How To Grow an Herb Garden

When you are considering How To Grow An Herb Garden the first thing you will want to do is plan your herb garden. An easy way to do this is to make a numbered list on paper of the herb plants that you want to include.

Then, beside or below the list make a quick sketch of the area that you will be planting. Now it is a simple matter of arranging the plants within the sketch. Draw a circle and place the number from your list inside to indicate which plant goes where.

Important considerations when choosing the herbs you want to plant is the size and growth habits of the various herbs you've chosen. For instance, mints are taller and tend to be intrusive making it wise to contain them in a separate garden area or plant them within a container dug into the garden.

Thyme makes a terrific border plant since it is a lower growing plant with a tendency to spread. Generally, taller plants should be placed toward the back of the garden and shorter ones in front.

Herbs can be annuals, perennials or biennials. It may benefit you to separate the perennial plants from the annual plants by placing perennials to the outside of the herb bed. By doing this you reduce the chances of digging up and discarding your perennial herbs when it is time to prepare the bed for any annual herbs that you will want to plant each year. Parsley is an example of a biennial herb that we tend to treat as an annual.

If you allow it to flower and go to seed, it will reestablish itself. Seed in parsley for two consecutive years when you start your herb garden, and you'll have a continuous supply as though it were a perennial.

They layout and design of your herb bed will depend greatly on the size of your garden location, the plants you have chosen and simple personal preference. Herb gardens are often planted in the traditional wagon wheel, semi-circle or simple square or rectangle patterns. For a more formal looking herb bed, you can divide the garden into sections using bricks or stone. Your gardens location is a very important consideration, especially if you are planting herbs for use in cooking. You'll want ot plant your herb bed as close to the kitchen door as possible.

Preparation for a basic herb garden is not complicated at all. Once you have the area prepared for planting, it may be necessary to add lime to the garden as many herbs prefer slightly alkaline soil. A garden plot that receives full sun is ideal, but most herbs will thrive in al little as 4-6 hours of sun each day. Annual herbs should be planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Perennial herb plants can be added at any time during the growing season.

If space is a problem, herbs can be planted in containers and placed around your patio. Use a good planting mix and be sure that your pots drain well. Herbs prefer not to have wet feet. Container planting herbs considered "tender" perennials in your area is also a good idea. You will be able to move them indoors during the cooler months and keep them healthy and happy.

Many herbs can be easily started from seed, either indoors for an early start or sown directly into the garden in early spring. Be sure to follow the directions on the seed packet for care and growing. Some herbs like lavender and rosemary will prove to be slow starters when growing from seed. For these varieties, you may want to purchase plants. If you have friend of relatives with herb gardens, you can ask them for starters or divisions from their established plants.

All in all, herbs are not difficult to grow and after they have established themselves, they require very little care and maintenance. Be sure that they have a well drained bed with at least 4 -6 hours of sunshine and you'll be able to enjoy the flavors and fragrances of your herb garden for years.

You can read more at How To Grow an Herb Garden

It's no surprise that with the economy as it is that more and more people are taking a keen interest in Indoor herb gardening.

For many nowadays it is a hobby that can save them money as well as giving them an interest in gardening.

The great thing about it is that you can start as small as you like and indeed some folks are growing herbs on their windowsills.

That being said if you are going to get serious about Indoor Herb Gardening you will need to ensure that you have rhe right lighting, moisture, and temperature to ensure that your herbs will grow.

Amongst the most popular herbs that people who get interested in indoor herb gardening decide to grow are basil, sage, mint, rosemary, parsley, lavender, geranium, and chamomile.

As well as your seeds it's important that you get the right type of compost and you will find that a good quality all purpose compost will be just fine.

When it comes to growing herbs you will find that they need about seven or eight hours of sunlight every day. That can be quite difficult in some climates and if you don't live in an area that has that much natural sunlight you will need to invest in some indoor grow lighting.

You will need to establish a regular routine when it comes to watering your Indoor herb garden. Your herbs are going to rely on you to provide them with all the water they need because obviously they will not be able to get any from anywhere else.

Don't over-water them because that can be just as bad for them as too little water. As an added precaution you will want to ensure that there are holes in the bottom of the container so that any excess water can easily drain away.

Indoor Herb Gardening can be a very rewarding hobby and as we have already said is a great way of saving money!

Organic Herb Gardening is the perfect idea if you want to grow your own herbs for use at home whilst ensuring that they are chemical free. As we already know herbs have so many uses and play a major role in much of our day to day cooking and indeed lives.

Years ago people were used to growing herbs in what we now call an organic way. However the introduction of chemical pesticides and herbicides saw many people forget all about this easier way of gardening.

More and more people started to grow herbs using chemicals and forgot how nature works and how herbs grow well in their natural habitat. Organic Herb Gardening is about creating an environment that is the same as the herbs' natural growing environment.