Herbs on a Deck
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Tracy Winsor
Posted on: February 8, 1999

I am interested in starting an herb garden on my deck. I would like to plant oregano, summer savory, caraway, dill, basil and chives. I’d like to plant in terracotta pots. I am concerned that it may be too hot for tender herb plants as I get full sun on the deck from noon until sundown. I have pets (that like the garden beds too much!) and do not wish to plant the herbs in my flower beds. I live in Southern Ontario and it gets quite hot. Will the herbs listed above survive the hot days if I give them a good soaking at sundown? Or is it best not to try in that location?

The herbs that you mentioned should do fine for you in terracotta pots on your deck, as long as your pots are large enough so that the soil does not dry out and the roots get cooked. These herbs are native to mediterranean areas and love sun stronger than ours in southern Ontario, Canada. Some of them may not survive the winter in the pots if the pots stay exposed on the deck, because the roots would get too cold. Potted plants are two zones less hardy than the same plant in the ground.

Back to Medicinal Herbs and Their Uses | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.