My Herb Gardening

Herb seeds are used in cooking all over the world. But along with its cooking factors it is used as a nutritional supplement and they very well compliment the healthcare regimen. These supplements are by now means new. We have been downing our grandmother’s herbal seed concoctions since we were children. Herb seeds are excellent ways of treating illness. Herbs seeds have also been used as a beautifying agent since age old times.

Coriander: used extensively in seed and powder form – this gentle fragrant spice is an important curry ingredient which rounds and balances the hotter spices. Coriander seeds are often used as a garnish in Indian cooking and as an ingredient in salads, chutneys and some curries.

Cumin - an important curry ingredient with a warm and aromatic taste. It is also available in powder form.
Fenugreek seeds – used whole or ground in curries. It gives out a strong aroma and is slightly bitter in taste. It is used in small quantities.
Chaste tree – a popular herbal remedy for premenstrual syndrome, it alleviates complaints of bloating, irritability and depression.
Dandelion – It strengthens the liver and is invaluable after hepatitis and jaundice. It aids digestion and prevents gallstones.
Flax seed – it makes the skin and hair healthier and reduces acne, eczema, psoriasis and sunburn. It lowers cholesterol and reduces inflammation from lupus and gout.
Ginseng – it protects the body from the stress and fatigue, strengthens the immune system and may also help in treating impotence in men.
Hawthorn – Hawthorn receives angina chest pain, lowers high blood pressure and corrects irregular heartbeat. It is also an effective sedative for insomnia.
Kava – us an excellent remedy for anxiety and panic attacks. It reduces stress and nervous and eases muscle spasms and chronic pain.
Licorice not only soothes sore throats but it also used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. It helps treat eczema and improves the body immunity.
Pysllium – Psyllium husk is used to treat bowel disorders like constipation, irritable bowels syndrome and hemorrhoids. It also prevents gallstones and lowers cholesterol.
Tea tree oil- it disinfects cuts and makes them heal faster while reducing scarring. It speeds recovery from insect bites and stings, treats athlete’s foot and fungal nail infections. It is applied on the skin only.
Cardamom – an important curry spice, strong and aromatic, available as pods and powder.
Black pepper – It is used whole or freshly ground or as powder.
Mustard seed – Used whole or crushed in curries; has a strong, hot flavor and is generally used in small quantities.

As winter sets in, you usually start getting worried about the plants that you have in your garden because they might not be able to fight the frost or resist the chilly winds. This holds true especially for herbs because they are delicate. Indoor herb gardening is the answer to all your worries regarding your garden. And you don’t even have to renovate your home to start growing herbs indoors. A widow that faces the South or West direction and allows sunlight for 5 hours in a day will suffice your need for indoor herb gardening. If you are staying in a high-rise apartment and the only greenery that you get to see is the distant park, then indoor herb gardening is good for you and your apartment too.

Thyme, rosemary and mint are good options as starters for your indoor herb garden. You can grow them from cuttings or buy them from a florist. You can get these plants from a supermarket as well. If you want to start your indoor herb garden this way then you need to initially grow the herbs in a soil-less mix of perlite, peat and vermiculite. You get the directions for use on the package or the greenhouse from where you bought the mix.

If you prefer staying away from all that shopping, then you can start your indoor herb gardening with the seeds. To start, you need to get some pots in which you can grow your herbs. A pot with good drainage, especially terracotta or a clay pot is preferable. Small pots of 6″ diameter are perfect for indoor gardening as they are small enough to grow compact plants and allow enough growth as well.

You should have pots of same material, shape and size to bring symmetry in your indoor herb garden. The contrast that you desire can come from the colors and shapes of herbs. Also you should plant different herbs in different pots, rather than 2/3 in the same one so that mint and basil do not taste the same. Herbs that can be directly grown from seeds are basil and Greek Oregano. You need to be careful while choosing the seeds. Buy the ones that are specified as ‘compact’ as the regular ones are difficult to grow indoors because of their size.

To grow your herbs indoors from seeds you need to fill the pots with potting soil that you can get from any florist or greenhouse. Then tuck the seeds in soil to a certain depth as specified on the packet and spray them with water. These pots should be kept on the window shelf facing the southern or western direction to soak up enough sunlight. You should also keep the soil damp, especially if you live in a dry or overheated apartment. You should not over-water your herbs once you see the sprouts, as the roots may rot.

