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Start an Herb Garden


Start Herb Garden

To start an herb garden is not as difficult as you might think many herbs are hardy, growing easily in any soil, and capable of thriving in any light. Some are even able to withstand extreme temperatures and even drought conditions, enabling you to use them year-round. Before you start an herb garden, however, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

What type of herb garden do you want?

There are three types of home herb garden. Culinary herbs are used for food. These may include fennel, thyme, parsley, sage, or oregano. Tea herbs are used to make teas. These include chamomile, peppermint, and lemon balm. Medicinal herbs have healing properties. Alfalfa, feverfew, and marshmallow are a few of the medicinal herbs you may find. You will find that some herbs overlap categories. Rosemary, for instance, can be used in cooking to flavor chicken, can be drank as a tea, and can be used to treat insomnia.

How much space do you have?

If you have a large garden space, you can plant pretty much anything you want provided you have the right growing conditions. For those who plan to grow their herb garden in pots on an apartment balcony or in a windowsill, you have to be more selective. Some herbs grow fast and large. Peppermint is one such herb. It spreads quickly so it’s not suited for small spaces. If you’re stuck on growing a specific herb that requires more room than you have, look for a miniature variety.

How much time do you have?

Once planted, some herbs require little maintenance and do fine with very little attention from you. Others, however, need more care. This care may include frequent pruning, watering, or fertilization. Before planting a high maintenance plant, look around to see if there is a low maintenance one that offers similar flavor, or if you’re planting a medicinal herb garden, similar healing properties.

Keep in mind that while some plants are low maintenance once they’re in the dirt, they may need special care to get them started. Some plants that begin as seeds can be sown directly on the soil. Others need to get their start indoors in trays before they are able to be transplanted outdoors.

Do you have the right soil or sunlight?

While there are herbs that will grow happily in any soil or sunlight you put them in, others are more finicky about where they put down their roots. Take some time to research the needs of your plants to make sure you can provide the proper environment for growth. If most of your plants will grow in the soil you have, but one requires a different type of soil, planting it in a pot by itself may be an option to consider.

As you can see, a little thought is required before you start an herb garden. However, once you’ve found the herbs that do fit your requirements, you’ll be on your way to the perfect herb garden in no time at all. If you’d like to know how I started my herb garden and the useful things–the do’s and dont’s–that I learned over the years, you can find the information here.

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