Home Herb Garden
Wow, you have come a long way. Your have nurtured your herbs from “babies,” watching them grow and thrive. Herbs are so very useful and are versatile. But there are a few more things you need to do before you make a cup of tea.
First, you must harvest your herbs before you use them. The timing of your harvest is important. Too hot or windy and the essential oils will disperse. Too wet from rain means that less oil is produced in the plant. One of the best times to harvest is on a calm, dry morning during midsummer.
Once the dew is gone from the leaves and before the flowers open begin to harvest the herbs. The goal here is not to remove the entire plant. Just trim the new growth which provides you with your herbs and stimulates the plant to grow again.
More than likely, you will harvest more herbs than you can use fresh. So have a game plan for preserving the abundance for future use. An additional point to remember about the harvest, you shouldn’t take more than one-third of the plant or leaves at a time. This will leave plenty of foliage for the herb to continue to thrive. And don’t forget to check your plants for insect or disease damage before you harvest.
You have three simple methods of preserving herbs; drying, freezing, and using a medium like salt or vinegar.
The process to correctly dry herbs is to gather six to twelve stems of the herbs together. Carefully remove foliage near the base of the stems. Tie this bundle together at the stem bases with string. Hang this bundle out of the sunlight in a cool place. Should you want to dry individual leaves (e.g. bay leaves) place these on a rack or screen. Turn the leaves often for proper drying. There are quicker methods of drying such as using dehydrators, ovens or even microwaves. While these will dry the herbs they will do so in a less than satisfactory result.
Freezing your herbs is simple and straightforward. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper and cut the herbs into small pieces, placing them on the wax paper. Put the baking sheet in the freezer and once frozen, overnight works well, transfer your now frozen herbs to a zipper freezer bag until you are ready to use. It’s a good idea to label the plastic bag with the name of your herb. Things tend to look the same in a freezer after a couple of months. Another freezing method I like is presented in this video below. Take a look.
Another way to preserve herbs is to use a medium (a medium is an intervening substance through which something else is transmitted). In our case, the medium is either salt or vinegar. Place you desired herbs, basil, mint, tarragon, etc. in a jar or bottle and cover with vinegar. Your herbs will keep for several months and you will also have flavored vinegar. For salt preservation, place a layer of salt in a bowl. Next layer the herbs then cover with salt. Alternate this until you have covered all of your herbs. The salt will draw the moisture out and effectively dry the herbs. Once dry, separate the herbs from the now flavored salt and store in an airtight container.
One of the best ways to use your herbs is freshly harvested from the garden. Clean the fresh herbs before using in recipes. To clean fresh herbs simply place in a bowl; substitute the sink if you have a large quantity of herbs, of cool water. Stir in two tablespoons of salt into the water. This salty water will force any insects clinging to the plant to release without any damage to the herb. Drain the water and place the herbs gently between two dish towels or dry in a salad spinner.
Know your herbs because various herbs have different uses. Each unique herb has a best way to harvest, use, or chop. Do your homework to discover the nuances of the specific type of herb you are using so to handle it correctly.
Happy Herb Gardening!
Italian Herb Garden
Having an Italian themed herb garden is fun and exciting. With Italian herbs straight from your garden you can delve into the delicious world of Italian cooking. Using your own fresh herbs will enhance it even more.
Basil is one of the most recognized Italian herbs and is used extensively in Italian cooking. In addition to its wonderful flavor and aroma, it is quite useful in the garden as well. Intermingling basil with tomatoes and peppers actually improve the flavor of those fruits. Another benefit is that basil is good for pest control, repelling both flies and mosquitoes.
Do not let the difficulty of growing parsley deter you from adding it to your garden. It is used in a number of cuisines and is a foundational herb. Its history as a plate garnish goes back centuries. Before breath-mints people would chew or eat parsley after a meal (especially one with garlic) to eliminate bad-breath. Soon, parsley was server on a small plate after the meal for this purpose. That tradition has evolved into putting parsley on the plated dish as garnish.
