grown herbs / cut herbs?

[paolow]

Whenever a recipe I cook needs real 'live' herbs I face a little of a quandry. When I look at the options at XYZ supermarket there are inevitable ingredients for fish (parsley) or curry (coriander) to name a couple of obvious ones that present themselves. I do love the idea of properly fresh herbs and in a supermarket there is usually a vacuum packed version of the above, a powdered version and a living in the pot version. I like the idea of the living plant and usually you get a whole pot of whatever aromatic herb it is for the same price as a prepped and wrapped smaller version of the same thing.
I usually go for the plant alive in a pot and snip away for the voulume of the herb needed to cook the meal happy that come the same problem in the future there will be a ready supply waiting to be harvested.
But, it never works like that! the living herb ALWAYS dies! Whatever I do, in the sun, out of the sun, water, no water, god knows but the herb always gives up in short order. Am I doing something obviously wrong? Am I barking up the wrong tree trying to tap such small source of herbs as an indefinite supply? Should I just buy the vacuum packs? I have toyed with the idea of window boxes (Jamie Oliver has them and they work)(whatever) but is there something I am missing? - other than getting out more?

[grumbledoak]

I get the same; I don't think the supermarket ones have much left in them as sold. Apparently it is better to grow from seeds, but we've killed them too! I buy the plants with a 'short term' expectation.

[Pferdestarke]

If anyone is stuck for what to buy you for Christmas this year, tell them to get you one of these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-nW5-hY840

[davidspooner]

They are "forced" - if they lived forever they would not have to sell another one. Try buying from a garden centre instead.

Which herbs are you looking at?

[tamore]

most fresh herbs freeze pretty well.

[thehos]

mint you can grow almost anywhere and one of your relatives will have some you can take a cutting from, i bought several different seeds from b&q back in the summer, never got the rosemary to grow, the sage did but very little, the parsley i still have loads, basil didnt do very well either

[Miss Pitstop]

If anyone is ever in Bristol and needs rosemary, I have a rosemary bush in the front garden which refuses to die - I'd need to kill a sheep a week to keep up, so help yourself!!

Mint however, I can't grow for toffee! My garden really is survival of the fittest!!

[thehos]

Miss Pitstop said:

If anyone is ever in Bristol and needs rosemary, I have a rosemary bush in the front garden which refuses to die - I'd need to kill a sheep a week to keep up, so help yourself!!

Mint however, I can't grow for toffee! My garden really is survival of the fittest!!

Hey do you ever come to the SW meets, could do with a cutting!

[Cotty]

I grew some herbs last year
Basil, rosemary and I forget the one on the right


Grown from seed, died over winter so will sow them again next year.

[Miss Pitstop]

thehos said:

Miss Pitstop said:

If anyone is ever in Bristol and needs rosemary, I have a rosemary bush in the front garden which refuses to die - I'd need to kill a sheep a week to keep up, so help yourself!!

Mint however, I can't grow for toffee! My garden really is survival of the fittest!!

Hey do you ever come to the SW meets, could do with a cutting!

PM me before the next one and I'll see if I can make it. PistonHeads: Herbs Matter!

[LordGrover]

Be careful what you wish for... if you have the right conditions for mint it can run riot. My parents had a couple of plants in a container which was fine, but it escaped somehow and took over the rockery and kept coming back.
Herbs like sage & rosemary do very well from cuttings - way easier than seeds.
PistonHeads::Seeds Matter

[RizzoTheRat]

Agree with comment about gardenc entre ones lasting better than supermarket, but i still struggle to keep some alive. Rosemary can survive pretty much anything, and coriander and parsley grow well outside.