You may have heard countless times that fresh herbs give the best flavors. This is largely true as drying them takes a lot of the natural oils and essences out. Having your own herb garden will ensure that you will have fresh herbs every time you cook.
An herb garden is surprisingly easy to make. The following are some suggestions to get you started.
If you do not have sufficient kitchen space for a proper garden, you can also grow herbs in containers indoors. These will need a fair amount of attention but you can still have fresh herbs for your cooking without having to look after a large area or having to bother about space constraints.
Preparation Doing your homework is the first thing you have to do. Know what you need to grow based on your cooking habits. The herbs and spices that you use often should be on your priorities list. Next is know what kind of soil and caring every plant needs. Also know beforehand how big a plant gets. Having something that takes over your entire kitchen is going to be inconvenient.
Choose a good spot for your herb garden, one that gets enough sunlight, and with good soil that drains well.
Prepare the soil for planting. Till it so that it gets loose and also mix in some compost or mulch while you're at it. Stay away from chemical fertilizers as they can affect the taste of your herbs.
All you need to do now is to plant the seeds, water them, an wait for them to sprout and grow. Have patience and you'll be savoring fresh herbs soon enough.
Maintenance As far as looking after your herb garden is concerned, you will need to learn about the plants you are growing so that you understand how to care for them properly. Generally speaking, herbs don't require large amounts of water - you will know they need more moisture when the top soil is dry. Do ensure that excess water has a chance to drain away.
Useful Herbs
If you enjoy herb-flavored teas, you will love growing herbs such as lavender, chamomile and tea. Lavender is also used to flavor other foods, such as meat dishes. Dill, with its pretty leaves, is attractive as well as flavorful.
The usual like parsley is great for garnishing. Cilantro is indispensable if you do a lot of Mexican and Italian cooking, and so is oregano. Basil is an essential do-it-all herb.
Some other herbs that many cooks find useful to create interesting flavors in their food include chives, rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, borage, sage, summer savory and lovage.
You can opt to get seedlings from local plant banks or you can get seeds in sachets online. The good thing about going with seed sachets is that you can have the more exotic varieties available to you. There are a lot of flavor to try and you will have lots of fun tasting them all.
About the Author:An herb garden is surprisingly easy to make. The following are some suggestions to get you started.
If you do not have sufficient kitchen space for a proper garden, you can also grow herbs in containers indoors. These will need a fair amount of attention but you can still have fresh herbs for your cooking without having to look after a large area or having to bother about space constraints.
Preparation Doing your homework is the first thing you have to do. Know what you need to grow based on your cooking habits. The herbs and spices that you use often should be on your priorities list. Next is know what kind of soil and caring every plant needs. Also know beforehand how big a plant gets. Having something that takes over your entire kitchen is going to be inconvenient.
Choose a good spot for your herb garden, one that gets enough sunlight, and with good soil that drains well.
Prepare the soil for planting. Till it so that it gets loose and also mix in some compost or mulch while you're at it. Stay away from chemical fertilizers as they can affect the taste of your herbs.
All you need to do now is to plant the seeds, water them, an wait for them to sprout and grow. Have patience and you'll be savoring fresh herbs soon enough.
Maintenance As far as looking after your herb garden is concerned, you will need to learn about the plants you are growing so that you understand how to care for them properly. Generally speaking, herbs don't require large amounts of water - you will know they need more moisture when the top soil is dry. Do ensure that excess water has a chance to drain away.
Useful Herbs
If you enjoy herb-flavored teas, you will love growing herbs such as lavender, chamomile and tea. Lavender is also used to flavor other foods, such as meat dishes. Dill, with its pretty leaves, is attractive as well as flavorful.
The usual like parsley is great for garnishing. Cilantro is indispensable if you do a lot of Mexican and Italian cooking, and so is oregano. Basil is an essential do-it-all herb.
Some other herbs that many cooks find useful to create interesting flavors in their food include chives, rosemary, thyme, sweet marjoram, borage, sage, summer savory and lovage.
You can opt to get seedlings from local plant banks or you can get seeds in sachets online. The good thing about going with seed sachets is that you can have the more exotic varieties available to you. There are a lot of flavor to try and you will have lots of fun tasting them all.
Janette is an experienced household decorator who has written greatly about growing herbs. Her posts feature valuable help and advice regarding things such as kitchen island ideas.
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