Grow with Vibrant Rainbow Gardens- Organic Vegetable Gardening & Family Kitchen Gardens for Houston, Texas & Beginner Gardeners
Welcome to Grow With Vibrant Rainbow Gardens — a podcast about organic vegetable gardening, family kitchen gardens, and beginner-friendly food gardening for Houston, Texas, the Gulf Coast, and beyond.
If you’re a busy, big-hearted beginner who wants to grow more food, more beauty, and more joy — without gardening becoming another full-time job — you’re in the right place.
I’m Vandhana Ramamoorthy, garden coach, permaculture enthusiast, and founder of Vibrant Rainbow Gardens. Each week, I share practical organic gardening tips, seasonal planting guidance, and simple garden systems designed for real life — so you can grow a thriving, low-stress garden that works with your time, space, and family life.
Whether you’re growing in raised beds, containers, small backyards, or front-yard edible landscapes, you’ll learn:
🌱 What to plant — and when — in Houston and Gulf Coast growing seasons
🌱 How to grow vegetables organically and sustainably, even with limited time
🌱 Simple systems that reduce daily garden work and prevent overwhelm
🌱 Ways to make gardening a joyful, screen-free family activity
🌱 How to build healthy soil, grow productive crops, and garden with the seasons
If you’ve ever thought, “I want to grow food, but I don’t know where to start,” this podcast is for you.
Pour your coffee — or grab your compost — and grow along with me.
Grow with Vibrant Rainbow Gardens- Organic Vegetable Gardening & Family Kitchen Gardens for Houston, Texas & Beginner Gardeners
Growing Herbs for Beginners: Easy Herbs from Garden to Kitchen
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Did you know a single $3 basil plant can give you $50-$100 worth of fresh herbs in one season? Growing herbs is hands-down one of the best returns on investment in gardening—and in this episode, you'll learn exactly how to do it successfully in the Houston area.
Host Vandhana from Vibrant Rainbow Gardens shares insights from her recent herb gardening workshop at a local Houston nursery, covering everything from planting and harvesting to creative ways to use herbs in your kitchen and wellness routine.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
🌱 Herb Gardening Basics for Houston:
- Which herbs need full sun vs. partial shade
- How to amend Houston's heavy clay soil for herb success
- Container gardening vs. in-ground planting
- Houston-specific planting timeline (what to plant in fall, spring, summer, and winter)
- Why cilantro bolts in summer but thrives in cooler months
- Daily watering needs during Texas summer heat
🌱 Harvesting Tips:
- The "rule of thirds" to keep herbs productive all season
- How to pinch basil to prevent flowering and bitter leaves
- Cut-and-come-again harvesting for parsley, chives, and more
🌱 Personal Stories:
- Growing 3-5 varieties of basil every year (and why kids love grazing on fresh basil)
- The year Vandhana grew Mammoth Basil with leaves the size of her palm
- Why she's NOT scared to grow mint in the ground (and uses it as ground cover under trees)
- How to get kids excited about herbs and adventurous eating
🌱 3 Simple Herb Recipes:
- Herb Compound Butter – gourmet flavor for veggies, pasta, grilled meats, and naan
- DIY Herbal Spray – refreshing summer mist and gentle garden pest repellent
- Basil Simple Syrup – perfect for mocktails, lemonade, and desserts
Herbs Featured: Basil, mint, cilantro, parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and dill
🌐 Connect with Vibrant Rainbow Gardens: Instagram & Facebook: @VibrantRainbowGardens Website: VibrantRainbowGardens.com
Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Why herbs are the best gardening ROI 02:45 – Herb gardening basics for Houston 11:30 – Personal story: My kids' basil obsession & Mammoth Basil 15:00 – Recipe #1: Herb Compound Butter 21:15 – Personal story: Growing mint as ground cover 25:30 – Recipe #2: DIY Herbal Spray 31:45 – Recipe #3: Basil Simple Syrup 38:00 – Quickfire herb tips 41:30 – Wrap-up & free resource
Keywords: herb gardening Houston, how to grow basil, growing herbs in Texas, Houston gardening tips, herb recipes, compound butter recipe, basil simple syrup, urban gardening, container herb garden, Southeast Texas gardening, herb harvesting tips, mint ground cover, perennial herbs Texas