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!

Herb gardening is a terrific means to produce assorted kinds of food for your meals, to have definite types of natural medicine handy, or to merely like the easiness of development and the beauty herbs frequently supply.

Many individuals have herb gardens right at their fingertips in their kitchen to use as spices in different foods and meals they prepare. Several herbs though, can likewise be used in teas or salads, and because numerous herbs have very enjoyable odors of their own, they can also be used for all-purpose home air fresheners also.

Many herbs are rather effortless to grow and they are perennial plants also, that means you can have flowering, developing plants for a lot of years after planting just one time. Herbs will frequently grow rather well in container gardens, or you may plant them right into the ground also.

In reality, one preferred herb garden pattern is a wagon wheel design. A few people will search and discover real wagon wheels to do this with, and it really does give the design more magnetic when you can. Just put a wagon wheel on the ground outdoors in the place you want your herbs to grow. A great selection is normally near the kitchen, then you will have salad and soup fixings available as needed.

Now that your wagon wheel is laid on the ground, you’ll simply plant a different herb into each section of the wheel, in between the rungs. You can now plant more than one sort of herb in every space, depending on how much of any specified kind you judge you’ll use during the year.

An alternative favorite means to plant herbs is in containers that will be located inside on the kitchen window frame, or outside on the covered entrance or patio. Herbs grow extremely well in container gardens, and various things can be planted side by side to help make better growth and flavor if you would choose. You may also make herb container gardens founded on usage as an alternative. Put in a herb tea garden in one container for example, an herbal soup garden in another container, and a herbal salad garden or medicine garden in other containers of their own.

A few herbs are intrusive though, therefore you should be cautious when attempting to plant them outside especially. Mint for example, will, with little or no effort, over-run almost any garden area you place it in. It is better to put mint in their own containers, and even if you plan to place them outside at some point in the future, you should let them remain in the container and plant the whole thing into the ground instead of setting the plant into the ground by itself. This will help you to check the growth and enlargement of the plant, and make certain it doesn’t strangle out other significant plants you have growing.

If you enjoy cooking with herbs then it would make sense to have your own little herb garden. Many people who use herbs in their cooking love nothing more than to have a herb garden to provide them with freshly grown herbs. It may be true that you can easily purchase herbs in your local grocery store, but you cannot always guarantee just how fresh they actually are. At least with your own herbs you know exactly where they are coming from and it saves money too.

Setting Up Your Herb Garden

When it comes to setting up your herb garden, you need to place them in an area where no children or animals can get to them. You may want to place a small fence around the garden for this very reason.

First however, before you plant the herbs you will need to ensure that the soil is ready. This means that you will first need to till the soil. If you have no prior knowledge of planting a herb garden, it may well be worth checking out some gardening magazines or doing some research online to make sure that you know how to prepare the soil properly.

If you live in an apartment and you cannot plant herbs in a garden, then you can still grow them in pots. You will just need to use compost instead of garden soil and then place the pots into a gardening rack. That way you will not easily trip up over them and they will be safe enough in the racking. The main thing to remember is that you should not put the pots on the ledge of a terrace. If you do, you risk them falling off when the wind gets too strong and that can be a potential health hazard to the people who are walking below your apartment.

Once you know where you are going to plant the herbs and how you are going to keep them, you can then decide which herbs you are going to grow. You can purchase a number of different types of herbs including thyme, sage, mint and rosemary. Ideally you will already have a good idea of which herbs you like and which ones you don’t, but if not you could consider purchasing one of each plant. That way you will have a good selection.

Overall herbs are fairly easy to grow just as long as you prepare the soil properly beforehand. Always take care to place them in an area where nothing can get to them and you will benefit from fresh herbs whenever you like them.

An indoor herb garden might be a good option for many reasons. Not everybody has the luxury of having even a patch of soil for a garden outdoors, with most of the population of the world crammed into cramped flats. Alternately, you might be living in a cold place where even if you do have a garden, for fresh herbs during winter, you will need another option - this is where an indoor herb garden becomes the perfect solution.

However, you have to keep a few things in mind while planning out your indoor herb garden. The first thing you have to do is choose what herbs to plant. Some popular and practical choices are Mint, Sage, Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Dill, Chives and Angelica.

When you buy the seeds or seedlings for this indoor herb garden, make sure that you get them either from others with gardens or from some dealer you trust.

Before you actually buy them, you have to choose the right spot for your indoor herb garden. The first consideration is light. If you can find a spot where the herbs will get plenty of natural light, great, you are set to start. If you cannot find a place like that, choose a place with as much natural light as possible, and press into service a couple of grow lamps, that is, fluorescent lamps, which will help.

Now you have to get the soil right, before you actually start planting. Getting the soil just right is important, so sterilized soil specially meant or potting, which is easily available, is a good way to go. However, you might consider mixing in one third coarse sand with it to get it just right. Next, a bit of lime to make sure that the sweetness is right is a good idea. Just a teaspoon will do for a five inch pot. Also, you have to consider drainage - gravel at the bottom, about an inch, will take care of that.

There is not such thing as the right or wrong pot, as long as it is big enough for your herbs. Old pots and kettles can all be used. It might be a fun activity for your children if you ask them to ‘dress’ the pots.

