gardens,
because when a plant is growing in a pot, it
has to rely solely on us to get its needs met.
Being encased in a pot means it can’t send
its roots down deeper to get more nutrients
or water. Those have to come from us.
But in fact, we do have a bunch of willing
helpers who LOVE helping us feed our
plants and make them healthy and naturally
pest resistant.
What am I talking about?
The secret to healthy plants who pretty much
grow themselves, is making sure your plant
are growing in healthy soil. And what makes
healthy soil? The wonderful world of microorganisms!
When you grow a plant organically, that is,
without the use of synthetic fertilisers or
chemicals, the way it takes up nutrients and
minerals from the soil is with the help of tiny
little micro-organisms in the soil who unlock
those nutrients and make them available for
the plant to absorb via its roots.
These tiny little micro-organisms include
things like bacteria, fungi, protozoa and yes,
even our delightful and much loved earth
worm (which, did you know as an interesting
side note, are hermaphrodites? Clever little
things.)
So, when we are growing herbs and greens
in pots, we need to make sure the potting


mix we plant into is alive with little microorganisms.
Because not only will those micro-organisms
unlock the nutrients in the soil for our plants
to use, those nutrients will then make our
plants naturally pest and disease resistant!
Similar to us, plants have an inbuilt ‘immune
system’ and for them to stay strong and
healthy, they need minerals and nutrients in
their soil, which boosts their health.
If you and I have been getting enough rest,
exercise and good nutrition, and our immune
system is strong, we can stand next to
someone with a cold or ﬂu and not get sick.
Plants have a natural defense system too.
Which means, if they’re getting their nutrients
from the soil, they have the right amount of
water, enough sunshine and aren’t getting
blown to bits in the wind, they’ll be able to
resist bugs and diseases just like we can
resist a common cold. It’s nature’s way of
protecting the strong and building up a
healthy population.
But how do you make your soil alive with
micro-organisms? How can you ensure your
herbs & greens are growing in excellent
conditions that’ll help them grow up strong?
You’re about to discover how to improve
store-bought potting mix in the next
chapter, and in chapter 6 you’ll discover
how to make your own super-charged
potting mix that’s full of micro-organisms,
so your plants grow strong and healthy!

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4

GONE POTTY
CHOOSING WHICH POTS TO USE AND
FIGURING OUT WHERE TO PUT THEM
WILL DETERMINE IF YOUR GARDEN HAS
FLOURISHING SUCCESS, OR VERY
DISAPPOINTING RESULTS.
HERE ARE 3 SECRETS TO SUCCESS...

CHOOSING WHERE TO PUT YOUR POTS COMES
DOWN TO TWO MAIN FACTORS, WHICH WHEN
COMBINED, I LIKE TO CALL YOUR ‘SWEET SPOT.’
Finding your sweet spot is pretty simple. It’s just a matter of taking into
account two main things...

SUNSHINE
Most edible plants need a minimum of four hours sunshine a day to
grow well. Many gardening books from Europe suggest more, but here
in Australia we have much stronger sun and can get away with less. In
fact, sometimes during summer it can be a matter of creating shade for
our little ‘babies’ to stop them frying. During winter plants slow down
their growth and need as much sunshine as they can get to thrive.


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So, one day when you’re going to be home all
day, set your alarm for two hour intervals, and
take notice of where the sun actually falls on your
balcony, patio or court-yard. You may be
surprised to see where your sunniest spots are
when you actually track the sunshine.
On my balcony, which faces south-east, only the
railings get sunshine in the morning, which is why
I used window boxes to catch that all important
and precious sunlight.
You may need to use vertical space at your place
to get the most sunshine you can too, or you may
need to look at the front, instead of the back of
your house.
The second thing to look at when choosing where
to put your potted garden is...


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T H E S M A RT P E R M AC U LT U R E
PRINCIPLE OF ‘ZONES’
I adore the common-sense practical thinking that
goes into much Permaculture design work.
Permaculture, by the way, is a concept of working
with nature to live in a way that’s more sustainable
and focuses also on building solid communities.
One principle I teach my students in my online
gardening courses, is the smart principle of ‘zones’.
Which, while it doesn’t apply so strongly to balcony
gardening because we’re already working in such a
small space, is still a very useful concept to be aware
of so you can make your garden less work, easy to
manage, and a pleasure to harvest from.

ZONES HELP MAKE YOUR LIFE EASY!
I’m a huge advocate for making things simple. And
one way to do this, is by putting those things you use
the most, the closest to where you will be using them.
Zones follow this simple idea:
Zone 1: is closest to your house and is for small
veggies, herbs & things you harvest regularly, like
lemons
Zone 2: is for larger veggies & small fruits and is a
little further away from the house
Zone 3: is further away still, and suits large fruit trees
Zone 4: is great for growing ﬁrewood / woodland
Zone 5: is left for nature’s regeneration


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WHEN IT COMES TO GROWING
HERBS AND GREENS IN POTS, IT’S
EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO KEEP YOUR
PLANTS CLOSE TO YOUR KITCHEN.
Find a spot for your potted garden where you’ll see
them everyday and they’re easy to dash out to
harvest, even if it’s raining. That way, you’ll notice
when it’s time to harvest them, if they need some
extra loving, or if they’re due for a drink.
Since they grow pretty much continuously, it’s highly
likely you’ll want to use them multiple times a day...
and you’ll be encouraged to do just that if they are
easy to harvest!


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I harvest my herbs up to six times a day. I pick them to make teas,
sprinkle them on my eggs for breakfast, chop them up for salads, as a
garnish on top of soups and pretty much with everything I eat. The
reason I’m happy to use them so often, is because I’ve planted them
supper close to my kitchen. Making it just as easy to pick a few leaves
of fresh mint from the garden for a herbal tea, as it is to get a tea-bag
from the cupboard.
So, when you’re looking at where you get the most sunshine, combine
that with a spot closest to your kitchen, and viola, you’ve found your
‘sweet spot.’

Put your pots in the sunshine & close to
your kitchen. Your legs (& tastebuds!)
will thank you for it!


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CHOOSE YOUR POTS WISELY
Not all pots were created equal. Some will save you work, while others
will have you chained to your garden with a watering can in one hand
and an umbrella in the other during summer.
Basically, I recommend using pots that are not porous if you want to
cut down your time watering. I don’t suggest using terra-cotta and
unglazed ceramic pots if you want a low-maintenance garden, as they
soak up your water. Instead, I love to use ﬁberglass, glazed ceramic
or even simply green plastic ones. They hold the moisture longer, and
make my garden less work.
Also, choose pots with drainage holes in the bottom, so water can
drain out and your plants won’t drown. The size of your pots will
depend a little on what you want to grow in them, but I’ve had success
with pots ranging from 15cm to 45cm in diameter, as they’re not too
small so as to dry out quickly, and not too big so that they’re too heavy
to move around when ﬁlled with potting mix.
Finally, choose pots that light you up to look at! And remember you
can recycle used ones (even those your friends and family no longer
use) to save yourself money and give the environment a break.


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5

ROSINA'S AWESOME
POTTING MIX!

OK GREAT! SO NOW YOU KNOW
WHERE TO PUT YOUR POTTED HERB
GARDEN, AND WHAT POTS TO
CHOOSE, IT’S TIME TO GET DIRTY!

