Saturday, January 9, 2010

Herb Gardening - Enjoying Fresh Herbs All Year Around

Herbs have been around since time immemorial and served different kinds of purposes. They have been used to treat illness and flavor 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.

Plan your garden.


Consider the herbs you want to plant.  Think about their types.  Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials? 

How much space will they occupy in your garden?  If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow. 

List or draw your home herb garden on paper first.  Separate the annuals from the perennials so when the time comes that you have to pull out the annuals, you won't be disturbing the perennials.  Perennials can be planted on the edge of your garden so when it is time to till your garden they won't be in danger of getting dug up. 

Another thing to remember is that you have to plant the tall ones at the back and the shorter ones in front.  Also, provide your plants with enough space to grow. Proper position shall help you in this area.

If you would rather keep herbs out of your garden (and some are quite invasive) you could have herb pots. These are large containers with three or more outlets for the herbs. Fill the pot up to the first outlet and plant it before continuing on with the filling and planting process. Usually, the herb that requires the most water is planted in the bottom hole, while the variety that requires the least, goes in the highest hole.

Some Design Ideas

You can consider having a square herb bed.  You can have your square bed divided into four by two paths crossing at mid point measuring 3 feet.  You can border it with stone or brick.  A wooden ladder may also do the trick.  You can lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs.  You can also choose to have a wagon wheel bed.  Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders.  Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel's wedges. 

Get Your Plants 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.

Herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. You just have to provide them with an effective drainage, sunlight, enough humidity or moisture and fertile soil.  Even with just minimally meeting these requirements they will be bound produce a good harvest. 

Simple Container Gardening Tips

Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colourful pots of annuals, or fill your window boxes with beautiful shrub roses or any number of small perennials. Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you'll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden.

Container gardening enables you to easily vary your color scheme, and as each plant finishes flowering, it can be replaced with another. Whether you choose to harmonize or contrast your colors, make sure there is variety in the height of each plant. Think also of the shape and texture of the leaves. Tall strap-like leaves will give a good vertical background to low-growing, wide-leaved plants. Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming.

Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you'd rather make something really modern with timber or tiles.  If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don't want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.

Cheaper plastic pots can also be painted on the outside with water-based paints for good effect.  When purchasing pots, don't forget to buy matching saucers to catch the drips. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors rotting. Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive pot plant on each one will delight your visitors. Indoors, pots of plants or flowers help to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.

Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, then buy plants that suit the situation. There is no point buying sun lovers for a shady position, for they will not do well. Some plants also have really large roots, so they are best kept for the open garden.

If you have plenty of space at your front door, a group of potted plants off to one side will be more visually appealing than two similar plants placed each side. Unless they are spectacular, they will look rather boring.
Group the pots in odd numbers rather than even, and vary the height and type. To tie the group together, add large rocks that are similar in appearance and just slightly different in size. Three or five pots of the same type and color, but in different sizes also looks affective.

With a creative mind and some determination, you will soon have a container garden that will be the envy of friends and strangers alike.

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