Inspirational Start Your Own Home Herb Garden

If you are a person who is wanting to start your own home herb garden and has no clue where to begin then you should read on. It is really quite simple and much easier compared to starting a huge vegetable garden. Herb gardens are very easy to start, but they are also as easy to maintain.

The thing that you first need to decide when you are starting out with a home herb garden is the types of herbs that you want to grow. In the beginning you should try to include only those herbs that you intend on using on a regular basis. When you are done deciding the herbs that you wish to grow, you will have to conduct intensive research on them.

Each herb has a different method for growing. Each herb flourishes in different conditions. Each of them has a different procedure to be employed while harvesting. Thus, you should study them well in order to get a decent picture of how each one is. This also helps you realize how easy or how hard it is to grow each of these herbs. After researching, you may even choose to remove a few herbs from your list as they will be quite hard to grow and maintain.

The next thing for you to figure out is where you are going to grow your home herb garden. These gardens do not require much space. This helps give you flexibility in choosing the location to grow the herbs. You can choose to grow herbs in your yard or inside containers indoors, or even hanging from pots outside. As the research would have taught you, every herb requires a different condition for it to flourish. It is true that most of the herbs need a lot of sunlight, but there are a few that grow the best in shadier spots. Also, some herbs may prefer dry areas and some herbs moist. Therefore, you should choose the location to grow your herbs based on the conditions under which they flourish.

Now that you have finally prepared yourself for growing herbs you need to go and get your supplies. You will need seeds or plants. This depends on the herbs that you have chosen to grow. You will also need soil in which to grow the herbs. If you have decided to grow your herbs inside your house then you will also need to buy some containers in which to keep the herbs and soil.

Now that you have everything that you need, you have to learn the correct way in which you should be planting each herb. Every herb has different moisture and soil requirements. Another thing that you should research is how much water each herb in your garden requires.

After you have succeeded in completing all these three steps you will be well on your way to having your own home herb garden. Just ensure that you keep on caring for your herbs and watering them whenever necessary and as long as you are patient you will see the fruits of your hard work growing right in your kitchen.

Lovely the Joy of the Home Herb Garden

Home herb gardens can be planted almost anywhere. Not only are most herbs attractive and fragrant, but they also are easily grown, maintained, stored, and a wonderful addition to your cuisine! Plant them in an existing backyard vegetable garden, a raised garden bed, in the front yard (parsley and chives make beautiful border plantings), in containers on your deck, patio, balcony, and even on your kitchen windowsill.

All herbs thrive in rich soil with good drainage. They can tolerate some sand, but do not do well in wet clay soil. Clay hardens too much as it dries, and your herbs do better in loose soil. Thyme, rosemary, dill, basil, chives, tarragon and oregano will thrive in full sun.

But mint and cervil prefer shady areas, so learn about your herbs before planting them, and place them accordingly. Some of the herbs in your garden can be best planted from seed. Lemongrass, parsley, dill, marjoram, sage, chives and basil are in that category.

Tarragon, mint, and rosemary are best bought as starter plants or planted from cuttings. Be careful with invasive herbs, such as spearmint. They should be planted in their own pots, and then sunk into the garden to keep the roots from spreading all over.

A home herb garden doesn't have to have a zillion different herbs in it. If you are a beginning gardener, and not yet a gourmet cook, just plant the herbs you are very familiar with, such as parsley, basil, chives, and garlic. As you get used to having your own fresh herbs at your fingertips, you can expand to include a plethora of herbs, for your expanding garden and cuisine!

So let's get started. Remove the weeds from the area you chose, add some compost to the soil and rake it to make it loose and even. Know how much room each plant will require and set your pots accordingly. When you have it right, remove them from the pots and place them in the holes, press the soil firmly around each plant (or seeds) and water well, to allow the soil to set.

Once your home herb garden has been planted, be careful not to over-water it. Herbs can actually handle drought more easily than flood. Mulch your perennials once a year, and fertilize all herbs every month during the growing season. Don't over-fertilize. It can make the plants too tall and sparse, and they will also be more susceptible to disease. It is healthier for both you and the environment to use organic materials.

If you are not constantly picking off sprigs of herbs for your daily cooking, be sure to prune the plants regularly. By removing the dead flowers and leaves, and cutting the plants back, you are ensuring new growth that is both healthy and full, instead of spindly.

Pests such as aphids, red spider, and white fly are rarely found on herbs, but if it should happen, use organic pesticides such as garlic /water sprays to rid your plants of the problem. You will be delighted that you decided to grow a home herb garden.