How to Create Your Own Culinary Herb Garden

By Janette Mae Phillips

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:

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.

Grow Your Very Own Herb Garden

By Janette Mae Phillips

If you watch a lot of cooking shows, you have probably seen your favorite host pluck a sprig of thyme or parsley and used that instead of dried spices from a jar. Chefs are on to something in that this is the best way of using spices as nothing gets lost and adulterated while drying or processing. You too can have this fresh herb garden as it is surprisingly easy to do.

Like any living thing, an herb garden requires a consistent effort from you. Don't be turned off though as this entails a sweet reward that will make your efforts all worth it.

If you don't have any open spaces in which you can grow plants. A little kitchen space set aside for this purpose will be enough. Take small containers or flower pots and you're all set. You will soon enjoy the intense flavor of fresh herbs.

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.

Upkeep Know beforehand any special care that your herbs may require. Don't group plants that require a lot of water with those that need just a little. Monitor the soil conditions and only water when you see a noticeable dryness to the topsoil. Allow excess water to drain. Mind any insects that may decide to take permanent residence in your herb kitchen.

Useful Herbs

Those who love tea can finally make their own. in addition to the kinds of tea you like, you can grow lavender and chamomile. These two herbs can be used to flavor teas in ways that will either perk you up or calm you down. Dill is also a good candidate because of its interesting appearance. In addition to it being an herb, it can double as a kitchen dcor.

Parsley makes a wonderful garnish, while cilantro is used to flavor many kinds of Asian and Mexican food. Oregano is great for Italian food, and basil can be added to most preparations with good results.

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 buy seedlings at your local garden center or buy more exotic plants in the form of seed packets. These can be conveniently bought online and will arrive in envelopes with the sachets containing information on how to grow them. There are literally hundreds of herbs and spices to choose from and you'll have a fun time growing and cooking with all of them.

About the Author:

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.

Fenugreek Is A Great Herb To Grow

By Larry Chandler

Cultivating herbs can be one of the most effective methods to taking good care of your health like absolutely nothing else in the world can do. Nonetheless, the plant that I would like to draw attention to today is one called Fenugreek.

Fenugreek is certainly one of the natural herbs that has been esteemed since antiquity. It was an well-loved herb that the ancient Greeks used in many ways to make their lifestyles significantly better based on archaeological records.The Greeks loved this herb and utilized it in several ways. Even its scientific name, Trigonella foenum-graecum, virtually means "Greek hay". A lot of people believe that this name came about from the alfalfa-like leaves of this herb.

It is incredibly famous in other countries in their cuisine. In India, it is possibly utilized more than any place else in the world as an additive in curry powder. Curry powder is one of the principal spices used to deliver flavor to the Indian diet for otherwise boring foods such as rice. A lot of individuals find curry powder simply delightful.

It is used for beverages all over the world. Fenugreek itself is an fragrant herb which has a taste that resembles maple syrup. Plenty of folks like to brew it to create a wonderfully calming and flavorful tea. It is widely used as a popular coffee substitute in northern Africa.

In herbal medicine, Fenugreek has properties that are very valuable to especially women because it has a number of helpful phytoestrogens. These types of compounds can do everything from inducing labor to helping lactating women produce more milk. It is also thought to improve breast size.

You will find that the seeds may be a bit bitter, but there are ways to de-bitter the seeds with methods such as soaking and roasting the seeds.

Some people love these seeds as sprouts. However, most people don't allow the seed sprouts get to the greening stage due to the fact that the green sprouts begin to get a bitter taste.

If you are considering growing Fenugreek in your herb garden, I advise you to head on over to the Sand Mountain Herbs online store and pick up some seeds and get started. You won't be sorry about trying out the herb of the Greeks!

About the Author:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Larry Chandler, owner of SandMountainHerbs.com, wants to help you have the perfect herb garden! Sign up for his newsletter at http://www.sandmountainherbs.com/newsletter.htm for more information on herbs like fenugreek and have the ability to read more on fenugreek benefits.

Herb Garden Information for Growing Herbs in Your Garden

By Jefferson Haynesworth

Your success depends on you getting the right herb garden information on growing a herb garden. Herbs are not just for cooking anymore. Their are many medicinal uses for herbs. You will discover that herbs are not hard to grow. In this article we will share with you some needed information on how to grow herbs in your garden.

