Building a Basic Herb Garden: The Basics of a Typical Herb Garden

A basic herb garden is not hard to create and it can be created in a remarkably small amount of space. Therefore, no matter if you live in an apartment or you have a yard that is perfect for planting making a basic herb garden is easy.

There are a few things that you will need to get started for creating a basic herb garden. The first thing is to decide what type of basic herb garden you want. Do you want a container herb garden or are you looking for something a bit grander like a kitchen garden or a backyard herb garden.

Once you have decided the type of garden that you want to create you will need to decide if you want to create your garden from seeds or from already existing plants that you will transplant. Once you have determined the type of planting you want to do for your basic herb garden.

Supplies

There are a few supplies that you are going to need for your herb garden. Of course, these supplies vary depending on which type of herb garden you are creating. The list includes all the supplies necessary for both gardens. Some of the supplies are going to be the same so the list is combined for the purpose of being brief. The items you will need are: soil, fertilizer, seeds or herb plants, containers, and a spade.

Instructions

If you are using a container or containers to create your herb garden, prepare the container by placing the soil in it. Then depending on the type of fertilizer you are using add the fertilizer to create the growing environment. You may or may not depending on the type of soil you get want to wet the soil down before planting. If you are, using seeds follow the planting instructions for the types of herbs you are planting. If you are using already established plants follow replanting instructions. These are usually listed with the plant, but can be found online if necessary.

For kitchen gardens weed and till the area to break up the soil and remove any large objects like rocks. Then add in the top soil and fertilizers and plant the seeds or transplant following the same as above instructions. Make sure that you look at the lighting needs of your herbs and place them in areas that receive the right amount of light and shade to ensure proper growth.

Why Choose a Chia Herb Garden?

A lot of people buy their herbs from the supermarket. They either buy growing versions that they can cut and use as necessary, or buy them already freeze dried in containers that they can keep in their cupboard. Both methods have their advantages, but nothing beats actually growing them yourself at home. Unfortunately, a lot of people find it hard to grow their own herbs, which is why buying a chia herb garden can be the best solution all round.

What Exactly Is A Chia Herb Garden?

A chia herb garden makes easy work of growing your herbs indoors, and it’s ideal if you want to start growing them for the first time and want to get great results right from the word go. What makes a chia herb garden so irresistible is that it is completely user friendly. Each kit comes with all the components needed to create your own indoor range of herbs. You will soon have a wide range of herbs growing in your very own kitchen, with the whole process made as easy as possible, since you don’t need to add anything except water!

The indoor chia herb garden is also packaged very attractively, which makes it an ideal and unusual gift for anyone who enjoys cooking and has a spare windowsill in their kitchen to accommodate one of these. They tend to be priced very reasonably, although it’s worth doing a search on Google or a similar search engine to see what website offers it for the best price.

What Do You Get With A Chia Herb Garden?

A chia herb garden comes with a selection of terracotta pots and saucers; this means you can put the herbs in various places in your kitchen instead of grouping them all together if you wish. Most herbs flourish to their greatest extent when placed in a warm sunny spot, but it’s still easier to place them at various spots along your windowsill than having to find the room to put a long trough or saucer in one particular spot.

Perhaps the best part of the chia herb garden is that it comes with a growing compound that makes the whole growing process a lot easier. These kits come with a growing sponge which does away with the need for using compost of any kind. As such they can also make an ideal first growing kit for children who are interested in growing herbs.

Container Herb Gardens: Enjoy the Fresh Taste of Herbs in an Urban Setting

Container herb gardens are one of the best ways to enjoy having the fresh taste of herbs in your dishes no matter where you are. There are many people who enjoy the taste of fresh herbs in their dishes or for medical purposes but they may live in an apartment or in an area, which does not allowing gardening such as a rented house. In that case, container herb gardens can provide the perfect solution for individuals who do not have a lot of space or have restrictions on the use of their yards and who want the enjoyment that comes from fresh herbs.

How to Create Container Herb Gardens

Creating container herb gardens are not as difficult as they may sound. The first thing to do is research the type of herbs that you want to grow. Herbs have a number of properties. Some of them can help with headaches, stomachaches and other various medical conditions as well as tasting great in food.

Instructions and Supplies for Container Herb Gardens

The first thing you need to do when creating a container garden is to decide on the location and the amount of space you want to use. This will determine the size of the containers or container that you will need to use. You will also need to determine the type of herbs you are going to be growing.