Oregano is used as an ornamental and culinary herb. It displays pretty purple flowers at maturity. For the most flavor harvest after it has flowered.
Popular for use in Italian sausage, fennel seed (aka anise) adds a depth to the flavor. Unlike oregano, fennel loses its flavor as it matures. It is a perennial and every few years should be divided and replanted to add to its flavor.
Rosemary, like basil, is a garden-friendly herb. It matures into a large, tough, shrub that displays beautiful small blue flowers. These flowers attract bees that work to pollinate the garden. Although it is an evergreen perennial provide it plenty of frost protection.
Garlic is a staple in any kitchen, especially the Italian one. It flavor and aroma brings a distinctively unique quality to any dish. Every Italian herb garden should have garlic planted in it. Plant the clove and let it go; it requires little maintenance. After digging the mature bulbs it can be used fresh, pickled, or frozen. When storing in the refrigerator or freezer keep it in an airtight container so its flavor does not invade other foods.
From salads to meat dishes sage is used in a variety of Italian dishes. It is most flavorful when harvested as young shoots. Keep the plant from becoming too woody by trimming it regularly. This pruning also encourages the production of new shoots. Allow it to bloom before harvesting.
Consider what herbs you will likely use before you plan your Italian herb garden. Understanding each herb’s unique growing needs will help you determine if you can give each its proper environmental conditions. Don’t limit your Italian herbs to kitchen duty. Many are extremely useful in landscape design, and as aromatic or ornamental arrangements. By planting Italian herbs in your garden you can take a sensory walk on an Italian hillside whenever you go to your garden.
Happy Herb Gardening!
Growing Herbs In Pots
Growing herbs in containers or pots indoors is so easy. Hanging baskets and window boxes are perfect growing plots as well. Growing herbs in pots is just as simple as herb gardening outdoors. The same growing requirements exist for indoor herb gardens as gardens outdoors.
Providing the necessary ingredients for growing all plants, sunlight, soil, and water rank the highest. Your herbs are not unique here. Ensuring adequate sunlight is critical to plant growth. In your outdoor garden location this is usually not an issue. But special attention must be given to lighting for your indoor herb garden. Choose the kitchen, or other sunny room with west or south facing windows. If this location doesn’t provide enough sun then add a fluorescent grow lamp to supplement.
Soil conditions should be “not too rich” and well-drained for herbs. A very good mixture is one part sterilized potting soil and two parts course sand or perlite. Add one teaspoon agricultural lime per 5-inch pot to sweeten the soil. Prior to adding this soil mixture to the container place an inch of gravel at the bottom for drainage.
More water is required for herb gardening in containers compared to your outdoor garden. Moistening the pebbles and misting the leaves provides a humid-like situation that herbs prefer. Even with the additional water requirements take care not to overwater to avoid drowning the roots.
Growing herbs in pots offers the advantage of moving the plants to any location your choose. Leaving annual herbs indoors all year doesn’t seem to faze, however, perennial herbs do best when placed outside during the summer months. When fall arrives be sure to bring your herbs indoors before the first frost. However, leave your mint, chives, and tarragon out until after a light frost. Introducing these herbs to a frost forces a rest period followed by firm, fresh growth.
Like most plants all herbs can be grown in pots even if some do better than others. When growing mint you should always grow it in a container as it will take over your garden otherwise. Given enough time you will maintain your indoor herb garden quite easily. You will soon grow accustomed to having fresh herbs growing in the kitchen ready to add to any recipe. This will add a new depth to your cooking and it will not go unnoticed.
A few final tips; periodically feed your herbs lightly and give each one a spring re potting to ensure healthy herbs. Use though nice spring days to replant the annual herbs and move your perennials outside in late spring after the last frost. Harvest your herbs regularly for use in cooking, flower arrangements. All plants do well with regular pruning; herbs share that quality. These clippings will give you plenty for recipes, dehydrate some for winter use, and give special gifts of fresh herb bundles to friends.
After your first season of growing herbs in pots you will simply and easily produce healthy, vibrant plants.
Happy Herb Gardening!
