As a simple rule of thumb, do your buying and planting when the moon is in a water or earth sign. Fertilize in earth signs and harvest in a fire sign if you're going to dry the herbs, and air if you're going to use them fresh. Or just clip them whenever you need them. Water in water signs, weed in fire signs. Leafy plants and vines are planted above ground stuff during first two phases of the moon, rootstock, bulbs, tubers are planted during the third and fourth phases.

The herbs I’ve listed are easy to grow and can take a good dose of neglect.

Don’t buy containers retail. It’s against our religion. Instead, go back, once again, to garage sales, swap meets, junk stores, etc. If you have friends who are into ceramics, hit them up for pots. Line baskets with chicken wire and moss. These may have a limited life span, but they look great. I rub garden soil on the outside and weird things spring to life. I actually had mushrooms growing on the sides of a basket planter.

Soak clay and wood containers well before using. If you add a spoonful of raw yogurt or sour milk to the water you soak them with, it will give the plants a boost. Unglazed pots absorb a lot of moisture and will dry out your seedlings. Water them more frequently than glazed ceramic pots but don’t keep the plants soggy.

Instead of bothering with a compost pile, I just bury my vegetable refuse through the yard. I rotate the locations. By the time I get back to site #1, the orange rinds and banana skins are now rich soil crawling with earthworms.

Everything I read about compost says to keep left over bones and fat out of the compost pile. It is true that this can draw wild animals, ants and flies. On the other hand, if buried nice and deep, it does create a very rich soil. I also bury all hair clippings, seafood remains including shells, bones, and pretty much anything that would normally go back into the earth if left to the natural state of things.

Before throwing them away, I also fill all milk and juice containers with water and pour this into my potted plants. My soil is alkaline and welcomes the diluted acid water. Tealeaves and coffee grounds become instant mulch.