BUT BEFORE WE DIVE INTO WHY ABUNDANT
GROWTH BEGINS WITH AWESOME POTTING
MIX, HERE’S A LITTLE BACK-STORY ABOUT WHY I
CARE SO MUCH ABOUT GROWING HERBS AND
GREENS ORGANICALLY.
About three and a half years ago my intestines were in a very bad
way. They were incredibly painful whenever I ate, due to an
infestation of the water-borne parasite giardia. Those nasty little
critters had burrowed through my gut walls, allowing partially
digested food to leak through my intestines and cause some pretty
serious inﬂammation. I lost ten percent of my body weight in a very
short time because I couldn’t eat without causing more pain.
With the help of my naturopath and a mora machine (an amazing
machine developed by a German scientist), we discovered the
parasite infestation had also made me highly sensitive to fruits
and veggies grown with chemicals. Which basically meant
eating conventionally gown food caused me hours and hours of
swelling, bloating and “Oh-My-God-My-Gut-Is-On-Fire” burning
pain.
I remember Googling trying to ﬁnd the information I needed to
learn how to grow organic food, and I came across some free talks
at my local libraries by a wonderful, eccentric and fun-loving
woman who’s since became my organic gardening mentor, Rosina
Buckman.

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I volunteered to help carry her bags around
the libraries and listened wide-eyed as she
showed photos of the abundant, organic
potted and veggie gardens she’d created
on her quarter acre suburban block.
Rosina convinced me it was worth doing
my Permaculture Design Certiﬁcate, and
taught me about growing seeds, pricking
out, planting seedlings, making a no-dig
garden and, you guessed it, growing
organic food in pots.
I visited her home and she showed me how
to make a shade-house, how to set up a
simple irrigation system with an automatic
timer, how to make incredible compost,
grow bananas, even how to make a little
frog pond and best of all, how to remember
to have lots fun along the way.


She helped me transition from growing
vegetables in pots using traditional,
conventional potting mix (which is made
with chemical fertilisers, wetting agents and
other questionable ingredients) to growing
in organic potting mix where the plants
thrived.
Rosina shared with me the value of
improving store-bought organic potting
mix with extra nutrients to really make
sure the plants had the best chance of
success. The bonus was the plants were
naturally strong and healthy and that
meant they could ward off pests and
diseases with their own natural ‘immune
system’, and thus provide me with the
best nutrition possible to help heal my
health.

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It’s been over three years now, and I think
some of her goodness must have rubbed off.
Because my gut no longer burns when I eat,
my veggie patch and potted gardens keep
producing an abundance of organic food for
my breakfast, lunch and dinner, and my energy
levels are on the up and up. Thank you Rosina,
you are a total gem and I love you. I’m so
blessed and inspired by knowing you.
Wisdom passed down through the ages...
Now, here is the awesome potting mix recipe I
learnt from the one and only, delightful Rosina
Buckman (who said to tell you she learnt it from
Permaculturist Jade Woodhouse, who learnt it
from who knows who…!)

HAVE FUN GETTING YOUR HANDS
DIRTY!!!

Giving our plants
awesome soil to grow
in is like fueling our
body with excellent,
high-quality organic
food. Totally worth it.


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ROSINA’S AWESOME POTTING MIX RECIPE

BONUS VIDEO! Watch along as Jess Ainscough and I make this awesome potting mix in
this super fun video post on The Wellness Warrior’s website here: http://
www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2013/09/wellness-warrior-tv-planting-balcony-herbgarden/

STEPS TO FOLLOW
1. You can begin with a layer of garden
roughage such as leaves, twigs or
weeds that don’t have any seeds in the
bottom of you pot (I often skip this step
and the mix still works beautifully… but
including this layer will add extra
nutrients and extend your potting mix for
no extra cost).


2. In a wheelbarrow, bucket or large
container, pour a large portion of good
quality certiﬁed organic potting mix
(be careful to check the bag has an
organic certiﬁcation label, since some
companies will use the word organic in
their name, but not actually be organic. In
Australia you can look for an organic

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stamp of approval from NASSA or BFA as
the certification bodies).
3. A few handfuls of well-rotted cow,
sheep, or horse manure (I like to use
Searles Organic 5 in 1 for this step
because I never seem to have well-rotted
manures just lying around the house!)
4. Some compost (home-made is best… or
you can get a bag of organic compost
from the nursery) – add a few large
handfuls
5. Rock minerals (I love a locally made
product called ‘Natramin’, but ‘GroLife’ is
another alternative, as is ‘crusher dust’
from a landscape supplier) – add a
handful
6. Fill your pot with your awesome organic
potting mix, then...
7. Put a dollop of molasses and a splash of
seaweed fertiliser in a bucket and half fill
it with water. Mix well (the smell is
wonderful because of the molasses!
Yum!)
8. Soak a portion of straw, lucerne or
sugar-cane mulch in the molasses and
seaweed mix until it has softened. You
may like to chop it up finely if it’s not
already in small pieces to make it easier
to curve around your plants in the next
step.


9. Cover the surface of your pots with the
mulch soaked in molasses and seaweed
to help feed your free work force of microorganisms (they love molasses!)

BONUS EXTRAS
In addition to that basic mix, I sometimes
like to add a bit of coconut coir peat if I can
be bothered going to the hardware store to
get it. Coconut coir peat is useful because it
holds moisture in the potting mix which
results in less work since you don’t have to
water as often (I’m always eager to find
simpler ways to garden)!
To prepare the coir peat, simply soak the
compressed brick in a bucket of water and it
will expand like a gorgeous, crumbly, wet
and fibrous sponge.
You could also use well-rotted saw-dust
(from untreated timber) or leaf mold (which
is made of leaves that have been piled up
and allowed to rot down over about a year
or two) to increase the water holding
capacity of your mix.
I sometimes add a few handfuls of
mushroom compost from an organic
mushroom farm if I have enough stockpiled
for the veggie patch. Mushroom compost
adds even more nutrients and holds
moisture in the potting mix as well.

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Rosina likes to sprinkle about 6-10 pallets
of Organic Xtra (a chicken manure
product) around the base of her plants
when they’re planted, kind of like a slowrelease fertiliser. I usually just mix a couple
of handfuls of it into the potting mix as I go.

the liquid drains out of my worm farm so it’s
automatically added to my watering can
each week. And I keep the other jars of
molasses and seaweed next to my
watering can so they’re easy to remember
to use too.

You can also add some coarse washed
river sand to your mix, to help improve its
drainage. I sometimes add it and
sometimes don’t... I don’t think it’s essential.

FERTILISING & ‘FEEDING’ YOUR
POTTED HERBS & GREENS
When it comes to feeding her plants,
Rosina likes to alternate with her ‘secret
ingredients’ which are the molasses and
seaweed solution, or store-bought ﬁsh
emulsion, home-made worm juice (the
liquid collected from a worm farm) and
once or twice a year she likes to add a bit
of blood and bone and another sprinkling
of fresh rock minerals.
When I feed my herbs and greens in pots, I
use a dollop of molasses (just the ordinary
stuff you can pick up from the supermarket)
and a splash of seaweed fertiliser, along
with any worm juice from my worm farm
mixed into my watering can.
To make it super simple, I keep my
watering can sitting under the tap where


We both like to feed our plants weekly,
because it’s easier to remember than the
fortnightly recommendation on most
products. Just use half the recommended
strength of the fertiliser and feed weekly if
they recommend feeding fortnightly.
Handy tip: Set a weekly reminder on
your phone to help you remember to
feed you potted herb garden.