If you have started your indoor herb gardening with cuttings or via transplant, you should allow the soil to dry out a slightly. Your indoor herb garden should get plenty of light but should not be exposed to extreme heat.

Tracy Ballisager is stays at home mum, who loves gardening. To read more about gardening tips and idea go to http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com

Growing an herb garden in your kitchen can be one of the most rewarding endeavors of any type of gardening. In the old days, every home came equipped with its own garden, where people grew vegetables and fruits and herbs for both cooking and medicinal purposes.

In most houses, such gardens were grown in the rear of a yard or side yard, but today’s space considerations make such luxuries impossible for many people. When faced with limited space and growing area, a kitchen garden grown in pots in containers inside the house provides innumerable benefits.

Growing herbs in containers offers several advantages. They are movable and containers may offer herbs of various sizes and growing temperaments a temporary home while choosing the best permanent location. Container growing makes herb growing possible for many people who don’t have ground space.

For some plants, like the ever-invasive mint, containers are the only option left to those who wish to enjoy the benefits of growing an herb garden where ground space is limited. When planting herbs in a pot, choose containers that are at least a one-gallon capacity. You can use milk jugs or large coffee cans as temporary growing containers as well. Each herb plant will need its own gallon of soil. So, if you plant several together, make sure they have enough growing space as well as adequate soil.

In the old days, gardens were meant to be utilitarian, and it didn’t matter whether or not they were attractive. These days, however, gardeners want both.

Today, kitchen gardens can be designed for their ornamental value as well as their usefulness in different areas of daily living. When it comes to planning any type of gardening for use in cooking, or medicinal purposes, convenience is a key factor.

For example, if you use herbs every day when cooking dinner, you don’t necessarily want to traipse to the back of a yard to pluck a few sprigs every time you cook. For such situations, it is best to design an herb garden that is easy to get to in all kinds of weather, as well as one that is adapted for your convenience.

In addition, when planning areas or locations for a kitchen garden, gardeners should also take into consideration what types of herbs you’ll be growing and what kind of growing conditions those herbs prefer. For example, herbs that like dry or hotter soil might do better placed on the south side of the house or apartment. Other herbs prefer shade and moist soil conditions.

For those who don’t have the luxury of any yard space, herbs can be grown in containers and then placed wherever light conditions are most suitable for any particular plant and where it is easy to reach from the kitchen area.

For example, some herbs that are grown indoors like windowsills, and are perfectly content with limited sunlight conditions. These plants and herbs can be grown all year long, though these herbs and plants will grow more slowly or during the winter. Nevertheless, if temperatures remained fairly constant inside the house or room where they are grown, herbs grown in containers will do just as well and be just as flavorful as those grown outside.

If at all possible, herbs that are grown on windowsills during the winter can be transplanted outside into a garden or moved into outdoor pots in the spring, if desired.

Listed below are several common herbs that actually like to live on windowsills, such as:

Aloe - especially likes south facing windows. This herb requires low water and can be grown in a six to twelve inch pot.

Mint - likes a south or east facing window and likes very moist soil. Pot measurements should be between eight and ten inches in size.

Rosemary - also likes a south or east facing window and slightly moist soil. Pots for rosemary should also be eight to twelve inches in size.

Sage - likes a south or east facing window and moist soil conditions. Pots containing sage should be between eight and twelve inches for best growing conditions.

Tarragon - also likes a south or east-facing window. Tarragon likes moist soil and should also be placed in pots between eight and twelve inches in size.

Lemongrass - like most other herbs, prefers an Easter south facing window and moist soil as well as a pot ten to twelve inches in size.

While there are dozens of other types of herbs that will grow perfectly well on a windowsill, always make sure that they do get adequate light, and that you are aware of water needs and soil conditions as well as fertilizers that will enable your herbs to grow faster. We’ll talk more about that later.

When growing herbs indoors, there are certain considerations that cannot be ignored. The first and most important is that adequate light is provided for optimal growth. In many locations, there isn’t enough sunlight during winter months to enhance the growth of your herbs, although they will survive indoors. If you are serious about growing herbs indoors and have the space, consider a small room or closet that can be equipped with light fixtures, such as fluorescent tubes or cool white or daylight bulbs that will help plants to actually grow during the winter season.

Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Larry Gildea has authored several articles on gardening. Dr. Gildea has created these gardening websites, http://www.gardeningbonanza.com, Gardening Bonanza.com covers many types of gardening, including, bonsai design and cultivation, container gardening, flower gardening, rose gardening, hydroponics gardening and several others.

http://www.organicgardensystems.com

OrganicGardenSystems.com is dedicated exclusively to organic gardening. And in his blog, http://larryseasygardening.com . Dr. Gildea discusses all types of gardening.

Creating an indoor herb garden is quite an easy task as herbs are inexpensive plants that are easy to maintain and are undemanding. An indoor herb garden can be termed as an introductory course for any beginner to the art of gardening.

Depending on their use, herbs can be classified into culinary herbs, medicinal herbs and aromatic herbs. Culinary herbs include basil, rosemary, parsley and oregano. These herbs are used to add spice and flavor in food. Medicinal herbs include plants like echinacea, valerian, hypericum, gingko and garlic that are widely used in medicinal preparations. Oils from plants like lavender, rose, mint and basil are used for aromatherapies. Most of these plants are not suitable for an indoor herb garden as it is difficult to extract the medicinal parts of the plant. Ornamental herbs are those that are grown to enhance the beauty of homes.

You can start with herbs like oregano, rosemary, garlic chives, mint and thyme. You can either buy these plants at a garden center or can use stem cuttings. Containers are useful for growing herbs at home as these are easy to carry and are convenient for adjusting soil mixtures. These containers are available in different colors, thus creating an added attraction. You can also start an indoor herb garden from the seed level. Heavy clay or terra cotta pots are preferred as these pots facilitate good circulation of air and water.

You can have a beautiful indoor herb garden if you follow certain tips. Soilless mixture of vermiculite, peat and perlite ensures proper growth of seeds and seedlings. Keeping pots in the southern or western window ensures proper sunlight and air. Soil in the containers and pots should be moist but not damp. Pots should be kept in shady regions during summers. Humidity around indoor plants can be increased if they are grouped together.

When designing an herb garden merely for aesthetics or for providing a splash of color in an otherwise dull landscape, many people choose to plant their herbs in patterns that will display vibrant color as they bloom, and at the same time blend in to the rest of the yard landscape.

When planning your layout for aesthetic visual pleasure, there are certain things that you need to take into consideration. First and foremost is the shape. Whether you decide to plant your herbs in a particular shape such as a square, a circle, or rectangle, the outside borders of your shape, should be obvious. Depending on the amount of space you have, such a design for a growing space may be limited to a few square feet to a very large area that can provide an exciting and challenging growing project.

In order to keep all areas of your outside your plot accessible, it is important to break up that design with some sort of surface that will allow you to walk into and among your herbs so that you can weed and thin as necessary as your plants grow. For example, many people use such objects as bricks, pea gravel, paving stones, or even wood chips or gravel to separate sections of an herb garden to allow a footpath for easier access.

Your plan should include a layout according to color schemes, or even determined by the height of fully-grown plants. Sometimes herbs can look quite ragged looking when fully grown, but this does not mean that your herb garden needs to look like a patch of weeds.

Edgings can provide lovely borders for your space. While many other people are fortunate enough to be able to surround their gardens with stones or fences or hedges, creating an illusion of depth and visual interest is possible, with careful planning and making use of color and height for those on more limited budgets as well. Many experienced herb gardeners have learned small tricks, like plant placement, to create stunning visual effects.

For example, some gardeners plan herbs placement according to those herbs that bloom in cooler colors, such as purple, blue’s, common blue-greens, and dark greens situated in the rear of a garden. Then, by placing herbs that bloom yellow, green, orange, and red in the front will make your herb garden appear larger than it actually is. The size of fully-grown herbs can also be used as a gauge for a planting scheme. Any garden looks more symmetrical and balanced if larger plans are planted behind shorter plants.

In addition, the location of specific herbs within the herb garden area will help optimal growth. For example, planting an herb with large leaves in front of a low row of small leafed herbs will block sunlight and limit the growth of that smaller plant. Instead, plant smaller herbs in front of the larger herb plants so that they are able to receive plenty of sunlight through the growing season.

There are certain things that you need to take into consideration when planning a layout for aesthetic visual pleasure. The shape of your garden is most important. When designing merely for aesthetics or for providing a splash of color in an otherwise dull landscape, many people choose to plant t in patterns that will display vibrant color as they bloom, and at the same time blend in to the rest of the yard landscape.

Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Larry Gildea has authored several articles on gardening. Dr. Gildea has created these gardening websites, http://www.gardeningbonanza.com , Gardening Bonanza.com covers many types of gardening, including, bonsai design and cultivation, container gardening, flower gardening, rose gardening, hydroponics gardening and several others.

http://www.organicgardensystems.com

OrganicGardenSystems.com is dedicated exclusively to organic gardening. And in his blog, http://larryseasygardening.com

Dr. Gildea discusses all types of gardening.

Growing herbs in your garden can be a great way to get fresh herbs for cooking or medicinal purposes. In many cases you can grow them right in with your other flowers, or keep them in containers so that you can bring them inside in the winter months for a bountiful indoor herb garden.

Herbs can be perennials or biennials so you need to plant them with this in mind. You wouldn’t want to put your biennials in the back row knowing that you might have to trample over some perennials to get to them and replant. Since herbs can be decorative as well as useful, pay particular attention to how tall they are and what they look like when they flower so that you can incorporate them into your garden accordingly.

One thing to keep in mind when growing herbs is that they like a sandy, well drained soil that has a neutral PH. An interesting thing to note is that a very fertile soil is not recommended for herbs since this will encourage excess leaf growth which will reduce the flavor of the plant. Organic matter is great for herbs so consider adding some compost or peat moss to your soil.

One interesting thing about herb plants is that most pests tend to avoid them and they are not highly susceptible to diseases either, so a herb garden can be rather easy to maintain.

Harvesting herbs at the right time will insure that you get them when they are their most flavorful and potent. For most herbs this is shortly before the flowers are to bloom (except for mints which are most flavorful when in full bloom). You want to pick the third sunny day in a row and be sure to harvest in the morning right after the dew has evaporated.

While growing herbs outdoors will yield you the most productive plants, you can still have a great indoor herb garden as long as you have a window with plenty of sunlight and good well drained soil. You should put them in a southerly facing window and you might consider supplementing the light with a grow light in the winter months. Be sure your pots allow for plenty of drainage and never leave your herb plants to sit in a saucer of water. When summer comes, consider placing your herbs outdoors so they can flourish.

Whether you are growing herbs outdoors or want an indoor herb garden on your kitchen windowsill, trying your hand at herb gardening can be a fun way to get great plants, enjoy a relaxing hobby and add some spice to your cooking!

If you want more tips on gardening and growing herbs including the key elements you need to know about when gardening, how to grow plants in containers and tips on growing herbs and vegetables sign up for my free gardening tips report at http://gardening-ez.com/gardeningtipsreport.php

Herb gardens can be planted for a variety of reasons. Some people plan their gardens for growing medicinal products, skincare products, cooking accents, and so forth. Herb gardens may be both practical and enjoyable from an aesthetic point of view. No matter what reason you have for planting your herb garden, there are a few basics that you should know about herbs and their functions.

Herb gardens should be planted according to personal taste needs and space considerations. One of the most enjoyable parts of planning any type of herb garden is choosing the type of plants you want to grow. Whether you want to grow your herb garden from seeds, or cuttings or propagation, the possibilities are endless, as are the containers and locations where you can grow your herb garden.

There are several basic kinds of herbs; herbaceous, evergreen, and annual. Descriptions of each are offered for you to familiarize yourself with them.

Herbaceous Herbs

Many herbs are herbaceous, which means that they die back and go “underground” in winter. Some of the more common herbaceous herbs are Oregano, Chives, Sweet Fennel, Winter Savory, Tarragon, Bee Balm and Mint. These kinds of herbs don’t require a lot of time with pruning, for simply loping off the plant at ground level will do the trick. This is usually done when the plant is harvested or when you cut back to get rid of the flowers. At the very least, you will do this at the end of the growing season. Herbaceous herbs can even be mowed over several times a year if you choose in order to help keep them free from old and dead branches.

Mint is an herbaceous herb as well, but one that should always be planted away from other garden plants, as it is a very invasive plant that will act much like kudzu, so keep it sequestered into its own area.

Evergreen Herbs

Evergreen herbs are comprised of such varieties as Rosemary, Thyme and Sage. This type of herb will require pruning at least once a year, but in most cases, people grow these for use in the kitchen. However, if you have planted for other than culinary reasons, these herbs need to be pruned in fall or early spring. We’ll talk more about pruning needs later, but this is just to let you know that pruning herb plants is not nearly so involved or time consuming as pruning a tree or shrubs.