There is just a few things herbs need to grow among these are the right soil, a sunny spot, and at least 6 hours or more of sun. Getting the plants to thrive indoor or outside and develop the oils in the stems and foliage is dependent on the amount of light the plants receive. If growing plants indoors, say on your windowsill, pots with drainage holes are preferred. Outside raised beds are preferred because they are easy to maintain.

The PH of the soil should be in the range of 6 to 7.5 and the soil should drain well. Adding amendments to a heavy clay soil will need to be made to enhance its ability to drain. Be careful when adding nutrients to the soil, as it does not take overly rich soil to grow herbs. If you have a nursery near you, you can buy starter plants or seeds.

Starter plants should not be planted deeper than the pot that contains them. Instructions on how far apart they should be planted and how much water they require should accompany most of these plants. If you are using a seed packet follow the instruction on the pack itself on how deep and far apart the seeds need to be planted. To remove the air pockets, pat the soil down.

You should water the plants well after planting and then water as needed. If you used seeds then they may require a little more attention until they sprout. Watering thoroughly to about 8 inches down once a week after the seeds have sprouted may be necessary. Container plants grown outdoors need watered more often, if it is hot they may require water daily.

After a good rain you will have to judge the soils moisture before watering again. The plants should not sit in soggy soil. Indoor plants require watering as the soil dries but care should be take to prevent the soil form becoming to dry and the herb plants wilting.

When growing herbs outdoors the beds should be fertilized once a season. For every 10 feet of plants apply about 3 ounces of 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer. If the plants are not growing well a little more may be applied but care should be taken.The use of a half strength liquid fertilizer applied about every month and half is good for indoor herb plants. Apply this same fertilizer on your outdoor potted plants about once a month.

Mulching can not only hold moisture in but also keep weeds out. Weeds can rob the herbs of nutrients they need to grow. Also the ground will stay warmer in the cooler times if mulch is used. Compost, leaves, straw are good mulches for the winter for any perennial herbs. These mulches can be used other times of the year too.

You can dry them or in some cases freeze them after harvesting. It is always nice to have fresh herbs but this is not always the case when growing them outdoors. To enjoy the flavor of fresh herbs all year long you can try an indoor gardening system. Indoor planting systems are readily available so you can enjoy the taste of fresh herbs all year long.

About the Author:

Learn more about Enjoying A Herb Garden. Stop by Jefferson Haynesworth's site where you can find out all about Herb Garden Information and what it can do for you.

Herbs

By Jane Claire

Herbs have been around since time immemorial and served different kinds of purposes. They have been used to treat illness and flavour cooking; they were even believed to have magical powers. Do you want to have your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to establish an herb garden.

Organize your garden

Before doing the actual planting, it is wise to think about the types of herbs that you want to plant or how long do you want to keep them.

Never forget to include the total space for your garden. If you need help in distinguishing the type of plants you want to utilized, go to some bookstores and find a book that can help you with that problem.

Your plan should also include your drawing of your garden. You might as well divide your garden according to annuals, perennials etc. That way, one category will not be affected once you cultivate one area. With regards to the perennials, you can plant them at the border so that they will not be included once you sow other areas of your garden.

To prevent any future chaotic results, harvest the shorter plants at the front side of your garden and the tall plants at the back. Moreover, there should be enough space for each plant as they grow and positioning them properly should also be implemented.

However if you don't want some herbs in your garden, you might as well get herb pots which have at least three outlets per container. To have an accurate result, fill up the first outlet and plant the herbs prior to the filling. Take note that the ones at the bottommost part are the plants needing the most amount of water. Those located on the topmost part require the least amount of water.

Ideas on Designing

A square herb bed can be nice idea for your herbs. Have some divisions on the bed like four by two paths crossing at the middle section of the bed with a measurement of 3 feet. To provide protections from being damaged, stones or bricks can be utilized at the edge. To assist their growing process, you may use a ladder for them to grow between the rungs or a wagon wheel bed which can have a similar role to the ladder.

Plant growing

Of course, different plants have different needs, but many of them require alkaline soil. This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can more or less help you find out how you should care for your plants. If you germinate your herbs from seeds, remember to follow the directions on the packet for soil, watering and temperature.

