The Advantages Of Creating Herb Gardens Outdoors

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 20:45:08 +0000

There are lots of benefits to having herb gardens. They can create a wonderful aroma when all the different smells mix together and catch your nose as you walk past; they give you an instant and ongoing source of fresh herbs to use whenever you need them; and they are also relatively easy to grow.

But if herb gardens are your cup of tea, you will need to decide whether you want one indoors or outdoors. Indoor ones are good, but if you have a reasonable size garden then having herb gardens outdoors can be your best choice.

When do you start?

The best place to start is by having a look round to see where herb gardens could be created. If space is short, why not have more than one and make each individual one smaller? You can even use window boxes to grow herb gardens right outside your kitchen window.This is perfect since not only is it close to where you do your cooking but it also gives you a great aroma each time you open your kitchen window as well.

You can have herb gardens in regular flower beds, but you need to keep in mind that some herbs may spread further than others. For example, mint is particularly invasive and should always be planted away from any other plants which it could end up taking over. For this reason, if you want to put it in a bed, make sure you plant it inside a pot and sink the pot into the ground first. This will prevent it from strangling other plants and keep it contained within its own small area.

Choosing Your Herbs

There are a wide variety of choices when it comes to deciding what your herb gardens are going to contain. Do some research on herb garden information and find which herbs you tend to like and which ones are the most versatile as well.

Parsley is a good item to have in herb gardens as well as chives and mint. While all herbs tend to be much the same shade of green, they all have their own shape so it’s good to choose a mixture that looks good when they grow together as well.It would be good to put Chives at the back since they are tall and straight. With practice you will be able to grow herb gardens that look as well as taste fantastic.

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Gardening Indoors with Herbs

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:03:00 +0000

Not much room for herb gardening? You can always keep a small herb garden on the windowsill of a sunny window in your house or apartment. Make sure that the window is going to provide plenty of sunshine. If your window faces south, that s the best. You can also use an artificial grow light, but they can be a bit costly (not only to get but also on your electric bill).

Don t put your herbs near your heater (maybe this is obvious?) because they will get easily scorched and too much hot air will kill them.

I gave up on bringing my herbs inside during the colder time of year long ago because I never really had good luck. If you re like me, you will drop by the greenhouse or grocery store to get the herbs you will need over the winter. Keep the indoor herbs indoors and the outdoor ones outside.

Another thing to keep in mind about indoor herbs is that they tend to get a bit leggy. What I mean by that is they grow tall, but do not often get bushy and bushy is a good thing. To help with this, snip off the top of the herb and that can trick the plant into growing more full.

Because you want your herb plants to do well in your indoor herb garden, always try to get the right pot for your herbs. Many plants have a number of kinds and with some research; you ll find the one that can do best in your garden.

These are some herbs that I ve had success with growing indoors. Not only will these bring a great smell to your home, they have a lot of uses.

Sage: Just smelling the pungent aroma and silver leaves of the sage plant makes my mouth water. It s an excellent herb for your inside garden. You can always lop a few leaves to add to your meal. Now that is sage advice!

Thyme: With all the tastes and types, you may have a hard thyme choosing the right one for your indoor garden. Not to mention how wonderful it smells as it grows.

Mustard: Turn up the spice for this one. There are a lot of different varieties of mustard, but keep in mind that the leaves and seeds are full of taste. You will need to cook the leaves thoroughly before eating because they have a texture. The typical mustard herb can get rather large, so be sure that when you go to buy your mustard plant, be sure that you purchase a smaller variety.

Angelica: This herb is awesome in its appearance and its course texture makes it a unique addition to your inside herb garden. Use the blooms in your floral arrangements. Angelica is similar to the mustard herb in size, so look for a smaller variety for your indoor herb garden.

You ll need to get a container that allows for drainage. If you don t, your herb can drown and die. But be careful where you put your pots (you do not want them peeing all over you countertops, window sills or kitchen table). All my potted herb plants sit on a tray on my kitchen table. This allows them to get plenty of sun and acts as a basin for the drained water. I enjoy using the tray because I can fast move all my herbs at once, or turn the tray so that my plants get the best light.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Mini Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

Beginning Gardening » herb gardens

The Advantages Of Creating Herb Gardens Outdoors

Gardening Indoors with Herbs

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