Your Own Herb Garden

Fresh herbs at your finger tips can be absolutely great for the expert or amateur cook. These can be planted in a backyard patch with herbs or as a small herb garden in one or several pots.

With the various types of herbs available on the market today, any herb grower will wonder which ones will be suitable to grow or begin working with. To do so, you should try choosing the herbs that you usually use, by checking out what you might first have in your own kitchen. Having one's own herbs growing within hands' reach is not just a matter of savings, but rather a great thrill of freshness and good taste, as you snip off your own herbs for the stew or salad. Most kitchen shelves tend to contain basil, mint, sage, dill, rosemary, parsley and chives to mention but a few, and these would definitely be a reasonable variety for the amateur herb gardener to start off with.

If planting in the garden, it is important to always have a well drained patch. Herbs drenched in water will eventually rot away and there will be no way for them to be recovered. When you feel unsure as to the soil's drainage condition, it would be far more wise to dig about fifteen to twenty inches of soil and to lay down about four inches of crushed rock or pebbles, followed by a layer of approximately four inches of river or non-salty sand and finally a layer of some good soil or compost. This combination should make a really great bed for the herbs. If you prefer planting in pots it is always best to use some good compost.

Herbs are also quite easy to grow from seeds and one can save quite a bit by choosing to do so. Certain herbs such as mint are very dynamic growers and can take over the whole plot very quickly. These are best planted in some well-drained pots and the same pots, in time, planted in the soil. It is also often best to keep the more vigorous herbs in large pots by themselves.

The amateur will often be tempted to cut off the herbs too soon which can damage the whole plant's growth, which is why it is always best to wait for at least four months before low harvesting, and then slowly increasing the harvest.

When you have more than can be used, it is always best to dry the herbs before storing them. Herbs can be dried in a regular home oven, by placing them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 170 degrees Fahrenheit oven for approximately two to four hours. These herbs can then be kept in glass bottles or plastic bags in a cool dry place and then be used for cooking. Don't store any dried herbs in paper or cardboard as they tend to absorb the aroma and essential aromatic oils within the herbs. It is always important for you to check for moisture during the first few days of storing. Moisture can also allow mold to grow and the herbs will be uthen become seless. If there is any moisture, you should try to re-dry the herbs for an hour or less or air dry the herbs for one day or two.

The pleasure that comes from using your own herbs has absolutely no comparison. So do go ahead and try your hand at planting your own herb garden. It will please your eyes, senses as well as your palate.