As long as you provide your herbs with the right amount of water, moisture and soil, taking care of them is simply a walk in the park. Frequent visits to them may even be superfluous provided that you have followed the important guides very well.

About the Author:

The author is a multifaceted writer. She creates articles for a variety of topics like marriage and relationship advices, purses for sale and shoulder bag, family and parenting, health and safety, and a lot more.

How To Get Delightful Results From Your Home Herb Garden

By Michelle Stratford

The following three tips will be of great help to those having the intention of start growing a home herb garden. Being followed keenly can give good returns.

The first thing to do is to thoroughly prepare the soil before you plant on your own home garden herb. Well prepared soil will ensure that you get the best results

Soil preparation is important because it will help the herbs with the required atmosphere for a healthy lash herb harvest. Failure to have the soil well prepared may lead to poor harvest or worst crop failure.

The alkalinity or the acidity of the soil will greatly affect the state your herbs. Herbs do not do well on an acidic soil. An alkaline soil will boost its performance. If your soil is acidic you need not worry because you can make it alkaline by adding wood ashes or calcite limestone to it.

Since light is vital to the herbs, it will help if enough light is allowed in the area chosen to grow the herbs. Some plants require a lot of son while others need less light. Of the plant that need much light are; basil, cilantro and savory while those which do not need much light are; parsley, sweet woodruff and anise Hyssop.

Space is another thing to consider. Though big land is ideal, it is good to know that you don't need a big chunk of land for your home herb. A sizeable piece of land will serve the purpose as well and can give you satisfying results too.

With today's technology one can still produce herbs even on a small piece of land. By using what is known as planters one can still use the space available to an extend of saving some space for other purposes. In fact, the rectangular type of planters placed on shelves can be of good service.

By adhering to these instructions one is assured of good results. In any case such preparation is always a fun and should not be stressing in any way. At the end you will look and know that your labor was not in vain especially when enjoying your cooked herbs.

About the Author:

In addition to home gardening, the writer also regularly shares writing about crystal bead bracelets and rims and tires.

Domestic Herbal Gardens

By Owen Jones

Every professional chef and every household cook recognizes the value of fresh herbs to their culinary creations. No diner would dispute this either. However, whether you buy your herbs fresh or dried, there are issues. When you buy fresh, you usually have to buy more than you require and they are comparatively expensive, whereas, if you buy them dried, they could be old and dried herbs lose their strength over time.

Why then is it that most home cooks use fresh or dried herbs from the supermarket? Ease, most likely. We lead busy lives and it is easier to get a few boxes of dried herbs at the supermarket along with your groceries than it is to cultivate your own.

Not that it is difficult to grow your own herbs and even spices, but you have to purchase the seeds, plant them and remember to water them. You can minimize the problem of trying to remember to water them very easily, by growing your herbs in a window box or in trays on your patio or deck, so that you notice them every time you take a break on your patio. You will also remember to bring them in if frost looks likely.

If you have children, growing herbs and spices in window boxes or trays can be a good induction to gardening for them. Herbs take very little looking after really, just needing watering every day. They are pretty tough and fertilizer is not necessary as most herbs have a fairly short life. Maybe only a month or two in some cases. Others last a lot longer.

First decide how many varieties you want to grow. How much room do you have for instance? The best way to start is look in your cupboard and see which herbs you use most frequently. Are any of them seeds? You could have a go at sowing these. Look them up in a book or on the Internet.

Sometimes it is better to soak the seeds first before sowing them, others do not require this handling. Second, which herbs have you heard about that you would like to use but never seem to have in the house? Try planting those too.

If all that does not seem like fun, then you can buy small herb plants in the garden nurseries. Most of them stock the most common herbs in Spring. Whichever way you go, read up on how to cultivate the herbs you have selected. I promise you, it will not be a long read, as they really do take care of themselves except for the watering. if you buy seeds rather than seedlings, all the information you need will be on the seed packet and such packets are very cheap to buy.

The advantages of having your own herb garden are manifold, but you will be teaching gardening to your kids or grandkids, you will have fresh herbs for cooking and you will have gorgeous aromas wafting around your patio or deck.

About the Author:

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.