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CONGRATULATIONS!
With Rosina’s Awesome Potting Mix you’ll be
enjoying abundant herbs and greens from
your very own potted garden in next to no
time. It’s well worth the little bit of extra effort it
takes to prepare the mix in the beginning,
because it will speed up the growth of your
plants, resulting in more fresh organic food for
your plate.

Now, let’s check out how to plant your
seedlings with out ‘breaking their neck’ in
the next chapter!


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ORGANIC POTTING MIX SUPPLY LIST
If you can get your hands on a quality organic potting mix, it’s a great base to start growing you herbs
and greens in pots. However, to really improve your success rate, grow more abundant food, help
your plants ward of pests and diseases naturally, and make sure they taste delicious, then it’s worth
adding some extra nutrients to your store-bought potting mix.
Here’s a list of organic soil conditioners and fertilisers I recommend. You can add one, two or three of
these to your potting mix. I always recommend including ‘Natramin’ or crusher dust in your soil,
to give your plants the minerals they need, and ensure you’re eating minerals in your organic
food.
Ingredients marked with * are highly recommended to use if possible.


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ORGANIC POTTING MIX SUPPLIERS LIST

Ingredient

Function

Supplier & more info

Worm Castings*
(Highly recommended)

Adds nutrients, water-holding capacity & microorganisms

Your (or your friend’s!) worm farm.

Liquid Worm Castings

Adds nutrients & micro-organisms

http://www.wormtec.com.au

McLeods Soil Conditioner

Adds nutrients, minerals, water-holding capacity &
micro-organisms

http://
www.mcleodsorganicfertiliser.com/

Organic Xtra

Provides slow release fertiliser of essential
nutrients and trace elements

http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/

Nutri Tech’s ‘Nutri-Store
GoldTM’

Adds nutrients & micro-organisms

http://www.nutri-tech.com.au/

Natramin*

Adds minerals

http://www.agsolutions.com.au/

GroLife

Adds minerals

http://www.grolife.com.au/

Blood & Bone

Adds nutrients

Local nursery or hard-ware store

Dynamic Lifter

Adds nutrients


Dr. Grow it All

Liquid Fertiliser: adds nutrients

http://www.drgrowitall.com.au/
products/store-locations/

Seasol

Liquid Fertiliser: adds nutrients


Available in USA - adds nutrients

http://www.naturalhabitinc.com/
organic-fertilizers/neem-gantec-prosolid-6-oz-bottle/

Neem Gantec Pro


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7

DON’T BREAK YOUR
SEEDLING’S NECK!
YOU’VE GOT YOUR POTS SORTED
OUT. NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE FUN
PART! PLANTING YOUR HERBS &
GREENS IN THEIR NEW HOMES.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO
GET THEM OFF TO A FLYING START...

You know how it’s pretty stressful when you’re moving house? Or
have you ever visited a third-world country and had culture shock?
Well, seedlings are pretty similar when it comes to ‘moving house’
from their little punnet, out into their big new world of a larger pot.
So, to help them adjust to their new surroundings, send down their roots,
and really get off to a ﬂying start, we want to give them a little extra tender
love and care during this process.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• Seedlings
• Potting mix.
• Liquid fertiliser (worm ‘wee’ fertiliser is awesome, or liquid seaweed from
the nursery is excellent).
• Pots or containers.
• Molasses (Optional, but a very handy trick! Pick up a jar from the
supermarket - it’s perfect. It will help the roots grow and feed our ‘free
workforce’ of micro-organisms; they love the stuff!)
• Watering can with a ﬁne ‘rose’ attachment
• Plastic tray larger than the base of your seedlings, so they can have a
‘soak in the bath’ before being planted out.
HANDY HINT: Swapping seedlings with friends is a great way to get more
diversity if you don’t want to eat a whole punnet of one type of plant. For
example, you might not need six parsley plants, so you could have a
‘garden party’ and share with a friend.


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STEP 1. CHOOSE YOUR
SEEDINGS
Select seedlings with strong stems, no
yellow leaves, and not too ‘leggy’ (meaning
stems that are already so tall the plant is
prone to falling over). Often smaller
seedlings are better!
Check the variety of seedling is in
season and suits your climate. You can use
Gardenate.com or Google. Plus, make sure
it’s something you love to eat! (or you’re
excited about experimenting with).

Place your seedlings in the nutrient rich,
water bath to soak up the nutrients and help
ease any transplant shock.

STEP 2. PREPARE SEEDLINGS TO
PLANT
Grab your gloves, pots and potting mix
materials (you may like to put down a tarp
or old bed sheet to keep things clean... I
usually just sweep up after all the dirty work
is done).
Get a container and pour in a splash of
liquid fertiliser (can be liquid worm juice or
seaweed fertiliser) and a dollop of
molasses. Just the ordinary molasses you
get from the supermarket is perfect. Add
water until it sits just under the rim of your
seedling’s punnet or existing pot.
Mix molasses, water & fertiliser together.


STEP 3. GET YOUR POTTING MIX
READY
Choose to either improve store-bought
organic potting mix with added nutrients or
make your own from scratch.
Option #1. Improve store-bought potting
mix by adding a few handfuls of rock
minerals, chicken manure pallets, home-

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35

made compost, worm castings, or blood and
bone.
Option #2. Make your own organic potting
mix from scratch by choosing one of the
recipes in the ‘‘Super-charged DIY Potting
Mix Recipe’ chapter.

Make a little hole (I usually just use my
fingers) slightly wider, but not deeper, than
the seedling’s soil in the plastic tray or the
pot it’s in now.

HANDY HINT: Which ever method you
choose, adding these nutrients to your
potting mix will really help your plants thrive,
be disease and pest-resistant, not to mention
taste delicious! It’s worth the extra effort in
the beginning.

STEP 4. PLANT SEEDLINGS IN
POTS

Take the seedling tray out of the water bath,
and gently squeeze the bottom of the plastic
‘cell’. Use your thumb at the base to pop out
the seedling onto your up-faced palm.

Fill your new pot or container with the potting
mix, leaving 3-4cm from the top of the pot.
Pour a splash of liquid fertiliser into your
watering can and fill it with water.
Give your potting mix a drink of water to help
settle down all the soil particles, and get
ready for the seedling’s roots.

Be careful not to bruise, squash or damage
the stem of the plant because that’s the
equivalent of breaking its neck (it will stop all
the ‘blood flow’ or the nutrients from getting
to the rest of the plant.) If you need to hold
onto something, it’s better to hold the leaves
at the top because they’ll grow back.


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36

“Plants want to grow; they
are on your side as long as
you are reasonably
sensible.”
― Anne Wareham

Use your other hand to pick up the base of
the seedling where the roots and existing
soil are, and drop it into the hole in your
potting mix.

STEP 5. FINISH UP

Pull the potting mix back around the base of
the plant and firm down gently - like you are
wetting a stamp on a sponge at the post
office.

Consider putting mulch around the base,
especially if it’s summer and a lot of potting
mix is exposed. You can use chopped up
lemon grass, sugar-cane mulch, even stones
will help to protect the soil from drying out.

Give everything a good drink with the
watering can of liquid fertiliser mix.

