Herb Garden Information
OPEN SESAME! INTO THE WORLD OF HERB GARDENS
The Holy Bible and several medieval documents bear testimony to the fact that herbs have been used in the households from time immemorial. Ancient Egyptians and Chinese had recognized the merits of growing herbs in their gardens. There are countless benefits of planting herbs and growing them in your backyard or within the comforts of your home. Herbs are used for several purposes as flavor for food, tea, and potpourri, medicine for various ailments, and pesticides to control garden pests. You have the option of designing herb gardens veered specifically towards one particular area or a fusion of all these purposes. You can enjoy the herbs outdoors in your garden or grow them inside your home in containers or pots.
Herb gardens can either be outdoors in a small plot of your garden or indoors within easy reach planted in small pots or containers. For outdoor herb garden, a plot of four by six feet is enough for a small family. Herbs are not only popular for their culinary uses but also for their aroma and are also used for decoration. Dried herbs are also used for several purposes. Some add value to the food preparation in the form of garnish while some are used to flavor delicious dishes.
Herbs are grown as annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees. Herbs are best grown in well-drained soil. Organic matter can be added if the soil is heavy or compacted. Fertilizers are not required for the healthy growth of the herbs. While most of the herbs require plenty of sunlight, there are a few which grow best under full shade. Most of the herbs thrive under afternoon shades. It is an interesting fact that very few diseases or insects attack the herbs. Red spider mites can sometimes be found on low-growing plants and aphids are known to attack herbs such as fennel, anise, dill, and caraway. Mint is usually affected by rust.
You have a choice of growing the herbs from seeds or buy herbs and plant them into a home garden. Watching a plant grow out of a single seed is a joy forever. It is like watching your child grow since birth and enjoying every step and memory of it. The whole experience of growing an herb from a seed is extremely rewarding, because of their multiple uses. You can grow almost all the herbs from seeds. In late winter, the seeds should be placed in a shallow pot or box using a light, well-drained soil for the purpose. Do not cover the seeds with too much soil, as the herbs are not blessed with a deep root base. There is a thumb rule which has to be followed while planting a seed – “finer the seed, shallower it should be sown”. In the spring, you can shift the seedlings to the outdoors. Unfortunately, few herbs like dill, anise, coriander, and fennel do not take kindly to the transplant. These herbs are best planted directly into the garden.
Growing herbs in a home garden is a breeze and can be an enjoyable experience but there is a lot of information pertaining to the herbs that you need to assimilate before you step into this exciting process. Do not fret, as you can find all the relevant information you need right here! Wish you all the very best on your journey into the mesmerizing world of herb gardens.