This is important because there are a variety of different growing conditions. Depending on the type of herbs you want to grow, you may want to consider several different containers so that they can be placed in different areas. Once you have determined the type of herbs group them together based on the lighting and growing conditions. This will allow you to place the herbs together in similar groupings.

The next step is to determine if you are going to you already grown plants or start from seeds. Usually container gardens are created using already grown plants. It is also a good idea to have fertilizer prepared and to use a prepared top soil. This will help to reduce the shock of already living plants that you transplant and help to increase the chances of having seeds grow.

Once you have transplanted everything, place the containers in locations around your house that meet the lighting and exposure requirements for the plants. It is also a good idea to label the herbs so that you know where everything is located within the containers.

Crisp Citrus Herbs: Add the Refreshing Taste of Citrus to Your Dishes

There are a number of ways to give a crisp citrus herb flavor to any number of dishes. Quite a few could benefit from having this crisp citrus herb flavor. The first thing to do when looking into various herbs that can provide the crisp citrus herb flavor you are looking for is to identify which herbs actually have a citrus component to them. This does not mean that they have orange, lemon or lime in them but that they can simulate the taste of these various fruits or provide a similar alteration in flavor.

If you do not know how to get started, looking for crisp citrus herb the best place to start is to look on the internet. If you look for crisp citrus herb itself, you may find yourself looking at a variety of bath washes and body lotions so you may have to dig a little deeper to find exactly what you are looking for.

Some of the Herbs That Will Give a Citrus Flavor

You may have heard of herbs like lemon grass and lemon pepper. These are two of the main spices that will provide a citrus flavor to your dishes; in fact, these are the best ones to provide this type of flavor. There are also other combinations and other spices, which can help to provide citrus flavor. Lemon Verbena, Lemon Balm, Lemon Basil, lemon thyme and Thai lime are also herbs that can provide a citrus flavor to the dishes that you prepare.

There are certain types of dishes that are going to work better with a citrus flavor than other dishes and it is important to note which dishes work the best with these types of herbs. Fish dishes are the best when it comes to using citrus. The herbs that provide the citrus flavor compliment most of the methods of cooking fish, baked, grilled or even pan fried there is no way that these herbs would not provide a great addition and flavor to any of these dishes.

Poultry is another dish that works well with citrus herbs. Chicken is especially good with the various lemon-flavored herbs. There are varieties of ways to make chicken that will definitely receive benefit from using citrus especially lemon based herbs. Lemon and chicken have always gone great together in either roasted or baked styles. Of course, there are also vegetable and dessert dishes that work with citrus flavored herbs as well.

A Fresh Herb Keeper Keep Your Herbs Fresher Longer

One of the things about having fresh vegetables is keeping them fresh. Often times they can go bad or lose much of their fresh taste as they sit in the refrigerator over time. There are many cultures like the Japanese that believe that freshness is the key to excellent cooking. It is also true that freshness usually lends itself to subtler flavors in foods. This is why keeping everything as fresh as possible is essential.

For herbs, there is the fresh herb keeper. The fresh herb keeper is designed to keep herbs fresher longer. Not everyone has the time or space in order to be able to enjoy fresh herbs by growing them. This is why fresh herbs are available for purchase in a store. Unfortunately, often times these herbs do not last long and many times go bad before they can be completely used, this is a waste of not only money but also great herbs.

Ways of Keeping Herbs Fresh

Using a fresh herb keeper is one way to keep the herbs you purchase at the store or even left over herbs that you harvest fresher longer. A fresh herb keeper works by providing an environment that the herbs can be preserved in for a longer period of time than just leaving them in the supermarket bag or package. A fresh herb keeper is similar to the types of products that have recently appeared on the market that provide the ability to keep vegetables such as lettuce fresh for a significantly longer period of time than using the supermarket bags or any packages that the vegetables come in.

What is the benefit of having fresh herbs or keeping herbs for longer periods? After all, the majority of individuals are usually only purchased fresh herbs for a specific dish and do not use them for any other usually tossing the rest. This is usually because they know that the herbs will start to wilt and fade within a few days.