Herb Garden Kits
Many questions facing new herb gardeners are answered through experience. But how can you get experience when you have so many questions. As an example, are there some herbs which do better when grown from seed? What soil type is the best for your herbs? A simple way to have these questions answered and get experience is to start your herb gardening with an herb garden kit.
You will find a wide variety of herbs within your herb garden kit. These include:
- Italian herbs,
- Culinary herbs,
- International herbs,
- German herbs,
- Herbal tea herbs,
- Salsa herbs,
- Medicinal herbs,
- And many more too numerous to mention.
While each herb kit is unique, there are some basic items contained by all to help you start.
The one item guaranteed to be in each kit, no matter what type, is seed. Depending on the manufacturer, the kit may contain a clear plastic dome that acts like a greenhouse. This mini greenhouse keeps the temperature and humidity levels constant to allow the herb a chance to produce a vibrant root system and the plant to thrive. Each herb garden kit will contain a set of instructions. This step-by-step guide makes it foolproof for the new herb gardener to succeed.
Many of the culinary herb kits include a recipe guide to give you examples of how best to use your new herbs in your family’s meals. A good number of the online sources for herb kits offer a subscription to an email newsletter that contains recipes and other helpful information.
A suitable planter is included with all kits. This is usually designed to provide the best home to your chosen type of herb. Sometimes it is decorative. Since proper soil type is a concern for the herb gardener it is usually included. Some kits have pellets in which to start seed.
There are many benefits to growing herbs indoors from a kit. You can enjoy your herbs considering these are within easy reach. No more heading outside to the garden just to collect some herbs for your cooking. Having herbs inside makes it easy to harvest herbs for drying or freezing for storage. Because your house provides stable growing conditions there is no need to protect plants that won’t tolerate winter weather.
Herb garden kits are ideal for small apartments or rooms because most are small and compact. Controlling the amount of sunlight outdoors is impossible but easily done with indoor gardens. Rainfall cannot be controlled in nature but indoors you have full control over how much water your herbs receive. With the instructions included with herb garden kits you are almost always guaranteed success without having to guess.
You will have a wonderful sense of accomplishment once you are an herb expert. But between now and then is much experience that must be gained over time. To ease you into this wonderful hobby purchase, and discover, an herb garden kit. These kits remove the most common mistakes, giving you confidence through the success you will have, and the satisfaction that follows. Your knowledge of herbs will grow steadily and you will amaze yourself with your ability in transplanting herbs like a pro. Then you will smile, knowing you will soon be the expert.
Happy Herb Gardening!
Herb Garden Plants
Herbs, like other plant types, are annuals, perennials, and biennials. Many types of herbs exist yet the uniqueness of each is understood. Your interest in a particular type of herb should lead you to research that herb type completely to thoroughly understand its proper use and care. Keep reading to find out the various herb types along with their proper use and purpose.
Annuals:
Basil, cilantro, and summer savory are annuals. These need to be planted from a seed or small plant every year and will not survive a frost.
Perennials:
Perennials are marked by the ability to withstand colder temperatures and returns each spring. Winter savory and sage are examples of perennial herbs.
Biennial:
Biennials grow leaves in its first year and produce flowers and seeds during the second year and then die off. Common examples of biennial herbs are caraway, angelica, and parsley. Sow biennials from seed directly in the garden during late spring.
Planting:
Work the soil until it has a fine texture, keeping it slightly wet. Create shallow rows and plant the seeds in the rows, cover and slightly firm the soil over the seed. Mix sand with fine seed to spread it more evenly. Use wet newspaper or burlap to cover the seeds after planting to keep the soil moist until the seed germinates.
Herb Types:
Herb categories are created to describe the various uses of herbs. Herbs that have different uses in cooking are called culinary herbs and are some are the most common and useful in the garden. Marjoram, savory, sage, basil, thyme, and chives are some of the culinary herbs that have strong flavors and are used in small quantities in cooking. Parsley is a popular herb, used mostly as a garnish.