IMPORTANT: Be careful the potting mix isn’t
any higher around the base of the stem than
the soil from the seedling’s plastic tray was.
It should be at the same level so it doesn’t
rot, and still allows airflow around the stem,
or else it can kill your baby plant! So just
make sure you keep the soil the same height
around the base of the plant, and it’s not
planted any deeper up the stem than it was
before. Well done!


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37

BON APPETITE!


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8

GOING DEEP: PLANTING
FROM SEED
MOST OF THE TIME, I RECOMMEND
STARTING WITH SEEDLINGS (SMALL
BABY PLANTS) INSTEAD OF SEEDS
WHEN YOU’RE A BEGINNER
GARDENER. IT’S USUALLY EASIER,
GIVES ‘INSTANT’ RESULTS AND IS A
GREAT WAY TO BUILD YOUR
CONFIDENCE.

HOWEVER... THERE’S NOTHING
QUITE LIKE GROWING FROM
SEED. SEEING THEIR LITTLE
SPROUTS PUSH THROUGH THE
SOIL BRINGS A JOY UNLIKE
ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD,
AND JUST PROVES THERE IS HOPE,
LIFE, AND IMMENSE NATURAL, YET
GRACEFUL DETERMINATION IN
NATURE.
Plus, on the practical side, growing from seed
is often much cheaper in the long run. You get
30-200 seeds in a little bag of seeds, which is
usually around the same price for a punnet of
seedlings, in which you’ll only get 4-8 plants.
Plus, when it comes to growing unusual
varieties of herbs and leafy greens, sometimes
the only way to get them is if you grow them
from seed.
Here’s the low-down of how to successfully
grow herbs & leafy greens from seed.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
• Seeds suitable for the season, and your
climate.

• Pot or container: you can recycle yogurt
tubs, milk cartons, and even little cherry
tomato or strawberry containers from the
supermarket. Just punch holes in the bottom.
Or sow directly into your pots or seed raising
trays. I like to sow seeds for leafy greens
directly into the pot in which I’ll be growing
them.
• Watering can with a fine ‘rose’ attachment or
a fine mist spray bottle.
• Optional: Clear plastic storage container with
a lid, propagating house or damp newspaper
and plastic kitchen wrap. (Helpful if you are
having trouble getting your seeds to
germinate).
HANDY HINT: Ask at the nursery or use
Google to help you find what’s right for your
area now. Simply search “Vegetable Sowing
Guide + Your Region” and you should find a lot
of free resources online. I like the ABC
Gardening Australia Veggie Guide.
HANDY HINT #2: Swapping seeds with friends
is a great way to get more diversity since it’s
rare you’ll ever get through a whole packet of
seeds before they expire (yes, seeds have
expiration dates!).

SOWING SEEDS IN YOUR POTS

• Seed raising mix or fine potting mix.
• Labels (ice-cream sticks or plastic bottles cut
into strips).
• Pen (waterproof is best).


It’s important to use good quality, fresh seedraising mix or fine potting mix each time you
sow new seeds. You can make your own by
sieving potting mix and mixing half and half

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40

with fine washed river sand. I usually just buy
seed raising mix.

• Give it all a drink with the watering can to
help the soil particles settle down.

Seed-raising mix has very fine particles,
allowing the little plants to be able to push
through the surface without a huge ‘bolder’ or
rock on top of their heads.

• Pat it down gently. You still want it to be a
loose mix, but don’t want air-pockets in the
soil (seeds need to be in contact with soil on
all sides to grow strong roots and stems).

It’s best to wash your pots or containers, to kill
any bacteria or fungal diseases that may have
bred in the old soil. I occasionally wash mine
using hydrogen peroxide, as a natural
alternative to the commonly used bleach.

STEP 2: PLANTING YOUR SEEDS
• Open your packet of seeds and sprinkle
them on your palm.

Write the name of the seed on a waterproof
label and put in the pot if you are sowing a few
different varieties (it’s difficult to remember
later, trust me!)

STEP 1: PREPARING YOUR POT
• Fill your pot with either the potting mix
you’ve added extra nutrients to (see the
‘Super-Charged Potting Mix’ chapter), or a
mix you’ve made from scratch. Leave about
5cm from the rim of your pot.

• Sprinkle a layer of sieved potting mix (to
remove any large bits) or seed-raising mix
about 2cm thick on top. Or, if you are only
sowing into seed raising trays, only use seed
raising mix.


• Use your thumb and forefinger on the
other hand to sprinkle them fairly evenly over
the surface of your potting mix.

• Now gently cover them with another few
handfuls of seed raising mix. Just sprinkle it
on top with your hand, removing any clumps
as you go.

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SEED RAISING TIPS & TRICKS
HANDY HINT: Don’t let your seeds dry out that’s important!!! It helps to keep a spray
bottle or full watering can right next to your
pots, so you can give them a regular drink.

HANDY HINT: A good ‘rule of thumb’ is to
know that a seed only needs to be planted to
the depth of its own diameter. So, very small
seeds don’t need much soil covering them, or
else they’ll find it hard to ‘feel the sunshine’
and push their little heads through so much
dirt.

STEP 3: FINISHING UP
• Give it all another drink with either a
watering-can with a fine ‘rose’ attached so
you don’t wash all those little seeds away, or
use a spray bottle on a fine mist setting.
Both work well. Put it in a sunny position to
grow (f you have morning sunshine, that’s
the best)!

You may start ‘thinning’ out the seeds once
they begin to germinate. This basically means
pulling out some of the plants who have taken
up residence right next to each other. Overcrowding will lessen your crop, so pull out
smaller, weaker seedlings and allow the
stronger, hardier ones room to grow. You can
eat the little ones as micro-greens or sprouts!
Begin feeding your young seedlings with
liquid fertiliser every two weeks after their
‘true’ leaves appear (usually the second set of
leaves growing on the stem that look like the
actual plant itself).
Have fun and experiment! Get the kids
involved :)

SPEED UP GERMINATION
Seeds like even temperature and humidity.
To help keep them warm and moist, you can
keep them in a clear plastic container with
ventilation, a propagating container, or cover
them with moist newspaper and a loose
covering of plastic kitchen wrap (I’ve had
success with both methods) to help with
germination.

Great job & ‘Bon appetit’!


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ORGANIC SEED SUPPLIERS - WORLDWIDE!
Company

Website

Region

Green Harvest

http://www.greenharvest.com.au

Australia

Eden Seeds

http://www.edenseeds.com.au

Australia

The Diggers Club

http://www.diggers.com.au/

Australia

The Lost Seed

http://www.thelostseed.com.au

Australia

Seeds of Change

http://www.seedsofchange.com

USA

Johnny Seeds

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-organic.aspx

USA

Organic Garden

http://www.organiccatalogue.com/

UK

Earth Easy

www.eartheasy.com/grow_organic_seeds.html

USA

Seeds Now

http://www.seedsnow.com/

USA

Seed Savers Network

http://www.seedsavers.net

Global

Chase Organics

http://www.chaseorganics.co.uk

UK

Simpsons Seeds

http://www.simpsonsseeds.co.uk

UK

Suffolk Herbs

http://www.suffolkherb.com

UK

Naturally Organic

http://www.naturallyorganic.co.nz/shop/shop.php?
cat=313

New Zealand

Mudbrick Cottage

http://www.herbcottage.com.au/

Australia

Your region not listed? Don’t worry! Simply type into Google ‘Buy organic seeds’ plus ‘your
region’ and you’ll ﬁnd a supplier of organic seeds for your area.