If, however, they are using something that will help to keep the herbs fresher longer then the likelihood of those herbs being used in other dishes increases dramatically. This is great for individuals who do not like to waste or who may want to enjoy keeping an array of fresh herbs on hand without having to purchase them every few days from the store (an expensive undertaking) or care for them in a kitchen or container garden.

The Key to Preserving Fresh Herb Plants

It has been said that all good things must come to an end, and this is especially true of our summer gardens. Most plants will not survive the cold, frosty days of winter, which is why harvesting and preserving our crops becomes imperative as the cold weather begins to loom. This is also true of our fresh herb plants, but don't wait until there's a nip in the air to begin harvesting this crop. When herbs are dried properly, they can bring you months of delicious flavors throughout the fall and winter.

When to Harvest Fresh Herb Plants
The best time to harvest your fresh herb plants is prior to flowering, which will frequently occur when the weather begins to cool in the fall. Therefore, harvesting in late summer will ensure the best flavor and freshness to your herbs, but you can also harvest throughout the growing season to stimulate additional growth and get a jump start on your stock. Cut your stems in the mid-morning hours when possible, since the morning dew has dried out by then but the fresh herb plants have not yet begun to wilt in the afternoon sun.

Air Drying Herbs
The air drying process works best with fresh herb plants that have a lower moisture content like oregano, summer savory, thyme, rosemary and dill. Herbs with a higher moisture content will dry better using a dehydrator or microwave. To air dry fresh herb plants, cut the stems and remove any unhealthy leaves. If it is necessary, rinse your stems with some cool water, and pat dry completely. Drying wet herb stems will only result in moldy leaves that are unusable. Bundle together in batches of four to six stems, and hold them together with a rubber band or piece of string. Keep in mind that the stems will shrink as they dry so you will need to check them periodically and retighten as necessary.

Once your herbs are bundled, place your bunches upside down into brown paper bags that have a number of holes punched in them and are labeled with the type of fresh herb plant on the front. Tie the bags closed and hang them up in a warm, airy room and check them every week or two. Once your fresh herb plants are sufficiently dried, store your herbs in airtight containers like canning jars or Ziploc bags. Keep the containers away from direct sunlight and use within one year.

Using this process for drying and preserving your fresh herb plants, you will be able to enjoy the savory aroma and flavor of home grown herbs year round. Happy harvest!

Tips and Hints for Successful Herb Planting

An herb garden can be a fantastic addition to any garden, especially if you plan it carefully beforehand. Every single one has its own charm and range of uses, which means you can pick the exact range and selection that you will put to the most use in your garden. Every herb is available to buy separately, which means that it is easy to create your ideal herb garden within easy reach of your kitchen.

The Ideal Place to Create a Miniature Kitchen Garden

The problem with the typical herb is that it tends to spread out if given the chance. That’s why it’s a good idea to use other methods of finding a good spot to plant them, in order that you can maintain control over how well and how far they spread.

If you have a patio or veranda, why not add an herb or two to the plant pots you probably already have dotted about? You could build or buy a wooden trough especially for growing them in, and paint or stain it to match in with your existing décor. Even placing a selection of gravel or decorative pebbles around each herb can help to add a certain degree of charm to the finished result.

Making the Most of the Aromas

Every herb has its own wonderful smell to enjoy, which is why placing them close to any seating area you might have is such a great idea. Try putting mint near to your back door and you’ll see what an effect it can have each time the breeze picks up! It’s a strong yet attractive aroma that really smells good when it’s growing.

Rosemary is another good bet if you want to grow an herb which produces a wonderful smell that you will notice every time you walk past it. If you love lamb you will definitely want to grow it since it really brings out the flavors every time you cook it.

You will find that as you become more adept at growing various types, you will start to think about growing from seed as well as using seedlings, and trying your hand at growing different ones too. Try and do some research on the internet to get the best out of each herb, to ensure each one lasts as long as possible and always looks at its best. In short, every herb has its benefits and once you start growing them, you will probably never stop.

Grow Tasty and Healthy Fresh Herbs in your Kitchen with Herb Bags

There's nothing better than cooking with fresh ingredients. Plucking the fruit of your gardening labors from your own plants is an incredibly satisfying feeling. Using those plants in your meals can save you money, increase your nutrition, and make your home a nicer place to be.

Some of the most popular plants to grow for home cooking are herbs. Most herbs are easy to grow and require little care other than faithful watering and occasional pruning. Once you taste fresh herbs in your home cooking, you'll never want to go back to using dried herbs!

