As an urban dweller, outdoor space is precious. Living in the East Village of Manhattan, the best I could do was to make the most of my fire escape. At least my herbs had a nice view, six floors above 12th Street. A nice woman behind the herb stall at the Union Square Farmers Market gave me a few pointers and the worm man sold me some soil enhanced by worm castings (aka worm poop or vermicompost.) The worms decomposed New Yorker food waste turning it into rich fertilizer. Desperate to grow food, I started with herb starts in pots...rosemary, sage, mint, thyme, basil and a little lavender.
Colonel Kentucky mint grew wildly and tasted yummy in mint juleps. Mint is a beginning gardener's friend: it grows quickly and vigorously, offering a sense of proud satisfaction that at least one of your herbs are doing well. However, mint spreads easily, sending roots out laterally to colonize its container. As you can see, it took over the purple sage. From now on, I only plant mint in pots by itself.