Aromatics:
Herbs that have pleasant smelling flowers or foliage are called aromatic herbs. Aromatic herbs such as lovage, mint, and rosemary have oils that are used in perfumes, toilet water, and other scented products. Whole pieces of aromatic herbs, kept intact, are used to scent bed linens or clothing in the home. Dried, these can be used in potpourri. In this fashion their scented life is extended. Lavender and lemon verbena are common herbs used in potpourri.
Medicinal Herbs:
This group of herbs is thought to have health and medical uses. In fact, many commercial drugs are made from herbs; however, sometimes the effect is exaggerated. Some cultures prize medicinal herbs as having the capacity to cure disease. Use this group of herbs carefully. While some are safe to eat many others can be deadly.
Ornamental Herbs:
This group is all about looking good, i.e. just being beautiful. Many ornamental herbs have brightly colored flowers or foliage. Valerian displays crimson flowers while borage and chicory produce beautiful blue flowers.
Conclusion:
Even though an herb may be specified as in one group many herbs have multiple uses. Mint is used in herbal tea or cooking but also serves as an excellent pest control agent. The more you understand herbs and herb gardens your ability to choose the best herb for your purpose is enhanced.
Happy Herb Gardening!
Herb Garden Information
This can be your herb garden. Get started now.
Herbs and herb gardens are referenced all the way back in the history of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Chinese. Herbs are mentioned in the Bible and according to medieval history many households used herbs.
Gardeners will find several beneficial reasons to grow herbs. Herbs can be dried and used as potpourri, warm teas, as a spice in food, for medicinal purposes, and even control garden pests.
When you plan your herb garden consider whether you will specialize in herbs for one purpose or for several reasons. Herbs can be grown alongside other garden plants or inside your house in flower pots or containers.
When flexibility in planning is key herbs are a star; these can be grown in an outdoor garden plot or indoors using containers. The size of the plot is determined by expected herb use. A four foot by six foot garden plot is large enough to meet a small family’s needs, yet small enough to be easily maintained.
The most popular herbs grown are known as culinary herbs, those used in cooking. Herbs are also grown for aromatic leaves and some for their beautiful flowers. Fresh or dried, herbs can be used for any purpose. Herbs add flavor to almost any dish allowing chefs to enhance their offering. Other types of herbs are used in the kitchen for plate or salad garnish.
Herbs grow as annuals, perennials, shrubs, or trees, like other plants, so plan the garden accordingly. Another factor in garden planning is the amount of sun a spot receives. Most herbs enjoy plenty of sun while a few thrive in full shade. Research your desired herbs carefully. Some excel with full morning sun and complete shade in the afternoon. All of these factors affect the choice of planting location.
Well-drained soil is essential for most herbs. If the soil in the chosen planting spot is heavy or compacted amend with organic material or sand. Fertilizers are not usually need in an outdoor garden.
While some herbs are attacked by disease or insects most are unaffected. In dry, hot weather red spider mites can become a problem on low-growing plants. Caraway, fennel, dill, and anise are subject to aphid infestation, and rust will, at times, affect mint.
Gardeners have a choice of picking up herb plants at the nursery or starting from seed. It can be very exciting to watch a plant grow from a tiny seed. You can enjoy the entire “cradle to grave” process with a single plant. The sense of accomplishment one feels when harvesting herbs that was started from seed can be quite satisfying. Most herbs can be started and successfully grown from seed.
Beginning in late winter, place your herb seed in a shallow pot or box. Using a well-drained, light soil is best to start your seed. Herbs do not have deep roots so a light covering of soil is all that is needed. I.e. plant shallow. A good rule of thumb is that the smaller the seed the more shallow it needs to be planted.
In the spring, transplant the seedlings to the outdoors. Again, know your herb. Some herbs do not transplant well, e.g. coriander, anise, fennel, dill, and should be directly planted in the garden.
Growing a home herb garden is simple, easy, and satisfying. However, do your homework and learn the information you need to gain an understanding of herbs. There are many good guides to successfully herb gardening and you should get one to discover the secrets gardening enthusiasts have known for years.
Happy Herb Gardening!