Bring the Garden Indoors

Do you love the idea of growing an herb garden, but you just don't have the room or the time to devote to a large garden? If so, herb bags may be just the solution for you. Herb bags are waterproof foil bags that contain everything you need to grow a complete plant.

In order to grow plants in herb bags, all you need to do is tear open the bag, add water, and set the bag in an area where it can receive adequate sunshine. You can grow just one or an entire kitchen full of fresh, green, flavorful herbs.

Even people who aren't blessed with a natural green thumb can be successful with herb bags. There isn't much upkeep required, and since herb bags are self-contained growing setups there is no need to invest in costly gardening equipment.

Herb bags are especially useful if you live in a climate where gardening is difficult, or if you have very little indoor and outdoor space to grow plants. Even if you have an outdoor garden, keeping your herbs growing indoors ensures that they will always be close at hand whenever you need them for cooking.

Herb bags come in many varieties to match all of your cooking needs. Oregano, thyme, parsley, and basil are some of the best basic herbs to grow in your home, and you can get all of them in herb bags.

If you're looking for something a little more adventurous, why not try growing lavender or mint herb bags? These herbs are very handy to have around for seasoning food, making delicious teas, and making your home smell fantastic at all times.

Every home could benefit from the addition of fresh plants, and herbs are the perfect choice to grow indoors. Whether or not you plan to use them for cooking, fresh herbs can add a wholesome feeling to your home while increasing the beauty of your living space and providing natural air freshening.

Using an Herb Drying Rack

If you are an herb gardener who dreads the end of the growing season, you should invest in an herb drying rack to extend the period of time during which you can enjoy your herb harvest. One of the best things about cooking with herbs that have been dried on an herb drying rack is that dried herbs are extremely concentrated compared to fresh herbs. If you are accustomed to cooking with fresh herbs, you will find that you need less than one-half the amount of the same herb when you use it in its dried form.

Dried Herbs Last Longer Than Fresh Herbs

Drying herbs on an herb drying rack is the most effective way to preserve them. While fresh herbs wilt after a few hours, dried herbs can be stored in the freezer or in glass jars in a dark cupboard. If dried herbs seem to have lost their essence, you can refresh them by rubbing them between your fingers before adding them to your favorite recipe. The fresh aroma will convince you that there is plenty of seasoning power remaining in the shriveled leaves that once were a part of your herb garden.

Hang Herbs Upside Down on the Herb Drying Rack

To dry herbs, use sharp shears or clippers to harvest herb stems early in the day. Remove the leaves that are within one inch of the cut end of the stem, and fasten ten to twenty stems of the herb together with a rubber band.

Hang the bundle of herbs upside down on the herb drying rack. Gravity will pull the essential oils in the stems of the herbs downward into the leaf tips. As the moisture evaporates and the stems of the herbs grow smaller, the rubber bands will tighten around the stem ends, keeping them securely bundled together.

Bundles of herbs and flowers hung upside down on an herb drying rack are actually quite attractive. If you do not have an herb drying rack, try screwing hooks around the frame of a door and hanging bundles of herbs upside down on the hooks. As you dry lavender, Echinacea, yarrow, and other herbs, the colorful bundles will add a beautiful and natural element to your interior décor.

An herb drying rack should be made of natural material that encourages air flow, like wood, twine, or fiber board. The flow of air around the herbs is essential to preserving their essential oils. Herbs need not be in the dark to dry, but they should be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent fading and leaching of the natural oils.

A Primer to Herb Farming at Home

Herb gardening can take place pretty much anywhere; from an indoor window sill, to outdoor pots and a garden bed. On the other hand, herb farming takes place on the land – lots and lots of land to ensure enough crops to turn a profit. Most experts in the field will recommend approximately 12 acres of land, with a minimum of six different crops planted. Natural means of fertilization and pest control are also necessary, since pesticides and herbicides are not allowed in the world of herb farming.

Most of us don't have a desire for large scale herb farming, but we do enjoy having fresh, home grown herbs at our disposal. For this reason, herb farming at home has become a popular hobby, particularly for those who have a yard that is large enough to host a good-sized garden area. However, even if you life in a high rise in the heart of the city, you can still enjoy fresh herbs grown on a sunny window sill, and you can grow this indoor garden year round.

