Saturday, 6 November 2010
Monday, 21 December 2009
You Can Grow Your Own Herb Garden - Part 1
Growing your own herb garden can be rewarding in many ways. You can enjoy the relaxation of gardening and reap the various benefits of what you grow. The problem is, many people simply don't know how, or fear that it entails too much work or expense. In this article, I will guide you, step-by-step, through the process of easily and inexpensively growing your own herbs.
Early in the Spring, or even late in Winter, take some time to decide what your own needs are. Do you want herbs purely for medicinal purposes, craft uses, or are you more interested in cooking with the fruits of your labor? With pen in hand and a small notebook, make a list of the herbs you would like to grow. You may want to go through a book such as "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs."
After you've made a list, see if you can determine what herbs will grow in your area. Many of the more common herbs, such as basil or sage, will grow just about anywhere, but there's always a chance you chose a plant that just cannot thrive in your climate or "zone." Check in books, look at seed packets, call local nurseries, or check with your local County Extension service if you can't find the information anywhere else.
Going through catalogs is also a fun way to plan and learn. I know many people who love looking through their catalogs throughout the year; they dream of the green, fertile garden they'll have in the Spring. It also seems to bring a touch of warmth to the cold days of late Winter when we're all getting cabin fever and longing for the sun. Some good catalogs to send for come from:
Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co. 110 Capital Street Yankton, SD 57079
W. Atlee Burpee Co. 300 Park Ave. Warminster, PA 18974
George W. Park Seed Co. P.O. Box 31 Greenwood, SC 29647
Nichols Garden Nursery 1190 North Pacific Highway Albany, Oregon 97321-4580
Richters Herbs Goodwood LOC 1A0 Ontario, Canada
All this brings us to another consideration -- where to grow your herbs. Are you ready to invest the time necessary to have an outdoor herb garden, or would you rather grow a few choice plants indoors? If you choose to have a mini-garden indoors, a warm window with good Southern exposure is a good choice, and you might even consider installing a special plant window for this purpose. There are plant windows available at larger hardware stores for around $200 - 400 and they are easy to install.
In Part 2 - Set it up and plant it!
Early in the Spring, or even late in Winter, take some time to decide what your own needs are. Do you want herbs purely for medicinal purposes, craft uses, or are you more interested in cooking with the fruits of your labor? With pen in hand and a small notebook, make a list of the herbs you would like to grow. You may want to go through a book such as "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Herbs."
After you've made a list, see if you can determine what herbs will grow in your area. Many of the more common herbs, such as basil or sage, will grow just about anywhere, but there's always a chance you chose a plant that just cannot thrive in your climate or "zone." Check in books, look at seed packets, call local nurseries, or check with your local County Extension service if you can't find the information anywhere else.
Going through catalogs is also a fun way to plan and learn. I know many people who love looking through their catalogs throughout the year; they dream of the green, fertile garden they'll have in the Spring. It also seems to bring a touch of warmth to the cold days of late Winter when we're all getting cabin fever and longing for the sun. Some good catalogs to send for come from:
Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co. 110 Capital Street Yankton, SD 57079
W. Atlee Burpee Co. 300 Park Ave. Warminster, PA 18974
George W. Park Seed Co. P.O. Box 31 Greenwood, SC 29647
Nichols Garden Nursery 1190 North Pacific Highway Albany, Oregon 97321-4580
Richters Herbs Goodwood LOC 1A0 Ontario, Canada
All this brings us to another consideration -- where to grow your herbs. Are you ready to invest the time necessary to have an outdoor herb garden, or would you rather grow a few choice plants indoors? If you choose to have a mini-garden indoors, a warm window with good Southern exposure is a good choice, and you might even consider installing a special plant window for this purpose. There are plant windows available at larger hardware stores for around $200 - 400 and they are easy to install.
In Part 2 - Set it up and plant it!
