My Window Herb Garden
Image by leesean via Flickr

The positive aspects of herb gardening is the fact that it won’t need a lot of room. Actually a bit of space on the windowsill that receives some sun light every day will work. When you’ve discovered a little place the rest is usually rather uncomplicated.

Once you identified the ideal spot for your herb garden you will need to make a couple of decisions.

1. Exactly what herbs will you grow. We made the selection based upon on what we like to eat.
2. Are you going to start this herbs from seed? Maybe you might prefer to speed up the process by buying starter herbs.

A Great Suggestion When You Use Containers To Grow Herbs

It is really crucial you use pots which have good drainage. The correct drainage is going to help you keep from drowning your herbs the way I did on the first attempt at indoor herb gardening. I learned that one the hard way with some other indoor plants.

You can head to your community gardening shop where I am sure you can find the ideal planting container for the windowsill herb garden.

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Kitchen garden at Bolen residence
Image by Gardening in a Minute via Flickr

A basic herb garden is not hard to create and it can be created in a remarkably small amount of space. no matter whether you live in a loft or you’ve got a yard that’s ideal for planting making a basic herb garden is straightforward.

There are 1 or 2 things that you’re going to need to start for making a basic herb garden. The first thing is to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want a container herb garden or are you looking for something a bit grander like a kitchen garden or a backyard herb garden.

Once you have decided the type of garden that you want to create you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from already existing plants that you will transplant. When you have determined the kind of planting you would like to do for your basic herb garden.

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden . Naturally, these supplies change dependent on which kind of herb garden you are making. The list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies will be the same so that the list is mixed for being passing. The items you will need are: soil, fertilizer, seeds or herb plants, containers, and a spade.

If you happen to be using a container or boxes to make your herb garden, prepare the container by putting the soil in it. Then dependent on the sort of manure you are using add the manure to make the growing environment. You may or may not depending on the type of soil you get want to wet the soil down before planting. If you are, using seeds follow the planting instructions for the types of herbs you are planting. If you happen to use already established plants follow replanting instructions. These are typically listed with the plant, but can be discovered online if required.

For kitchen gardens weed and till the area to break up the soil and remove any large objects like rocks. Then add in the top soil and fertilizers and plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions. Ensure that you glance at the lighting wishes of your herbs and put them in areas that receive the correct quantity of light and shade to guarantee correct expansion.

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Herb Gardening 101

Herbs: Thyme, oregano and rosemary
Image via Wikipedia

Herb gardening has been practices for years . In fact, Chinese history has revealed that this was used as early as 2700 B.C. Herbs have many uses besides being used in foods: they have medicinal, aromatic and vermin control properties.

Herb growing is just as easy if not easier than growing other kinds of plants or veggies in your garden.

You need to do some research before you start growing your own herbs, we have some advice in this article if you are new to this interest. For newbies, you can start with basil, dill, oregano, rosemary and sage since these are all easy to develop in containers, need little maintenance and are flexible for a wide assortment of dishes.

Herbs can be planted in the soil or in containers. If you are going to be planting herbs in your garden be sure to plan ahead to avoid frustration and time wasting. While drawing it on a piece of paper is good, why don’t you place pegs, rocks, or other markers to outline the shape of the patch plot? You want to get a basic idea of how the patch will look once it is done.

Be sure to add some regular flowers in between to make it more visually appealing.

If it is hard for you to visualize, acquire a few samples and then see how it looks. You can surely take back what you don’t need and exchange these for those that you will end up using.

For those who will use a container, make sure that it is food-safe and made of plastic . Keep in mind that terra cotta pots can also be used. Some people are able to put two or more herbs in one pot. If the herb you are planting is a large plant, don’t even try it and mature these in separate pots.

You can get herbs at any nursery, patch store or you can even obtain seeds online these days. There, you can buy a plant that is almost fully grown or one that is still a seed.

Bear in mind that if you are buying seeds that some may take a while to grow and produce herb plants so don’t be too hasty if taking this route. On the other hand, there are also some seeds that quickly mature so you have to do some research to find out how fast it grows.

Aside from picking what herbs to plant, attention must also be given to the type of soil where this will be placed. Ideally, you should work with soil that is sandy since this will provide good drainage for your herbs .

If you are using the proper soil, the only thing to do now is make sure your herbs are getting sufficient amounts of sunlight .

Unlike fruits, you don’t have to harvest the herbs all at once .  You should only get it sparingly so these will still be good whenever you mix this with whatever you are cooking .

One thing you should know about herbs is that not all plants are compatible with others. This is since some of these herbs have a negative biochemical reaction with certain plants around them so you have to be careful .

Aside from using the right soil and giving your mulch sunlight, it will also be good if you enhance mulch. You can make this yourself using some garbage or buying this from the store .

Herb gardening is motivating as it can be used for a lot of things. You can use it for food, as an alternative to medication or even for aromatherapy.

One threat you should always be on the lookout for are pests like red spider mites and aphids. You can get rid of them by mixing castile soap and water then spraying this over the herbs or putting a few other insects that will do the job of getting rid of them.

There are many ways to use the herbs and it can be used fresh or dried. It really depends what you will be using it for because you can even soak this in oil.

So what are you waiting for? Go to the garden center and get some herbs so you can have your own herb backyard.