Beginning Herb Farming at Home
Herb farming at home begins with selecting the best site for your plants and preparing the soil in that site. Your best success will be in a spot that receives at least five hours of sunlight every day, since the vast majority of herbs crave plenty of sun. Drainage is another important consideration, so plant your herbs on a mound when possible to allow for well drained soil. Add some organic material to the area, and check the pH of the soil to ensure that it is slightly alkaline. If it doesn't test out right, add some lime to the soil to cut down on the acidity.

The next step in herb farming at home is to collect or begin the plants that you would like to grow. Many herbs can be started from seed that is sown directly into the ground, and others can be started indoors for earlier harvest. However, herbs like rosemary and tarragon can be quite tricky to start from seed, so you will be better off starting these plants with cuttings or by purchasing small plants from your local nursery.

As your herb farming efforts yield success, you can expand your crops by root division or stem cuttings from your current plants. It can also be fun to add new crops each year to increase your variety of fresh herbs and experiment with the ease of growing different types of plants. Herbs can actually require less care than many vegetables, and often do not need to be watered as often. In addition to providing crops of culinary delights that you can enjoy year round, herbs will provide beauty and fragrance to any garden setting.

Herb Garden Kits are the Perfect Choice for the Novice Gardener

If you have wanted to stretch your green thumb into the wonderful world of herbs, perhaps an herb garden kit is the right choice for you. With the popularity of growing herbs at home on the increase, more and more companies are coming out with their own versions of herb garden kits that offer plenty of versatility and variety. Whether you are interested in growing a garden of culinary delights or a medicinal herb plot, you can find what you are looking for in an easy to use, all inclusive kit.

Themed Kits
The fun thing about the herb garden kits is that you can choose from a broad spectrum of themes that offer a variety of plants. For example, you can choose from Italian kits that will come equipped with all of the favorite Italian seasonings like oregano, basil and parsley. Or go for a butterfly herb garden kit that will help you to attract these gorgeous insects to your yard with just the right mix of colors and fragrances. Choose a medicinal herb garden with selections of plants designed to heal and protect the body. These themed kits can be a fun way to delve into the herb gardening experience.

Indoor Herb Gardens
Herb garden kits are an especially easy way to try your hand at indoor herb gardening, and some will even come equipped with artificial light to keep your plants happy and growing without the need for a sunny windowsill. If you prefer, go for the window herb garden kit that will provide the pots, dirt and seeds for your herb garden, while you supply the sunshine and water. There is nothing more inviting in a kitchen than a windowsill lined with fragrant herbs.

Herb garden kits come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and some do not even require that you place the seeds into the dirt. There are kits that include seed filled mats that you simply lay on top of the soil and water. Others come with pre-planted seed pods that you add water to and watch them grow. Other herb garden kits will supply the pots, soil and seeds so that you can get in on the planting action yourself. Some kits are fairly basic in appearance, making them a good choice for the outdoor garden. Others come with decorative pots and planters that make them an attractive choice for indoor gardening or outdoor patios.

Herbs can be a fun and easy crop to grow, even if you don't consider yourself to have a green thumb. Herb garden kits can make the entire process even easier. Happy gardening!

Planning Your Herb Garden Layout

When you set about planning your herb garden layout, your clipboard, pen and paper are as important as your hoe and shovel. Choose a patch of land that gets at least six hours of sun every day. Very few herbs will grow in the shade, and they are mostly undesirable perennial herbs like invasive mints. Sketch the area on paper.

Decide which herbs you want to grow in you garden. Some people plant herbs because they are low maintenance and drought tolerant. Others love the full, spreading habits of herbs like lavender and oregano or the creepers like wooly thyme.

Your herb garden layout should follow the same rules as any garden layout. They are also the basic rule that any school photographer follows when he photographs a class of young school children: Place the tall plants at the back, the midsize ones in the middle, and the short ones in the front.

Tall Herb Plants

In any garden layout, herbs that are the tallest should be placed at the back of the border. This will prevent them from shading shorter plants and hogging all the sun. Examples of plants for the back of the border are: Anise hyssop (agastache "Tutti Frutti") – grows up to six feet tall; add fragrant flowers to salads and sandwiches. Sweet cicely (myrrhis odorata) – grows up to four feet tall; one of the few herbs to grow in full or partial shade.
Cardoon (cynara cardunculus) – grows up to five feet tall; cousin of the artichoke, with edible leaves, stalks, and unopened flower heads similar to those of the artichoke.

