The Bountiful Herb Garden

Most gardeners will eventually stretch their green thumbs by creating an herb garden at one time or another. Herbs can provide many uses today, from the culinary delights of fresh oregano and basil to the heavenly scents of lavender and mint.

Herb Garden by wallyg

Herbs can be decorative, aromatic, completely functional or a combination of all three. Most gardeners find that an herb garden is a satisfying experience because many herbs are easy to grow and do not require a lot of special treatment to thrive. If you are interested in adding herbs to your home garden, read on for tips that will help your herb garden thrive.

Cultivating the Soil

The first step in any successful garden is providing the right soil for your plants to grow. This is also true of the herb garden that is filled with plants that have their own unique needs. The most important requirement for an herb garden is sufficient drainage, which can be achieved by using a lighter potting soil or plenty of compost if planting herbs in the ground. Some gardeners will even place a layer of stone about 18 inches under the surface and add plenty of peat and compost to the soil to ensure adequate drainage. Herbs don't generally need a large amount of nutrients, so fertilizer is unnecessary for a successful herb garden.

Starting Seeds

Herbs are a hearty bunch, so most can be started from seed right in the ground.

Oregano via Wikipedia

You can also start your herbs in containers the same way, although many gardeners will buy a few seedlings to place into pots. For an earlier crop, herbs can also be started by indoor gardening in late winter, and then transplanted into the ground when the danger of frost has passed. To find out the best time to plant a particular herb, check the seed packet for instructions or ask your local extension office for advice. It is important to note that some herbs, like mint, are aggressive enough to take over an entire herb garden and might be better off in its own container than in the ground.

Harvesting Herbs

Most plants in your herb garden will reach the peak of their culinary value just before the buds begin to bloom. This is an excellent time to cut the herbs for cooking, whether you use them fresh or preserve them for use throughout the year. Nearly all herbs can be dried indoors and stored throughout the winter, but some gardeners have found that freezing the herbs instead of drying them preserves the flavor better. In the case of herbs that are best used in their fresh state, consider starting a few pots on your window sill that will allow you to enjoy fresh herbs throughout the year.

Herb gardening can provide beauty and many different functions to your outdoor space. Whether you are planting herbs to enhance your favorite recipes or simply enjoy the aroma and aesthetic quality of these plants, an herb garden can be the perfect way to expand your garden this summer.

Getting Started in Herb Gardening

Just imagine your pasta and pizza without the finishing touch of oregano or the delicious mince dumplings without the pinch of sage! The outcome is sure to be bland and boring. This is what the herbs do for you’re your culinary skills - they uplift the taste and flavor of any dish. In addition to that they make the dish look colorful and inviting. Thus the defining character of any dish is the work of appropriate herbs. While you can buy them in the local grocery stores, it is always better to home grow them in your backyard; the addition of garden fresh herbs will definitely make your cooking and dining experience even more enjoyable.

Plant type

Before getting started in the task of herb gardening, you must learn about the different types of herbs. The herbal plants are of three types:

Annual - the herbs like basil, chamomile, dill, chives, lavender, lemon, mint, oregano rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme are planted each spring and live for only one season.

Perennial - the herbs like catnip, balm, lovage, marjoram or thyme live for many years. Although they shake off the leaves during winter, their roots remain alive and in the turn of spring they bloom into new foliage.

Biennial -The plant like Parsley grow for two years. The first season is for growing foliage, next the seeds are formed. After that they die at the end of the second season.

Choosing the Location

For herb gardening the question as to where to plant is very critical. Not all the herbs have same light or temperature requirement. While most of the herbs need exposure to the sunlight for at least 6 hours per day, the herbs likes chives, cilantro, dill, and mint are grown in the shade.

The Soil Type

Make sure of the soil requirement of a particular herb before planting one. In general an extra rich and over fertilized soil is not suitable for planting good quality herbs. Over fertilization kills the flavor of the herb by reducing the essential oil content of the herbs. The herbs do better in the moderately rich soil. In addition to that, your herb garden must have excellent drainage quality, so that soil does not contain extra water. Growing herbs in raised beds or containers is also a good idea.

Herb Garden Care

Just like with vegetables, other herbs require about an inch of water per week. However, those planted in containers tend to dry out more quickly and hence need more frequent watering. To get a better grip, with the soil keep garden beds weeded.

One interesting thing about herb plants is: they have inherent power to resist pests and disease attacks. This is due the aromatic natural oil, they are bestowed with; the aroma repel pests and insects naturally. Still, herbs are susceptible to the attack of insects like aphids, and diseases such as powdery mildew.

Keep these information in mind when you are going to start your herb garden for the first time; your care for your herb garden will result into great pleasure everyday all through the year.

By establishing a herb container garden for your home, this not only gives you the chance of growing fresh herbs year-round for a assortment of uses, in addition it provides an eco-friendly method of decorating your patio, sunroom or balcony. Using ornamental ceramic pots, clay urns, wooden window boxes or any distinctive item that can serve as a plant holder for your herb container garden will add color and fragrance wherever you decide to place them.

The Benefits Of A Herb Container Garden

There are plenty of reasons for having a herb container garden versus a traditional herb garden in your yard. Besides having the ability of growing fresh herbs throughout the year right at your fingertips, the herb container garden, once set up with the proper supplies, requires little care. With proper light, soil, drainage and water, the plants tend to take care of themselves. Additionally, herb plants tend to be mostly pest free. A herb container garden can be a convenient way of growing fresh herbs without all of the work a traditional garden requires. The containers should be portable so they can be moved inside during cold weather, they're decorative and fragrant, they take up little space and they're good for the environment.

How To Create A Herb Container Garden

Creating a herb container garden for your home can be easily achieved with just a few supplies. Basically, the main item to be concerned with is the container itself. It must be large enough to accommodate the plants, stones and soil but it must also be a size that is easily moved from the outside to the inside during cold weather. If you plan to have a herb container garden only during the warmer months that are conducive to gardening, then how large and how portable the container is will not be an issue. Regardless of the portability of the container, it must provide excellent drainage for the plants.

Setting Up A Herb Container Garden

Once you've selected the type of herbs you want for your herb container garden, depending on the size of the container used, place several small rocks or stones inside the container which will help with water drainage. Fill the container with an appropriate amount of soil, place the herb plants inside, add a little water if the potting soil is very dry and then add more potting soil. Place the container in a location that will provide full sunlight and water only as necessary.