Melinda Robinson is controlling partnerin Rodeo City Technology Group, a Texas-based company that offers TMS (Total Marketing Solutions) -- including custom content creation -- that fit your business and bring maximum ROI. http://www.rodeocitytech.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melinda_Robinson
Why Grow Your Own Herb Garden?
If you're like a lot of people, you enjoy cooking with fresh herbs. And just like many others, you likely depend on your supermarket for your supply of fresh herbs. If so, you're almost certainly paying too much. Instead, if you decided to grow your own herb garden, you could enjoy fresh herbs whenever you like for a small percentage of the cost that they would be at the supermarket.
There are a number of advantages you'll enjoy when you decide to grow your own herb garden. First of all, you'll save yourself some money. Even though the start up costs related to raising herbs might be somewhat costly, through time you'll discover that you're paying just a few cents for the same fresh herbs that would cost you several dollars at a market.
The second advantage is that you can enjoy more variety in your herbs. Many supermarkets carry just a couple of varieties of each herb. Yet there are numerous varieties of basil, for instance. Your local store might carry a couple of them; however, at home you can grow as many different kinds as you like. Discovering the subtle distinctions between different types of the same herb can be a culinary adventure.
The third advantage to herb gardening is that gardening of any kind is great for relieving stress. If you have a stressful life and it's starting to affect your health, spending your time in the garden can make a significant impact on your well being.
If you think that you don't have enough room, time, or patience to grow your own herb garden, don't be concerned. Firstly, raising herbs can be much easier than you would imagine. Many people like to buy the all-in-one kits that are available, such as the Chia herb garden kits or the terrarium style planters. This is as easy as it gets when it comes to growing fresh herbs. Not only is it less mess and less maintenance, they're quite inexpensive as well.
Or you can go the DIY route and simply purchase a few pots and some seeds. You can grow your own herb garden in the backyard if you have enough room. If not, it's easy to raise them inside the house or on a balcony.
When choosing which herbs to grow, read the packaging to make sure that they will thrive in the location where you are going to plant them, particularly when it comes to their lighting requirements. They'll need to be watered regularly but not soaked, so make sure the pots have good drainage if they're not planted in the ground.
There are a number of advantages you'll enjoy when you decide to grow your own herb garden. First of all, you'll save yourself some money. Even though the start up costs related to raising herbs might be somewhat costly, through time you'll discover that you're paying just a few cents for the same fresh herbs that would cost you several dollars at a market.
The second advantage is that you can enjoy more variety in your herbs. Many supermarkets carry just a couple of varieties of each herb. Yet there are numerous varieties of basil, for instance. Your local store might carry a couple of them; however, at home you can grow as many different kinds as you like. Discovering the subtle distinctions between different types of the same herb can be a culinary adventure.
The third advantage to herb gardening is that gardening of any kind is great for relieving stress. If you have a stressful life and it's starting to affect your health, spending your time in the garden can make a significant impact on your well being.
If you think that you don't have enough room, time, or patience to grow your own herb garden, don't be concerned. Firstly, raising herbs can be much easier than you would imagine. Many people like to buy the all-in-one kits that are available, such as the Chia herb garden kits or the terrarium style planters. This is as easy as it gets when it comes to growing fresh herbs. Not only is it less mess and less maintenance, they're quite inexpensive as well.
Or you can go the DIY route and simply purchase a few pots and some seeds. You can grow your own herb garden in the backyard if you have enough room. If not, it's easy to raise them inside the house or on a balcony.
When choosing which herbs to grow, read the packaging to make sure that they will thrive in the location where you are going to plant them, particularly when it comes to their lighting requirements. They'll need to be watered regularly but not soaked, so make sure the pots have good drainage if they're not planted in the ground.
Whether you grow your herbs outdoors or use a kit such as the Chia herb garden system, the benefits of herb gardening can't be beat. You'll enjoy the flavor of fresh picked herbs, save on your grocery bill, and relieve your stress, all at the same time!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Duke
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