Midsize Herb Plants

Plan to place midsize herb plants into the middle of your herb garden layout. Most herbs are of this size – 18 inches to 36 inches tall. Examples of plants for the middle of the border are: Sage (salvia officinalis) – grows up to two feet tall; sage embodies the smell of Thanksgiving stuffing in the U.S. and is often used with roasted meats. Silver thyme (thymus vulgaris) – grows up to one foot tall; desirable for its silver leaves and small purple flowers; can be harvested year-round. Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) – grows up to two feet tall; prized for its strong flavor and fragrance, rosemary is often added to soups and stews that must be simmered for long period of time.

Short Herb Plants

Along the front of the border are the creepers: herb plants that grow close to the ground. Your herb garden layout is complete once you plant these ground covers. They are often not harvested but are grown for their ornamental appeal and ability to soften the edge of a hardscape. Wooly thyme, Corsican mint, and roman chamomile are all specimens of this low-growing type of herb.

Vegetable, Fruit, and Herb Garden Plans Let You Maximize Your Garden Space

Having a garden is a goal for many people who enjoy the taste of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. There is nothing quite like the taste of food you've grown yourself, and gardening can be fulfilling and healthy.

If you are planting a garden for the first time, you'll first need to plot out an area for your new plants. This can be as small or as large as you like, depending on your available space and the types of plants you plan to grow.

Growing Vegetables Efficiently

Vegetable garden plans often start out as small patches containing a few essential vegetables. Peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers are some of the most popular vegetables to grow at home, although potatoes, onions, carrots are often grown as well. Vegetable garden plans should be laid out to allow for the best possible use of your space and compatibility of the plants.

Planting Fruits for Summer Eating

Fruit can also be grown easily in a home garden. Strawberries, melons, and tomatoes are simple to care for and can produce large yields all through the growing season. Fruit garden plans should take into account the climbing tendency of many fruit plants.

Herb Garden Plans Encourage Creativity

Herb garden plans allow you to have a little more fun and be creative with the placement of your plants. Herb garden plans make use of the functionality as well as the beauty of herb plants. If you are planning to grow herbs, you can arrange them to be both beautiful and useful.

Herb garden plans are similar to flower garden plans. Planting incompatible plants together can give you less than optimum results, so gardeners generally choose to read up on placement and compatibility in order to create stunning herb garden plans.

Gardening with a Plan

No matter what type of garden you choose to grow, planning it out ahead of time can save you a lot of heartache and failed plants. Having a plan for your garden means that you have looked into which plants grow well together and complement the appearance of their surroundings.

Some plants can act as natural pest control for other plants, which can be a huge benefit to your garden. However, some food and herb plants can harm other plants around them, which is why it is essential to have a plan for your garden and understand the function of each plant.

When you plan out your vegetable, fruit, and herb garden plans before planting, you'll give your garden a greater chance of success. You will also increase the benefits and output of your own little patch of earth.

Collecting and Saving Herb Garden Seed

One of the best ways for gardeners to spend an autumn day is strolling through an herb garden that's setting seed. The plants send up a fragrant aroma as your legs brush against their branches, and flower petals cling to their last bit of summer color. By collecting seed from your garden herbs, you can replant your herb garden next year, using materials you may already have on hand.

How Seeds Form

Before you start saving seed from your herb garden, it's a good idea to make sure you understand the basics of plant reproduction. Plants grow from seed. A newly sprouted seed has two leaves. Those leaves sprout new leaves, and they and their progeny keep sprouting more leaves until a plant is formed. Underground, the seed also sprouts downward into the soil, spreading under the surface of the earth to nourish and support the leaves above ground.

Like everything else in nature, the plant's strongest desire is to reproduce itself. Plants reproduce from seed; a plant's mission in life is to produce seed to guarantee the survival of its species. Plants produce seed by growing flowers, which are pollinated either by the wind or by bees. As the flower petals shrivel and dry up, the seed matures, and the wind shakes the seed off the plant and onto the ground where it germinates and sprouts two new leaves, and the process repeats itself.

How to Collect Herb Garden Seed

Presumably, you will be harvesting your herbs throughout the growing season and using their leaves and flowers for medicinal or culinary purposes. Midway through the season, designate several healthy, sturdy stems of a single plant as specimens for collecting herb garden seed. Tie a colored ribbon around the branches to mark them, and stop harvesting leaves from those stems.