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9

WATERING & FEEDING YOUR
POTTED HERBS & GREENS
HERE ARE 4 SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP
YOU KNOW WHEN TO WATER YOUR
PLANTS, HOW MUCH TO FEED THEM,
AND HOW TO ACTUALLY REMEMBER
TO GIVE THEM A DRINK BEFORE IT’S
TOO LATE!

Plenty of beginner gardeners kill their plants with too much
love in the early days. Because, while yes, it’s true plants
do need water, there is such a thing as too much, and overloving, or over-watering, your plants can lead to their early
demise.

THE ‘FINGER TEST METHOD’
You can avoid this common mistake by using what I call the
‘finger test method.’ This involves simply poking your finger
into the potting mix and checking the moisture in your soil
before you water. You’re looking for a moisture level of about a
damp sponge, not mud and not dry sand.
It’s best if you don’t let your pots dry out, or else you can
stress the plants and the potting mix can become ‘water
repellent’, which means it won’t absorb water when you pour it
from above. If that happens, dunk the entire pot in a bucket,
pond or the kitchen sink until the potting mix become
rehydrated, then let it drain (I actually do this pretty often, as I
tend to forget to water my pots. Thus, my pond is my greatest
help in my potted garden. I highly recommend making one at
your place too.)
You’ll probably find you need to water your pots around every
three days in winter, and up to every day in summer, but it will
depend on the individual plant, and where it is situated. Use
the finger test method to know what’s actually going on
moisture wise beneath the surface. If you see leaves turning
yellow, that’s one of the first signs of over-watering.

PERMACULTURE PRINCIPLE OF ZONES
The clever Permaculture principle of zones, and keeping your
herbs close to your kitchen where you’ll see them everyday, is
the only key to success I’ve found in remembering to water
them. If they’re tucked away around the back, it really is a
matter of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ So make it easy to
remember to water them, by keeping them somewhere you’ll
see them everyday.


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MAKE A POND & KEEP YOUR WATERING CAN
FULL OF WATER
Having water on hand, ready to water your plants makes it so
much easier. So reﬁll your watering can after using it, making
the job feel nice and easy for the next session. Plus, as I’ve
mentioned, a pond is awesome for dunking dried out pots in,
as it rehydrates the potting mix with a good soaking.

FEED YOUR PLANTS REGULARLY
Feed your plants with liquid fertiliser added to the watering can
every two weeks to keep them thriving. You can use seaweed
fertiliser, liquid worm castings, compost tea or an organic liquid
fertiliser. Using a mixture of different liquid fertilisers is a good
way to ensure your plants get a variety of nutrients.


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10

45 HERBS & GREENS FOR
DYNAMIC FLAVOUR &
HEALTH
THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF
DIFFERENT HERBS IN THE WORLD,
MANY MORE THAN THE COMMON
ONES WE KNOW SUCH AS PARSLEY,
MINT, BASIL AND THYME. HERE ARE
A FEW OF MY FAVOURITES!

I ADORE FINDING HERBS TO TRY
AND HAVE FOUND THERE’S ONE
THAT TASTES PRETTY MUCH LIKE
ANY OF YOUR FAVOURITE FOODS.
Love chocolate? Try chocolate mint. Love
celery? Try Lebanese Cress. Love pineapple?
Plant some pineapple sage (it makes my
favourite herbal tea!). Love mushrooms?
There’s even an herb called ‘mushroom plant’
and yes, it does taste like mushrooms.
Here’s a list of herbs I’ve personally grown and
love, to whet your appetite for experimentation.
In Australia, you’ll ﬁnd you can order, pay for and
have your young herb shipped to you from
herbcottage.com. They offer a huge range of
quality plants and I love the convenience of
having rare herbs posted out to you.
However, if you have friends with these herbs in
their gardens, many of these herbs grow from
root division or cuttings, which is like getting
free plants and is my all time favourite way to
add diversity to my garden and build
relationships within my community. Try it! Many
gardeners are happy to swap this for that and
proud to share their surplus. Just make sure to
ask ﬁrst!


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Many of these plants offer lots of medicinal
properties too, so add as many to your garden
as lights you up. And don’t forget to eat them!
1.

2.

Pineapple sage - delicious as herbal tea!
One of my favourites, actually.
Lemon thyme - great with feta and in
salads.

12. Chocolate Mint - need a sweet treat?
Chew some leaves fresh, or steep in
boiling water for a herbal tea that’s perfect
for after dinner.
13. Spring Onions - great in soups, salads,
with cheese. Mmmm.
14. Chives - same as spring onions.

3.

Oregano - perfect in pasta or a few fresh
leaves in a salad for an earthy flavour.

15. Garlic Chives - for a special depth of
flavour.

4.

Sage - so pretty. I love the silver grey
leaves.

16. Rosemary - oh, the earthiness! Sprinkled
on roasted pumpkin is my favourite.

5.

Sweet Basil - YUM, YUM. What can I
say? Sweet basil is a joyful exploration for
your mouth.

17. Parsley - so good for our health! I chop
up a handful and include it in my salad.

6.

Bush Basil / Perennial Basil - bees
LOVE this plant and I have it growing from
cuttings all around my garden. It looks a
little like lavender when in flower.

7.

Lime Basil - for a surprising twist.

8.

Gotu Kola - great for reducing
inflammation and getting rid of back pain.

9.

Lebanese Cress - tastes a little like
carrots! Loves having ‘wet feet’ so you
can even grow it in your pond.

10. Mother of Herb - my favourite herbal tea
with honey to soothe a sore tummy.
11. Mint - I use mint in my salads to add a
new dimension of flavour. It’s also great
for herbal teas.


18. Italian Parsley - same as above, only a
little bit ‘fancy’ looking.
19. Ceylon Spinach - great for digestion.
20. Brazilian Spinach - chickens love this!
And it grows easily. Chop the leaves finely
for salads.
21. Greek Basil - a more delicate flavoured
basil. Very tasty!
22. Nasturtium - you can eat all of this plant!
The leaves, flowers, seed pods, stems
and roots. It’s a little peppery, like rocket.
23. Brahmi - great for improving your
memory! Tastes bitter, but a little goes a
long way.
24. Rocket / Arugula - one of my favourite
salad leaves.

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25. Sorrel - the least maintenance plant in my
whole garden! I eat it pretty much every
day, often two or three times and because
it’s a perennial, it keeps growing back.
26. Kale - so good for us. I don’t worry about
‘massaging’ it or doing anything fancy to
prepare it. I just chop it up and add the
leaves to salads. It’s also great in green
juices.
27. Mizuna - a spicy ‘hot’ Asian green.
28. Mabuna - another ‘hot’ Asian green.
Grows well in summer.
29. Herb Robert - said to have healed
patients from cancer and all kinds of
ailments. It’s also very pretty!
30. Lemongrass - great in Asian dressings,
and of course herbal tea.
31. Mushroom Plant - yes, it tastes like
mushrooms!
32. Coriander Perennial - the ‘saw-tooth’
variety that grows easily. Just chop the
jagged edges off with scissors if you’re
worried, or chop ﬁnely with a knife.
33. Aloe Vera - great healing herb.
34. Curry Leaf Tree - ok, it’s actually a tree.
But it’s great added to curries.