For more information on <a href=”http://groworganically.co.za/2010/06/vegetable-garden-layout-ideas-and-planning-for-a-very-small-garden/”>garden layout ideas</a>, <a href=”http://groworganically.co.za/2010/05/diy-hydroponics-a-beginners-guide/”>hydroponics diy</a> and <a href=”http://groworganically.co.za/2010/05/books-on-how-to-build-a-hydroponics-systems/”>hydroponic systems</a> please visit our site!

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Are You Really An Organic Gardener?

Looking for the inner light...
Image by Looking for a Lighthouse via Flickr

Gardeners can often claim to be organic, but if you actually lokk closely at their gardening habits, you will discover that they still use certain pesticides on their lawn, or eradicate weeds using herbicides.

To claim to be an organic gardener, you should really be 100% organic – in all of your gardening habits. You do not ever use any of those inexpensive fungicides and pesticides in order to help with your weeding, or to eradicate annoying pests. The garden should be left alone to evolve along with nature, and control over the growth should be measuredl, and properly planned in advance, so that unwanted plants are kept out. You cannot be selectively organic! You can of course be ‘more’ organiic, but don’t shout about it until you completely avoid all pesticides and fungicides!

One great idea is to start growing your own compost at home, as this is the best way (and easy too) to be certain of the ingredients which make up your fertiliser. Have one compost set aside for grass cuttings, and the like. Then invest in a worm factory to compost cooked waste, which produces great nutrition for your plants.

For years in time gone by gardeners felt that nature had to be tamed, in order to allow the desired plants to flourish. There was no such concept as ‘organic gardening‘. While some gardeners indeed worked with nature to develop their areas, it was not necessarily the norm.

Whether you are limited to organic ‘container’ gardening, or you want to grow your herbs indoors, try to be organic – you will be rewarded with healthy, chemical-free garden produce.

Don’t waste your money on insecticides, buy new plants instead. I may not be an expert in all facets of the garden, but I know what I want, and I do have a fair idea of what constitutes buiding a succwessful ‘organic’ garden. An organic garden is a ‘healthy’ garden, nurtured in a timely fashion, with no unnatural shortcuts allowed!

Colin West is a full-time garden enthusiast. He has been gardening all of his life, and has recently completed a new ebook on how to Grow Your Own Herb Garden – which is available as a download.

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Herbs – An Introduction

Basil Basilico Ocimum basilicum albahaca
Image via Wikipedia

An Introduction To Garden Herbs

There are a huge variety of herbs in the world, and each one is unique in its own way. If you are interested in a specific type of herb, you should research that one to understand the care it needs and how to use it properly. This article will hopefully help you begin to to understand the different types of herbs, and what they are used for.

From a growing perspective, there are of 3 main categories of plant – Annuals, Biennial and Perennial:

  • Annuals – common examples are basil, and cilantro – these will not survive the winter frost. Each year they must be planted from seed, or from a small plant you have kept indoors from the summer growth. .
  • Biennials – herbs form leaves in their first growing season, and flower and seed in the second season; then they die. Biennial herbs – such as parsley, angelica, or caraway – are best be sown in late spring, not in seed trays but directly into the garden. Prepare the soil first by working it to a fine texture and dampen the soil slightly. Plant the seeds in shallow rows, then firm the soil on top of them. Fine seeds can be planted in a mixture of sand, which will allow them to spread more evenly. You can also cover the herb bed with wet burlap or paper in order to keep the soil moist during germination.
  • Perennials – such as sage and winter savory – can and do survive cold temperatures, and with tending, will grow year after year.

Herbs can also be grouped into the categories for which they are used:

  • Culinary herbs are probably the most useful to herb gardeners. They have a huge range of different uses in cooking. Because of their extra strong flavors, some herbs – like chives, rosemary or basil, are best used in small quantities to add flavor to different types of food. Parsley is an extremely popular herb that is used mostly as a garnish. Some herbs act as natural sweeteners – examples are stevia, licorice, and the aztec sweet herb.
  • Aromatic herbs have lovely smelling flowers or foliage. Oils from aromatic herbs like loyage, mint, and rosemary can be used to make different types of perfumes, toilet water, or other various scents. Parts of aromatic herb plants used intact can also be used in the home to scent linens or clothing. They can even be dried out and made into potpourri, thus retaining their aroma over a long period of time. Lavender and lemon verbena are 2 great herbs to use for potpourri.
  • Some herbs are also used for medicinal purposes. For centuries herbs have been thought to have the ability to cure the body. Present medical knowledge recognizes that some herbs are beneficial to one’s health, others are overrated. Herbs used for medicinal purposes should be used carefully. Some herbs are harmless but others can be dangerous if eaten. Herbs have many important uses – to relieve stress, ease pain, or to boost the immune system, and even to cure insomnia – herb Robert, and lemon balm I have found that Aloe vera is great to have around the house (usually potted) for any accidental burns and cuts (more healing than anything you will find in your local drugstore).

A final category are herbs that are used mainly as decoration, because they grow beautiful brightly colored flowers and foliage:

  • Many have whitish flowering, some have various light colored flowers – like valerian – which has crimson blossoms, and borage and chicory, which grow gorgeous blue flowers

Not all herbs fit neatly into one of the above categories, and indeed some serve more than one of these categories. For example, mint may be used for cooking, tea, and pest control – but make sure you border its growth, or it will become a pest itself growing wild across your garden!

If you would like more information on herbs, do drop by my herb gardening website, where I continually update articles and tips on gardening at home.

Whatever the interest that you may have in herbs, by understanding the facets of herb garden plants you are able to pick the herbs that will be most useful to you, and you can grow healthy, fresh produce at home.. Good Luck.

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