Think you don?t have time to grow and maintain a garden, think again. Try herb gardening. It might not be as beautiful as a flower garden or offer up as big of a harvest as a vegetable garden, but an herb garden can add so much to your home.
There is such a huge selection of the types of herbs you can grow that it can be overwhelming to decide what to plant. My suggestion is to take a look at the herbs you regularly buy for your kitchen, take a look in your cabinet or spice rack and familiarize yourself with the favorites. Growing your own herbs can save you money at the grocery store and add so much rich flavor to the foods you cook. Some of the more popular herbs to grow included Rosemary, Basil, Chives and Parsley, but there are so many more.
For a successful herb garden you must have good draining soil, so that the roots of the plant are not steeping in damp earth. Too much moisture will cause diseases in your plants and a poor harvest. If you choose to garden in the earth be sure to dig down under your bed and leave a layer of crushed rock for drainage. If you decide to container garden your herbs a few large rocks or broken terra cotta in the bottom of the pot will provide adequate drainage.
Gardening from seed packets is a less expensive way to garden. It may take a little longer as you have to wait out the germination period. However once they have begun to grow, some plants can grow like wildfire such as Mint. If left unchecked in a large open area, Mint can quickly take over the entire area. Fast spreading plants such as Mint might be better off in containers. The great thing about container gardening is that you can grow them inside or out. They make a lovely addition to your interior, especially quaint on a kitchen window sill. Be sure to allow the plants to mature the plants enough to handle their first harvesting. Consult an expert or book on the right time frame.
Once your herbs have been harvested they need to be dried out in order to be usable for cooking. You can accomplish this by baking them on a sheet at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 hours. Once that process is complete, consult your favorite cookbook on how to use your own home grown herbs in your cooking.
Herbs, once they are dried, can be stored in plastic or glass containers. Avoid using containers made of paper or cardboard as they will absorb the flavor right out of your herbs. Make sure that you store your herbs in a dry place and check them often for moisture. If they get damp it will cause mildew and you don?t want that.
Growing herbs can be a cooks dream. But even if you don?t grow herbs primarily for your own cooking, they make wonderful gifts for friends and family.
There is such a huge selection of the types of herbs you can grow that it can be overwhelming to decide what to plant. My suggestion is to take a look at the herbs you regularly buy for your kitchen, take a look in your cabinet or spice rack and familiarize yourself with the favorites. Growing your own herbs can save you money at the grocery store and add so much rich flavor to the foods you cook. Some of the more popular herbs to grow included Rosemary, Basil, Chives and Parsley, but there are so many more.
For a successful herb garden you must have good draining soil, so that the roots of the plant are not steeping in damp earth. Too much moisture will cause diseases in your plants and a poor harvest. If you choose to garden in the earth be sure to dig down under your bed and leave a layer of crushed rock for drainage. If you decide to container garden your herbs a few large rocks or broken terra cotta in the bottom of the pot will provide adequate drainage.
Gardening from seed packets is a less expensive way to garden. It may take a little longer as you have to wait out the germination period. However once they have begun to grow, some plants can grow like wildfire such as Mint. If left unchecked in a large open area, Mint can quickly take over the entire area. Fast spreading plants such as Mint might be better off in containers. The great thing about container gardening is that you can grow them inside or out. They make a lovely addition to your interior, especially quaint on a kitchen window sill. Be sure to allow the plants to mature the plants enough to handle their first harvesting. Consult an expert or book on the right time frame.
Once your herbs have been harvested they need to be dried out in order to be usable for cooking. You can accomplish this by baking them on a sheet at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 hours. Once that process is complete, consult your favorite cookbook on how to use your own home grown herbs in your cooking.
Herbs, once they are dried, can be stored in plastic or glass containers. Avoid using containers made of paper or cardboard as they will absorb the flavor right out of your herbs. Make sure that you store your herbs in a dry place and check them often for moisture. If they get damp it will cause mildew and you don?t want that.
Growing herbs can be a cooks dream. But even if you don?t grow herbs primarily for your own cooking, they make wonderful gifts for friends and family.
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