36. Comfrey - heals broken bones and helps
compost break down faster. Truly an
amazing plant.
37. Dill - great with eggs and cheese. So
feathery and pretty, I love dill.
38. Lemon Balm - perfect for herbal tea.
39. Kang Kong - great in stir-fries cooked with
sesame oil. Grows in a pond!
40. Salad Mallow - easy to grow from seed
and good in salads.
41. Variegated Apple Mint - very pretty little
plant, just for something different.
42. Turmeric - grows from a root division and
is ever so good for our health. Probably
best to include only if you have a lot of
other things growing, since it will take a
while to develop roots for harvesting.
43. Ginger - same as turmeric above. Great in
green juices too!
44. Coriander - the reminder that all of us are
only here for a short while, so best bloom,
be eaten and savoured while it lasts.
45. Kafﬁr lime - ok, so this is actually another
tree. But you can grow citrus in pots and
this little beauty is SO good in Thai green
curries.

35. Vietnamese Mint - grows in ponds and
has that special heat perfect for
Vietnamese spring rolls! Yum.


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11

HOW TO GROW AN
INDOOR HERB GARDEN
EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A
BALCONY OR BACK-YARD, YOU CAN
STILL GROW HERBS! IN FACT, YOU
MAY LIKE TO KEEP A FEW INDOORS
JUST TO MAKE IT SUPER EASY TO
HARVEST AND REMEMBER TO ADD
THEM TO YOUR MEALS.
HERE’S HOW TO GET SET UP...

1. LOCATION LOCATION
The most important thing to know if
you want to grow herbs inside, is
you’ll need a spot with lots of natural
sunlight. A sunny windowsill is
perfect, particularly if it gets morning
sunshine (which it will if it faces east).
However, if it faces west it may get
too hot in the summer months, when
the afternoon sun is burning through
the glass. So keep an eye on your
plants and move them back if they’re
looking stressed out (wilting, curling
or browning leaves).
The amount of sunlight your
windowsill gets will depend on
whether you live in the northern or
southern hemisphere when it comes
to north or south facing windows.
In Australia and other countries in the
southern hemisphere, south facing
windows won’t get enough sunlight,
but north facing windows will be
awesome. And vice versa is true for
America, Europe and countries in the
northern hemisphere, where you’d
want your windows to be facing
south.
The best way to know for sure, is to
set your alarm to go off every hour
one day when you’ll be home all day,


and jot down if there is full sun, part
sun or full shade in your chosen spot
on the hour, each hour. Just so you
know what’s really going on (it’s easy
to think you know where the sunlight
falls, only to be surprised when you
actually take notes).
You’ll want a spot where your hand
casts a well defined shadow. And if
you can find a spot with multiple
windows in the room, it will add to the
ambient light and thereby speed up
the growth of your plants.

2. GETTING ENOUGH SUNLIGHT?
If you don’t have a spot with about
four to six hours of good sunlight
indoors, you will probably need to
invest in some grow lights. They
can be purchased pretty easily online
these days.
Although I haven’t used them myself,
I’ve read many success stories about
how they’ve boosted the growth of
plants in darker parts of the world.
If you’re worried about the price of
electricity, just add up the price of the
herbs and greens you’ll grow in
return, and I think you’ll find it’s a

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worthwhile investment, not to
mention soul-satisfying! I know if I
lived somewhere with long cold
winters, an indoor herb garden
would delight my soul and get me
through to spring.

You can choose whatever herbs
light you up and experiment with
them, or go with the tried and tested
varieties we all love; mint, rosemary,
thyme (I love lemon thyme), chives,
parsley, sage, basil, oregano, or if
you’re happy to keep cutting and
You could also experiment with
replanting every month or so,
leaving your existing ceiling lights
coriander.
on, or a lamp beside your herbs.
I’ve read about gardeners in
4. PROTECT YOUR BENCH
America who do this with good
results in autumn and winter.
Pop them on a saucer or plate to
3. SEEDS OR SEEDLINGS?
We can get herbs and leafy greens
started growing from seed indoors
before transplanting them outdoors.
However, if you want to keep the
plant inside, it’s best to get mature,
established plants to begin with.
Growing from seed purely indoors is
pretty difficult and usually results in
spindly, small plants.

protect your bench or windowsill
from getting water-damaged.
5. WATERING 101

Watering is super simple, just fill
the kitchen sink with about 5cm
of water, and sit them in the ‘bath’
to soak up the moisture about twice
a week. Use the ‘finger test method’
explained in chapter nine to check
if the individual pot needs water,
since different plants are thirstier
So, go for an adventure to the
than others!
nursery and splurge on some larger
‘ready made’ plants. Not only will Once they’ve soaked up the
you be able to start eating from moisture, pull out the plug and let
them right away, you’ll end up with a them drain for a few minutes, then
stronger plant that produces more put them back on the windowsill on
food in the long run too.
their little plate or saucer.


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6. WHAT’S NEXT?

7. HARVESTING... YUM, YUM!

Maintenance... is very low! No
weeds to worry about and very few
pests will get to your indoor herb
garden, so you can relax. If little
bugs do appear, you can ﬁll the
sink and submerge the entire plant
for up to 15 minutes (don’t forget to
take it out or it could suffocate) in
which time the bugs will have
drowned, and you didn’t have to
resort to using any sprays. It’s so
easy.

Picking your herbs is the most fun
part. Well, no, actually, eating them
is! Or making them into herbal tea.

yourself. You deserve fresh herbs in
your meals and life.

‘Yum’ indeed!

When you pick your herbs, it
promotes new growth, so don’t be
afraid to use them. Just pick the
tips of herbs like thyme or oregano,
or cut a few lengths of long leaves
like chives or spring onions towards
the base of the plant. Always leave
about half the plant to continue
growing, and you’ll get more food,
Brown leaves? Simply trim off any ﬂavour and delight from this little
dead or brown leaves with scissors plant than you dreamed possible.
and keep in mind the herb’s won’t
grow so much during autumn and My biggest tip when it comes to
gardening, is to enjoy eating what
winter, and may look a little bit
you’re growing, ideally every day.
scraggly. You can just give them a
hair-cut and trim them right back,
That way, even if your plants only
and usually they’ll grow again when
live a short while, they will have
the weather warms up.
more than paid for themselves, and
But, if they don’t pull though, don’t you’ll enjoy better health and
loose heart. Just get another plant d e l i g h t e d t a s t e - b u d s i n t h e
for the new season and treat process.


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12

“AUGH! I KILLED MY BASIL”&
WHY THAT ISN’T
(NECESSARILY) TRUE
PEOPLE OFTEN CHAT WITH ME
ABOUT THEIR GARDENS & TELL ME
WHAT THEY THINK ARE
EMBARRASSING STORIES ABOUT
HOW THEY KILLED THEIR PLANTS. BUT
IT’S NOT ALWAYS THEIR FAULT.
SOMETIMES IT’S PURELY ‘DEATH
FROM NATURAL CAUSES’.