When the flowers are almost fully ripened, cut the stems at the base of the plant. Bind several stem ends together with a rubber band and hang the bundle upside down from a clothesline hung in a warm, dry room. Place the hanging end of the bundle inside a paper lunch sack, and secure the bag around the bundle with string or a twist tie. After a few days, shake the stems, and fully ripe seeds will drop into the bag.

How to Save Herb Garden Seed

Once you have collected seeds for an herb garden, the seeds will remain viable for several years if they are stored in paper envelopes in a cool, dry place. Be sure to write the name of the herb on the outside of the envelope so you'll know what you are planting next spring.

Expand your Gardening Efforts with Herb Garden Seeds Delivered to Your Door

Growing an herb garden is a great way to develop your gardening skills while producing a useful crop for your home. Most herbs can be grown in small spaces and in conditions that other plants would not survive.

Herb gardens can benefit your home in many ways. Adding green, growing things to your environment can make your home more beautiful and more comfortable to live in. Herbs can help reduce odors from the air in your home and even add fresh and enticing scents to your living space.

Best of all, growing herbs lets you season your food in a natural and healthy way. Fresh herbs are full of flavor and can help you cut down on other seasonings like sale and butter. By growing your own rather than relying on dried herbs from the supermarket, you stay in control of what your family eats and where it comes from.

Why Purchase Herb Garden Seeds Online?

To start your herb garden, you will most likely need to purchase plants or seeds. Herb garden seeds are quickly becoming the more popular choice because of their portability and availability, as opposed to starter plants which you must buy in your immediate vicinity.

Herb garden seeds can be ordered online and delivered to you through the mail, eliminating the need to spend an afternoon poking through vast amounts of plants in a nursery. This method also allows you to grow plants that you wouldn't ordinarily be able to find in your area, resulting in a more well-rounded and exotic herb garden.

Shopping online for your herb garden seeds also lets you do research on the plants that you are interested in as you're shopping. If you see herb garden seeds online for a plant you aren't familiar with, you can simply look up the growing information for that plant in another browser window. Armed with this knowledge of the herb garden seeds you're perusing, you can plan out your entire garden ahead of time and buy only the seeds that you need.

Buying herb garden seeds online is also less expensive than buying plants. When you buy a packet of herb garden seeds, you get many seeds. They may not all germinate or survive, but you get so many for such a small price that it is still very cost effective. When you buy an already-started plant, you get only one – if that plant dies, you are forced to buy another.

Starting your herb garden with seeds instead of seedlings can be a wise investment in your future gardening plans. You'll get the rewards of raising plants from tiny seeds while enjoying the many benefits that come from growing your own herbs.

The Basics of Herb Gardening

Everybody loves an herb garden. The idea of gathering fresh herbs from the garden to use in the kitchen is so appealing. Imagine the fragrant aroma of chamomile tea; the zing that fresh chopped chives add to a baked potato, and the unmistakable pairing of basil and tomatoes.

Growing Herbs

Herbs are easy to grow, easy to care for, and easy to harvest. Most herb plants grow like weeds, thrive on neglect, and are nearly impossible to kill. Even if you don't have a green thumb, chances are good that you can grow herbs. Besides, herb gardening is fun!

If you are fortunate enough to have a patch of land large enough to grow an herb garden on, you can choose from an amazing variety of herbs for your garden. You don't need a very big garden plot to get started herb gardening, but your plot should be in full sun for as many hours of the day as possible. Most herbs love full sun.

Herb Basket

A fun way to get started herb gardening is to make an herb basket. Visit an herb gardening store or nursery and purchase a variety of fresh herbs. Look for diversity in the herbs' height, growth patterns, and leaf color. Basil, for example, comes in green and purple leaves; get one of each for your basket. Purchase five to nine herbs, depending on the size of your basket, in 2" or 4" pots.

Take a flat-bottomed, shallow basket, and line it with a plastic shopping bag that has had several slits cut in it for drainage. Fill the plastic-lined basket with potting soil, and place the herbs in the potting soil, starting in the center with tall plants with an upright habit in the center and spreading or creeping plants around the edges. Water the basket thoroughly and place it in full sun. Clip herbs as you need them, and water the basket two or three times a week.