Now it is back to the basics of taking care of your herbs - water these herbs regularly, but do not drown them, keep them out of the frost, except for those few herbs that a slight frost benefit, and give them all the tender loving care you can. Talk to them, sing to them - do everything you do for your herbs, and your indoor herb garden will thrive.

If you are a big fan of Italian dishes, or of Middle Eastern concoctions, you may not be wholly unacquainted with spices. From cumin to oregano, basil to sage, there are hundreds of spices that can go into a single dish. Try as you might, you cannot duplicate the taste of real Italian pizza or a Moroccan meat dish without the real herbs that got into the originals. But what if you could? What if growing an outdoor herb garden could allow you to turn your kitchen into an international extravaganza?

Some herbs can actually add more nutrients to your food, so that your food is not only flavorful but loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. Before you get too excited about growing an outdoor herb garden, however, you need to remember a few things. First, you need to do a lot of research: not all herbs are hardy enough against extreme weather such as frost and heat, so read about what herbs are suited to your temperature and region.

When growing an outdoor herb garden, you also need good soil. Some urban or sub-urban soils are contaminated with pesticides. Although pesticides will not usually affect the appearance, or even taste of an herb, it can be absorbed by the herb and you may end up eating it in your food especially if you don’t cook the herb well enough, or if the pesticide is not destroyed by heat. When growing an outdoor herb garden, be sure to consult with town or city officials about the quality of your soil. Better yet, buy good garden soil so you don’t have to worry about pesticides.

Growing an outdoor herb garden can be a great experience, and it can teach you the basics of gardening. With research and a lot of good sense, you can have a great menu in no time!

Is It Time You Started Thinking About Creating Your Very Own Indoor Herb Garden ?

As it is now in our gardening lives we haven’t used fresh herbs in our cooking since we don’t always plan what we will be eating in advance and don’t want them to spoil if we don’t use them fast enough. To deal with that my plan is to start an Indoor Herb Garden. We are also planning to have a new area for herbs in our backyard garden.

The idea of using fresh herbs is exciting and I understand that dried herbs have their use so we will also take a crack at drying some of the herbs we grow in our indoor herb garden. The fact that cooking is so in my blood that I am sure I will find it easy to learn the things I need to know to get it done right.

Through the winter months I watch a lot of cooking shows on the Food Network. It would be nice if we could grow herbs year around here but we don’t so I am starting my own indoor herb garden. I already know which herbs I use most so those will be the herbs I focus on at the beginning.

Chives

Chives is one of my favorite garnishes so Chives will be the first herb I grow. When I have a salad, soup, baked potatoes and so many other good foods I enjoy chopping up a few Chives and spreading them like love across the top.

Basil

I have never tried Basil before, not sure why but it’s a fact. I see so many chefs on the cooking programs I watch who use both dried Basil leaves and fresh Basil that I am eager to give it go. I love Italian cooking and can’t get enough of it so I am sure I will be pleased with the results.

Parsley

Parsley plays a big role in our day to day cooking so it would seem crazy if we didn’t add this fantastic herb to our new herb garden, both our indoor and outdoor herb garden. Parsley just goes with everything, well I haven’t actually tried it in ice-cream yet but…

Oregano

We don’t tend to use much Oregano in our house but the fact that it goes so well with chicken we have decided that it would make a great addition to our new indoor herb garden. We will aslo grow some outside so that we can dry some for those dishes that called for dried Oregano.

Thyme

The last herb we will add to our indoor herb garden this year will by Thyme. Because we eat at least two chicken dishes a week I am sure we will go through a lot of Thyme and it will be a treat to try fresh grown Thyme.

Starting an indoor herb garden is something I was scared of for some reason, not sure why but it’s time to get over it and start growing the herbs we love to eat and the fresher the better.

Profits from Your Backyard Herb Garden, by Lee Sturdivant, is a simple and straightforward business guide for anyone who likes working with plants and would like to earn a living or at least a side income from it.

Although the book includes advice on growing different kinds of herbs, its main focus is on marketing the products of one’s herb garden. This includes sage (sorry!) advice on packaging and labeling, setting prices, and approaching the various kinds of potential customers, such as grocery stores and restaurants. Other advice ranges from bookkeeping to complying with local laws and licensing requirements.

Without a doubt, the most valuable part of the book is its suggestions as to which particular herbs to grow and market. From obviously hard-gained personal experience, the author is in an excellent position to advise novices as to which herbs are in great demand and which ones would be a waste of time to try to sell. Sturdivant pares the “essential” list down to 12, starting with basil: “If you only have room for one herb – make it basil,” she writes. The others are dill, French tarragon, mint, oregano, sweet marjoram, French sorrel, rosemary, chives, parsley, thyme and sage.

Profits from Your Backyard Herb Garden also includes some recipes for using the different herbs, and helpful photographs and line drawings of herbs, as well as illustrations of labels and packages as used in this business.

Sturdivant readily cautions that the herb business is not a quick route to becoming a millionaire. But as an enjoyable way to make a hundred or, potentially, several hundred dollars a week, it could easily prove to be the road to business success for quite a few aspiring garden entrepreneurs.

Profits from Your Backyard Herb Garden is published by San Juan Naturals of Friday Harbor, Washington; ISBN # 0-9621635-0-3.