When people discover I’m an artist
they’ll often confess they don’t have an
artistic bone in their body (something I
don’t believe is the case... but that’s
another story), similarly, when they
hear I help people grow organic food,
they often confess how they killed their
sweet basil. Or their cherry tomatoes.
“They were going fine’” they’ll say, “but
then they didn’t look too good, and I
had to take them out.”
They often look down at the ground
and shrug their shoulders at this point.
Like they’ve admitted to a personal
flaw.
What if I told you you weren’t to
blame? Nature was just taking its
course and everything is as it should
be.
Because, you see, not all plants were
created equal.
Some plants were granted the gift of
eternal life... well, almost. They’re
called perennials, and they live for
years and years. Others are biennials,
and these grow for only two years.
And the remainder are annuals, and


yep, you guessed it, they live for only
one year, or even just a season.
So that means in one season an
annual will grow from a seed, produce
leaves and stems, then set flower and
those flowers will turn to seed. Then it
will pass away. Its job and lifecycle is
complete.
Like a butterfly.
Annual plants only live for a very
short while.
Unless you have particularly friendly
climate conditions and you may be
lucky to get a couple of seasons
before it dies back.
Now guess what? Sweet basil is an
annual. And coriander is too.
However, there are perennial varieties
of basil and coriander which have
been cultivated to live for years
instead of only one season. So if you
want a low-maintenance garden, or
you want to be eating your basil and
coriander all year round, you’d do well
to plant the perennial varieties.

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56

Sometimes I plant both annual and perennial
varieties, because I love the ﬂavour and delicate
leaves of the annuals and don’t want to miss out.
So, next time your herb or green dies, before you go
thinking it was your fault, you may like to check on
Google and ﬁnd out if it’s an annual, biennial or
perennial. Then, you’ll know not to come down so
hard on yourself over something that’s totally out of
our control. Instead, do what I do...
Smile, and plant another one!


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13

4 SECRETS TO GROWING
CORIANDER!
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON
QUESTIONS I’M ASKED AT
WORKSHOPS IS ‘HOW CAN I GROW
CORIANDER?
So, if you’re wondering what the secret is, take
heart because you’re not the only one. This lovely,
delicate herb is a favourite of many and has been

baffling gardeners around the
world as to why it doesn’t last long.
Here are 4 secrets to growing
coriander for your next Asian dish,
tasty salad or rice-paper roll.

#1. CHOOSE ‘SLOW
BOLTING’ VARIETIES
The challenge we all face with
coriander is its tendency to ‘bolt to
seed.’ Bolting to seed means it
produces flowers and those flowers
become little seeds (which we can
eat!) and then, because its
reproduction cycle is complete, it
dies.
However, some varieties have
been cultivated to slow down
that cycle, so you can harvest
leaves for a longer period before it
dies. So, secret #1 is when you’re
choosing your seeds or seedlings,
see if you can find a ‘slow bolting’
variety and go for that one.
You can even Google ‘slow bolting
coriander seeds’ and you’ll
probably find a supplier who’ll send
them to you.


#2. GO WITH THE
SEASONS AND CYCLES
OF NATURE
Coriander is likely to bolt to seed
much faster in the hot summer
months. During autumn and spring
it will keep producing leaves for
longer and you’ll get a longer
lasting crop. So, if you’re stressed
it’s not lasting long enough in
summer, try moving the pot into a
little more shade and experiment to
see if you can slow down the
bolting.
Ideally, in the cooler months,
coriander likes a sunny spot and
very good quality potting mix. The
mix you made, either from scratch
or improving store-bought potting
mix following the recipes in earlier
chapters will be perfect.

#3. KEEP PLANTING
SEQUENTIAL CROPS
In Asia, they understand coriander
is a short lived plant and simply
sow more seeds into the garden
every one or two weeks, thus

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keeping a consistent supply of leaves. Once the
little plants have germinated, the older plants
will be getting older and by the time they go to
seed, the next crop will be ready to eat.
We can learn from this and follow the same
principle in our little potted gardens. Even
having just two pots dedicated to rotating crops
of new seeds and young plants will increase the
abundance of your coriander crops.
Don’t worry too much about the exact timing,
just put some seeds in now, then in a few weeks
when you’re thinking about it, sprinkle some
more in another pot. Sprinkling about ten seeds
in a 25cm diameter pot filled with quality potting
mix will be a great way to go.

#4. TRY PERENNIAL CORIANDER
If you’re like me, and you love things to be extra
low maintenance, you may like to try growing a
perennial variety of coriander. Also known as
‘saw-tooth’ coriander, it’s a completely different
type of plant but has a very similar flavour.
The leaves are, as their common name
suggests, quite jagged and spiky, which puts
some people off. However, I just harvest a few
leaves with scissors, then chop them very finely
with a knife to add to salads.
Delicious!


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14

11 STRATEGIES TO ‘PEST &
PET PROOF’ YOUR POTTED
GARDEN
EVEN THE BEST GARDENERS ARE
REMINDED WE’RE PART OF A
BIGGER ECO-SYSTEM. THIS IS A
GOOD THING. HOWEVER, IF YOU’RE
FIGHTING FOR EVEN A BITE OF
YOUR OWN PRODUCE BEFORE THE
PESTS EAT IT ALL, HERE ARE MY 5
TOP STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH
PESTS (& HUNGRY PETS!)
ORGANICALLY.

HOW DO I GET RID OF PESTS?

“Once upon a time
there were four little
Rabbits, and their
names were--Flopsy,
Mopsy, Cottontail, and
Peter. ”
― Beatrix Potter

Ok, I’ll be honest. When people ask me how to get rid of pests, I get all
kind of tongue-tied and begin speaking in half sentences. I have so many
ideas flood into my head at once, I can barely put any words together. It’s
kind of embarrassing.
But, I think I’ve come up with a story that will help us both in this situation...
So, let’s pretend you’ve picked up a cold or flu. Or worse, you’ve got
something really troublesome like cancer or chronic fatigue. What do you
need to do to get better? Come on, play with me here. If you had a flu,
what would you need?
You’d need to rest and make sure you’re getting all the nutrition you need
to heal. You’d be wise to reduce your stress and make sure you are well
hydrated. You would want to make your body a place that doesn’t support
the virus, by boosting your own immune system. You could do that by
eating super-foods, juicing, getting Vitamin D in the sunshine, and taking
good care of yourself.
Plants are no different. Their basic needs are the same, and when they are
getting attacked by pests, it’s simply an indicator their natural defense
system, or their ‘immune system’ is depleted.
So, instead of going to the doctor and trying to fix it with a packet of pills,
like our modern culture is likely to do, we need to listen to our body and
learn what it is telling us. Likewise, taking care of a plant is like learning to
take care of ourselves.
Usually, when people have bugs in their garden, they’re expecting me to
tell them the best organic spray to use to get rid of them. But that’s like


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62

asking a naturopath for a packet of antibiotics when you’ve got a flu. I
want to help you have strong, healthy plants that are naturally pest and
disease resistant. Because...
Strong and healthy plants don’t succumb to every pest that’s flying past,
just like people with strong immune systems don’t catch a cold just from
standing next to someone with those germs. It’s nature’s way of protecting
us and keeping the species strong.
Likewise, when our plants are getting munched on by loads of
catterpillars, slugs, aphids, grasshoppers or other bugs, it’s a signal we
need to take some action to help them get healthy again.
“It didn’t occur to me…
that gardening, like
music, could demand
practice, patience, a
willingness to make
mistakes.”

5 ORGANIC PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES


First thing’s first... Begin with healthy soil that’s alive with
micro-organisims! Add compost, compost, compost, worm
casting from a worm farm, or store-bought compost to begin.

2.