Herb Topiary

Topiary is the art of shaping plant material as it grows, often with the aid of a wire form. Several herbs, rosemary among them, lend themselves especially strongly to use in herb topiaries. Herb gardening with topiaries is a specialty niche that attracts enthusiasts from all over the world. Nearly every state or county fair has competitions for topiary art.

Herbs in Containers

Container herb gardening indoors is a great way to grow herbs, although you must be certain that they get enough sun. A south-facing window is usually adequate, although some varieties may lose their vigor over winter when daylight is weak.

What Are the Advantages of Creating Herb Gardens Outdoors?

There are lots of benefits to having herb gardens. They can create a wonderful aroma when all the different smells mix together and catch your nose as you walk past; they give you an instant and ongoing source of fresh herbs to use whenever you need them; and they are also relatively easy to grow.

But if herb gardens are your cup of tea, you will need to decide whether you want one indoors or outdoors. Indoor ones are good, but if you have a reasonable size garden then having herb gardens outdoors can be your best choice.

When do You Begin?

The best place to start is by having a look round to see where herb gardens could be created. If space is short, why not have more than one and make each individual one smaller? You can even use window boxes to grow herb gardens right outside your kitchen window. This is ideal and has the advantage of not only being close to the place where you do all your cooking, but it gives you a wonderful aroma every time you open your kitchen window too.

You can create herb gardens in regular flower beds, but you should be aware that some herbs can spread further than others, and are more aggressive as a result. For example, mint is particularly invasive and should always be planted away from any other plants which it could end up taking over. For this reason, if you want to put it in a bed, make sure you plant it inside a pot and sink the pot into the ground first. This will prevent it from strangling other plants and keep it contained within its own small area.

Choosing Your Herbs

There are a wide variety of choices when it comes to deciding what your herb gardens are going to contain. Do some research to see which herbs you tend to like and which ones are the most versatile as well.

Parsley is always a good staple item to have in herb gardens, as are chives and mint. While all herbs tend to be much the same shade of green, they all have their own shape so it’s good to choose a mixture that looks good when they grow together as well. Chives are tall and straight so they are good to position right at the back. With practice you will be able to grow herb gardens that look as well as taste fantastic.

A Variety of Herb Grinders

The benefits of using natural herbs for aromatherapy, stress relief, and flavoring foods are undisputed. The most efficient way to prepare dried herbs for use is to crush their leaves in an herb grinder.

Aromatherapy Herbs

Fresh and dried lavender, chamomile, jasmine, peppermint, lemongrass, orange, and balsam are natural ingredients for aromatherapy. Herb grinders can be used to combine the dried leaves together to form a blend you can use for sachets or potpourri.

Stress Relief

Unpopular as it may be, tobacco is commonly used to relieve stress. Pipe or cigarette smokers adventurous enough to grow their own tobacco will need to use an herb grinder to make them rollable. In California, Oregon, and several other states, the medicinal use of marijuana has been decriminalized for relief from stress, pain, and the nausea associated with undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Culinary Herbs

Allspice, basil, bay leaf, marjoram, coriander – the list of culinary herbs goes on and on. A kitchen herb grinder can make them all accessible to you. An herb grinder makes all the pieces of an herb uniform. You never have to worry that someone will get an extra big bite of thyme or oregano.

Herb Grinder – Mortar and Pestle

One of the earliest grinders known to humankind is still in use today: the mortar and pestle. This combination, most effective when made from stone, reduces sturdy dried herbs to powder in no time at all. It does require some effort, though, to get results.

Twist Herb Grinder

The best selling modern herb grinders available today look like a flat, round disc that fits in the palm of your hand. The disc is actually a compartment with an upper and lower part that has pegs protruding from the inside. When you twist the upper and lower pieces of the grinder, the herbs are ground by the action of the pegs against each other.

Bud Buster Herb Grinder

An "underground" use, if you will, for herb grinders is to chop cannabis to prepare it for smoking, similar to the way pipe smokers would chop tobacco. These grinders have come to be nicknamed "bud busters" because they break up flower buds of the marijuana plant.

More sophisticated grinders include a fine screen to separate the more potent pollen and micro particles from the leaf of the plant. Herb grinders can also be used to grind tea leaves or chop any dense, sticky, leafy material that an individual needs to reduce in size.