You only need to prune branches that are old and show no sign of new growth, those that are dead, as well as those lying on the ground or growing across other branches. This process allows additional light and energy to reach the best part of the plant. When harvesting evergreen herbs for cooking cut away only about one section of foliage at a time, and always cut the stem to a section that still has growth showing. Again, we’ll talk more about techniques and specifics a little later.

Annual Herbs

Both herbaceous and evergreen are perennial herbs, which means that they will live more than two years, but only if they are properly taken care of! Some culinary herbs are annuals however, and these include Basil, Chervil, Cilantro and Dill. The life cycle of an annual requires that it produce seeds each year before it dies, so the best way to insure a continual supply of these is to plant new plants every four to six weeks during the growing season. This is called continuation gardening, and will also be discussed in a later chapter.

Keep in mind that after an annual starts to make flower, it may be extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to encourage it to return to merely leaf production. Once an herb has flowered, it won’t produce the number of leafs you will need for cooking, but that doesn’t mean the plant has to go to waste. Use the flowers and stems for beauty or medicinal remedies instead

Herb gardens may be both practical and enjoyable from an aesthetic point of view. No matter what reason you have for planting your herb garden, there are a few basics that you should know about herbs and their functions. There are several basic kinds of herbs; herbaceous, evergreen, and annual.

Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

Dr. Larry Gildea has authored several articles on gardening. Dr. Gildea has created these gardening websites, http://www.gardeningbonanza.com , Gardening Bonanza.com covers many types of gardening, including, bonsai design and cultivation, container gardening, flower gardening, rose gardening, hydroponics gardening and several others.

http://www.organicgardensystems.com

OrganicGardenSystems.com is dedicated exclusively to organic gardening. And in his blog, http://larryseasygardening.com

Dr. Gildea discusses all types of gardening.

An herb garden can bring a person a lot of pleasure because there’s so many things that can be done with herbs such as herbal crafts, herbal teas and herbal seasonings. On top of this, you get to care and tend for the plants which, if this is all you do, is enough reason to grow an herb garden. Seeing how the herbs mingle together and enjoying their fragrance are other benefits.

By planning your herb garden, you will eliminate any frustration that may arise from planting an herb in the wrong area. For example, if you plant Basil in a very shady area, it will not grow as well as if it were planted in a warm, sunny area. Also, your herb garden will bring you more satisfaction if you plan which herbs you will use.

The first thing to think about when planning your herb garden is location. Full sun is the best for herbs, but it has been my experience that most herbs will grow in partial shade. If your herbs are planted in partial shade, they may not grow as fast as when planted in full sun, but they will do just fine. The place to avoid is full shade, herbs simply will not do well in full shade.

When you have decided on a location for your herb garden, it’s time to figure out which herbs you’d like to grow. To figure this out, ask yourself why you want to grow herbs. Is it for cooking, teas, potpourri, fragrance, or a combination of all these? Whatever reason you decide you’re growing herbs for will help you decide which herbs to grow. If it’s for cooking, which herbs do you currently use? You could grow these, plus others that have caught your interest in the past. If it’s for any of the other reasons, do some research first to find out what herbs are good for that interest. Visit the library and choose books on that subject, or search the Internet for information. Ask your herb growing friends.

You will also need to find out if the herbs you have chosen will grow in your zone and soil type. Again, the library and Internet will be good sources of information.

Now that you have chosen the herbs you want to grow, it’s time to put them into a plan. First, make a list of the herbs you will be using, leaving a space for its’ description of height, foliage and/or flower color, and spacing requirements. To find these requirements, look these plants up in a gardening reference book. Decide what shape of bed you’d like and what size. Keep in mind that to be easily accessed, an island bed (a bed that can be accessed from all sides) should be no wider than 5 ft, and a border bed (a bed that can only be accessed from the front) should be no wider than 2 1/2 ft.

Now take a piece of paper and a pencil and sketch in the shape of the bed. Look at your list of herbs and place your herbs according to height, and which plants would compliment each other. You can do this by sketching or writing in the names of the plant. If you change your mind about something, simply erase and change. As you are placing your plants, make notes of how far apart the plants should be spaced. You may even want to go as far as using colored pencils to do some color coding or to color in the color of the plants. This sketch is your rough draft. You can use this as your planting guide.

The planning process can be just as enjoyable as planting and caring for the herbs. It also enables you to get to know your plants before they are even planted. Finally, as mentioned above, it will save you a great deal of frustration, so take the time to plan your herb garden.

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