Plant crops that are in season and suit your climate. Plants
trying to grow when it’s ‘not their time’ will be more susceptible to
pests, because they’ll be stressed.

3.

― Amy Stewert

1.

Make sure your plants have all the nutrients and water they
need - like us, if they’re under stress and not getting their needs
met, they’re more susceptible to pests and disease.

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63

4.

Plant a diversity of crops instead of a monoculture.

5.

Include a pond, native plants and flowers in your garden, to increase
the natural habitat for pest predators.

6.

Drown the bugs! If your plant fits in the laundry sink, you can place it
completely under water and leave it for 15 minutes, then let it drain. It
will drown insects and get rid of most bugs! Just don’t forget to take it
out, or you could drown your plant too!

HOW TO DEAL WITH LARGE PESTS, PETS & ANIMALS
There’s only one method I know of that works with things like bush turkeys,
possums and household pets.... using exclusion methods!
That means using netting, fencing or other screening options to keep the animals
away from your plants.
In a potted garden, you can use bridal tule, bird netting or chicken wire to
enclose your plants and keep them safe from larger animals. You may also
consider putting your pots up on a shelf, table or platform to keep them out of
reach of dogs etc. It’s all about a little bit of effort and foresight that pays off in the
long run.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR FAVOURITE PLANT’S BEING EATEN
Sometimes you may find your favourite plant is being eaten, despite following all
those tips above. When that happens, you can use a few strategies:
• Make an organic spray by soaking garlic or chilli in water, or some people
mix a few drops of biodegradable dishwashing liquid with water and spray all
over the plants daily. I don’t bother spraying anything at my place. Instead I
just...
• Pick off the offending bugs by hand and squash them.
• Water and foliar feed with liquid fertiliser to boost the plant’s ‘immune
system’. To foliar feed, just mix liquid seaweed fertiliser, or another organic
fertiliser, with water in your watering can and pour over the entire plant. Like us,
they absorb nutrients through their ‘skin’ (their leaves), and will benefit from a
total dousing.


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64

“My garden is my most
beautiful masterpiece”
― Claude Monet

• Plant EXTRA plants to eat, and accept the concept of sharing with
nature. This is my favourite method! Probably because I’ve got plenty
of space and a low tolerance for performing menial jobs. You may
need to use a combination of approaches.
HANDY HINT: When foliar feeding, just be sure to dilute the fertiliser
with water and aim to do it outside of the hottest time of the day.
Evenings or early morning are best so the sun doesn’t heat up the
water droplets and burn the leaves.

MY PERSONAL TAKE ON PESTS...
I realised years ago I actually really like my ‘pests’. They’re all unique,
interesting little creatures with a purpose and contribution to our
ecosystems. It’s a lot less stressful when I don’t see them as the enemy.
Instead, by recognising their presence as an ‘indicator’ that my soil or
plant needs some attention, it makes them allies and friends.
Take photos of them, if you need to ﬁnd a way to enjoy them. Then
they’ll be your muse, your portrait, your curiosity.
Say ‘cheese’. Click!


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15

YOUR POTTED HERB GARDEN
SHOPPING LIST

POTTED GARDEN SHOPPING LIST
“By bringing a
soulful
consciousness to
gardening, sacred
space can be
created outdoors.”
― S. Kelley Harrell,
Nature's Gifts
Anthology

To help you find what you might need to get your potted garden set up,
I've put together a basic shopping list for you. You'll be able to pick up
most, if not all, of these items from your local nursery.
• Gloves (I love Showa Gardening Gloves, they’re thin enough to allow
me to still 'feel' through the material and last a long time. The slightly
higher price is worth it, in my books!)
• Watering can (9L is a good size. Get a smaller one too if you want to
water hanging baskets with something lighter to lift above your head).
• Planter boxes (if you're attaching them to your wall/railing).
• Wire or screws to attached your planter boxes.
• Organic liquid fertiliser (if you don't have a worm farm to produce
your own).
• Dynamic Lifter (to add to your potting mix or compost mix).
• Rock minerals or crusher dust (from a landscape supplier).
• Pots of your size, number and choice.
• Pot saucers or 'feet', if you don't choose self-watering pots.
• Seedlings of plants that fit your 'sweet spot'. ie. are in season, grow in
your climate and you LOVE to eat.
• Ingredients for your potting mix (refer to the DIY Potting Mix recipes
to see what you can need).

And just a little gentle note...... if you're busy, or don't have time to
implement everything all at once, don't worry!
This book is here for you when you need it, and you'll be able to make
your garden at your own pace. However, I do encourage you to break
things down into manageable, bite-sized chunks to keep the momentum
going and inspiration flowing.

67

16

THE WEEKLY GARDEN
CHECK-LIST

THE WEEKLY GARDEN CHECK-LIST
1. I’ve checked the moisture in my pots using the
‘ﬁnger method’ and watered where needed every
few days, being careful not to overwater.
2. I’ve fed my plants with a splash of liquid organic
fertiliser in my watering can.
3. I’ve removed any plants that are tired or dead
and replaced them with something I love to eat
and are in season.
4. I’ve harvested my herbs and greens daily,
because they happily grow back and eating them
is great for my health.
5. I’ve made my taste-buds super happy by using
herbs in salads and to make herbal teas.
6. I’ve sat with my plants and enjoyed their
company, noticing if any need any extra tender
love and care.
7. I’ve given a posy of herbs and greens to a friend!


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69

17

HOW TO MAKE FRESH
HOME-GROWN HERBAL TEA

STEP 1. PICK 5-10 FRESH LEAVES
Choose leaves that look healthy and
v i g o u ro u s . I l o v e p i n e a p p l e s a g e ,
lemongrass, spearmint, mint, chocolate
mint or mother of herb for my homegrown
herbal teas. They can fit into your day at
different times, and provide a wonderful lift
for your tastebuds. Experiment with
combinations!

STEP 2. PLACE THE LEAVES IN
YOUR TEACUP.
Surprisingly, there’s no need to dry the
leaves before making them into herbal tea.
Using your herbs when they’re still fresh will
make a delicious herbal tea, and provide
you with a lovely range of health benefits
too.

STEP 3. BOIL THE KETTLE AND
POUR IT OVER THE LEAVES.
Pour boiling water directly over the leaves in
your cup and bon appetite!
The flavour of freshly picked herbs made
into tea is so full, and feels so cleansing, it’s
one of the high-lights of my day.
Try it, you’ll love it!


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18

WANT TO GROW MORE ORGANIC FOOD?
Our time together doesn’t have to end here. If you’re excited about growing more organic food I’d be love
you to check out my online courses The Abundant Veggie Patch System and Grow Organic Food in
Pots. They’re full of juicy information about how make a garden that supports you, delivered step-by-step
with weekly videos, resources, and handy check-lists. I’ve taught hundreds of beginner gardeners all around
the world with these acclaimed programs, and would be delighted to help you grow more organic food too.
Check out my e-books and e-courses at www.nicolachatham.com. Plus, make sure you never miss any of
my tips and updates by signing up for my free weekly newsletter Sprout!

LET’S STAY IN TOUCH
YT


II

II

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“Grow Abundant Herbs & Greens in Pots
Design by Nicola Chatham
Photographs ::: Nicola Chatham, Sunshine Photography and
The Photographic Philosopher

© Nicola Chatham 2013


Grow Abundant Herbs and Greens

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