Simple DIY Backyard Greenhouse Plans & Ideas For Building a Small to Medium Size Greenhouse at Home…!

Herbs have been in use since centuries for various medicinal, culinary and aromatic purposes. Herbs are used even in many of the modern medicines, cosmetics etc. Having your own herb garden can be very useful. Planning it is definitely great fun!

Herbs can be grown in a number of ways. With a proper planning a herb garden can be an essential part of your home. You can choose to have it either indoors or outdoors. In case of limited outdoor space, you can opt for planting herbs on a windowsill or in a window box.

Planning

The first step to cultivating a herb garden is selecting the herbs you want to plant. There are different kinds of herbs for different purposes. Hence you need to first decide the main purpose of having a herb garden. Some herbs like thyme grow low and spreading while others like parsley grow in clumps. Some herbs are perennials and some are annuals.

First plan on paper. Decide the exact size you wish your garden to be. This helps in selecting the right type of herbs. Also, you can determine the amount of space per herb as per your requirements.

Requirements

Firstly, do note that herbs require well-drained soil. Before staring to plant your herbs, test if the soil is alkaline. Herbs need alkaline soil to grow. You can add lime to your soil to keep it alkaline.

Sunlight is a very important factor for herbs to grow well. Herbs need at least six hours of sunlight. In case you can not find a suitable sunny spot, you can plant the herbs in a garden container so that it can be moved around in sunlight. Keep enough space for the herbs to grow. The herbs need adequate air circulation to prevent molds.

Familiarize yourself with the herbs you will be planting. Read about the requirements and conditions of growing them. This will help you take proper care of them.

Planting the herbs

You can begin planting either with seeds or small plants from the garden center. It is better to have small plants rather than seeds as you will have a higher success rate.

When using seeds to plants, it is better to plan them ahead since the seeds require several months to grow. Keep your herb garden close to your home. This will help you to take care and check for the problems.

You can plant your herbs either in straight lines or in geometrical shapes. You can even have square beds divided into four paths. Plants even in the shape of flowing, curved beds and walkways look amazing. Some flowers and shrubs can add to the beauty of your herb garden.

You can refer to various magazines and books to know what type of garden best suits your needs. You can even seek professional help if required. They are easy to maintain and simple to grow. With enough drainage, sunlight, water and nutrient rich and organic soil, your herb garden can thrive for years.

We recently moved into our first home (lived in apartments before). I have always been sort of a frustrated gardener- I’ve had lots of container plants. Now that I have a HUGE yard, I want to start a vegetable and herb garden. The problem is, we have lots of rabbits that visit our yard every day, and there are mice in the field behind us (they come into our yard sometimes). I am an animal lover and do not want to poison, trap, or otherwise “get rid of” these animals, but I don’t want them to eat all my veggies (or make the mouse problem worse). Is there anything I can do to protect my garden or discourage these animals from coming in my yard (I have a dog and a cat, but they still come in).

Any serious ideas would be appreciated.

Herbs can be annual, biennial or perennial. Herbs with lifespan of one year are known as annuals, while those with a lifespan of two years are known as biennials. Perennials are ones that live longer than two years. Herb gardening is not only an art but also a science besides being a great form of exercise and a hobby. The Chinese, Indians and Greeks have extensively developed herb gardening for centuries. According to the main characteristic of herbs, they can be classified as culinary, medicinal or ornamental herbs.

You can become successful herb gardener if you know the secrets of setting up a herb garden and taking care of it the right way. Even though each herb grows in different conditions, all herbs maintain the equilibrium of their surroundings. Herb gardening can either be done indoors or outdoors. While few grow well indoors in a pot or a container, others grow well only in the garden. Edible herbs grown by you would be free of herbicides. In turn, you can safely consume chemical-free herbs.

Maintenance

Easy maintenance and low costs are the main advantages of herb gardening. However, there are few points to remember when you try growing herbs, especially the edible varieties. If you opt for indoor gardening, make sure you choose appropriate pots or containers. While selecting the edible parts of the herb for consumption, make sure that they are not infected or have any insect bites. Some of the herbs may not like to be restricted to a pot or vessel. Make sure that you do not plant such herbs inside the house.

