If you’re on some kind of deprivation diet (& don’t they all deprive us of something we like!), there is no need to make matters worse by making what’s left to eat bland & boring. I love herbs & spices, they can convert the mundane into the magnificent. There is nothing to beat the intense flavours of fresh herbs, pulled from your own garden, right at the time of preparing a meal. However, & much though I love beautiful gardens, I have no desire to spend any time making one!

I’m told these have been around forever but I only discovered the Over the Rail planter box this year. There was a time when I might have wanted to plant seeds, dig soil from the garden to fill the planter, transplant seedlings & all that other stuff. Way too much work! This year, I bought a couple of these planters, a bag of already-fertilised soil, & a selection of herbs & peppers. I went with one each of oregano, rosemary & mint, four basil plants & three different hot peppers. I threw them all into two of these planters. Then I tossed the two planters onto the deck rail, outside my back door. It’s right off the kitchen. Perfect!

Hardly any work involved to get things going. I see them looking at me every day so I remember to water them. And when I’m cooking, I grab a scissors, step outside the door & snip. You don’t even have to bend to do it all. I’m not sure if it’s a coincidence but I haven’t seen a mosquito yet this year either &, in general, the presence of bugs around the deck is very low.  To boot, when I sit on the deck, I’ve got this amazing scent of herbs, mixed with the sunshine & gentle breezes. It’s just good for body & spirit.

I think I’ve already harvested the full value of my financial investment & they seem to grow even better every time I cut them back. I haven’t harvested any peppers yet & when I add in the spirit factor, I think the return will be huge by the time the growing season is done.

This is my kind of lazy gardening & I highly recommend giving it a go.

I’m off to make a sugar-free mohito with my own mint now!