by Sue Hasker
Useful Herb Garden
The herb garden is often a separate place in the garden area allotted to the growing specific group of plants called herbs. These gardens may be carefully designed or may have informal patches of plants. These gardens are also called as kitchen garden as the herbs can be grown in kitchen. It can be used to grow herbs to flavor food in cooking and for many other purposes like medicinal use, pleasant scents, and discouraging pests. This may include blend of functional and ornamental plants.
Herbs find many uses in our daily lives. They are used as spices. They also have aromatic and medicinal use. All these useful characteristics have boosted the hobby. For planting the this garden, it is important to follow proper tips and take necessary action.
Herb Gardening Tips:
For healthy herb garden, it is necessary to plan the garden properly. You can start with selecting the proper place for your garden. Many gardeners prefer to plant herbs in containers as they require less space. If you have limited space for planting the garden, you can use containers or planters to grow. Make sure that your herb plant receives sunlight for maximum time of the day. Many herbs require sunlight for about 5-6 hours during daytime. With the use of pots or containers, you can move the herb garden for reaching maximum sunlight.
· Use the organically grown seeds for planting.
· When preparing the soil for the garden, feed the soil with some organic compost to raise the nutrient contents in the soil. The compost can be made from vegetables, fruit peels, cardboard, and other waste materials.
· Prepare the natural mulch using grass clippings and other material. It will keep the soil moist and avoid the growth of weeds.
· Planting the seeds of fennel, egg-plant and calendula can attract the useful insects like hoverflies and ladybirds. It is the most easy and natural way to control pests.
· Check the soil pH to know the quality of your soil and its suitability for gardening.
· Some herbs are perennial while others are biennial. Carefully choose the herb plants for your garden.
· Herbs contain large concentration of oil in morning hours. When the herbs are grown completely, make sure to harvest them in morning hours to get maximum benefit.
· Wash the herbs thoroughly with cold water and spread them over rack for ventilation. It normally take three days to dry.
· If you have harvested the herbs and not planning to use them, you can store them in cold conditions to prolong their life for future use.
If you are beginner in this field, the these tips will help you maintain a healthy, decorative and beautiful herb garden.
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