Herb Gardening In Containers

You can use any container for growing plants. Make sure that there are no insects, bugs or snails hiding inside the vessel or pot used for sowing the seeds. Insects are the worst enemies of any kind of plant, as they destroy the leaves and other important parts of the herb. Also, make sure that the holes are such that bugs cannot crawl into the pot after filling it with soil. Before you fill the pot or container with soil, cover the bigger holes with a thin cloth so that it covers the hole and a small portion around it. The cloth should be one that allows water to drain out and at the same time, keeps the insects out.

Fill the pot with sufficient and appropriate soil, and then sow the seeds in appropriate climatic conditions. You can also choose to purchase ready-made pots with the herb already planted in it. In both conditions, you should remember to change the soil after 3 months. Moreover, make sure that you pluck off the dried and dead leaves, and keep trimming the herb so that it does not grow wild.

Raised bed herb gardens and Parterre are other styles of herb gardening besides container gardening. With a sincere effort on your part and proper care, you too can show off your homegrown herbs to all and sundry.

When Herb gardening, first and foremost you must have a plan before you begin your endeavor. This is the first deadly sin herb gardeners commit consistently. You can grow an herb garden for cooking, or medicine or beauty. Choose which one will fulfill your needs, or have beds or containers for all three. If you are a beginner it is best to start off with just one so that you are not overwhelmed. You want this to be fun and creative, not a job you grow to hate.

The best way to come up with a plan is to concentrate on a theme. Then narrow it down to a sub-theme. Most people grow culinary herbs so let’s start there. If you love French cooking plant the herbs that you will be using in your meals. French herbs are savory, marjoram, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Add some parsley and bay and you have the perfect bouquet garni to add to your soups or stews.

If you prefer classic Italian fare you should plant Italian parsley, marjoram, thyme, oregano and sweet basil. You can cook some great pasta dishes with these herbs.

After you have settled on your theme do a little research as to what herbs are available. You should come up with a list that has the absolutely essential herb, the herbs that would be fun to have and the ones that are really not necessary. Then check with your local nursery or online for availability. Again, if you are just starting out you should keep the list to between five and say ten herbs.

On to the next deadly sin that herb gardeners commit. You must have the perfect spot for your herbs to thrive. Consider the herbs needs-they must get four to six hours of sunlight daily. The soil needs to drain well and your garden should be where you can harvest your crop easily. If you have pets keep that in mind when picking your spot. You should mix in a lot of organic material to improve the soil whether it is in the ground or in containers.

The third deadly sin is to use the wrong planting method. You really have to work the soil with compost and bone meal before you even consider any planting. Carefully work through the root ball to encourage new growth. Be sure to water the roots well before planting to give them a good start. Herbs like basil should be pinched off to help them achieve a bushy plant.

You must know the needs of your herbs. Bad maintenance of the plants is the fourth deadly sin. On a regular basis you must water, prune and feed your herbs. Talk to the people at your nursery center to get advice on fertilizing your herbs. Never spray them with toxic chemicals if you find snails, aphids or beetles on the herbs. Here again, your nursery center can help you out. Here is a homemade recipe that will keep the pests out:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

The fifth most deadly sin is to fall madly in love with your plants. You need to cut your herbs. Harvest them at regular intervals. If you have an abundance of the herbs freeze them or dry them. A great way to use them is to make vinegars or oils, even soaps and bath preparations.

Don’t get too high tech or overanalyze the situation. The whole purpose here is to connect with the earth. This is the sixth deadly sin of herb gardeners. Work the way nature does. Use natural products, work the soil, and keep it simple.

And, drum roll please, the seventh deadly sin is to not know as much as possible about each herb you have planted. Take the time to do the research. With just a little effort you will become quite knowledgeable and face it, it is the only way to approach herb gardening. Don’t beat yourselves up if you make a few mistakes, just learn from them. The whole point is to have fun with your herb gardening and to make some great meals.

Happy Herb Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

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Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at Container Gardening and Herb Gardening You can read more of her articles at Article Bazaar

Our fall/winter never gets very cold–only about as low as the low 50s or on rare occasion 40s. Can I start an outdoor (porch) herb garden safely right now? It’s averaging in the 80s in the month of October.