Using Herbs from a Home Herb Garden
So you have successfully produced a thriving fresh herb garden. Congratulations! The next consideration you have is what to do with the wonderful bounty the garden offers. Following a few simple steps will insure that you receive ample reward for you gardening efforts.
The Harvest.
To be able to use your herb products they must first be harvested. The procedures vary with the type of plant but here is some general advice. The best time to harvest your herbs is on a dry and calm midsummer morning because the vital oils of the herbs can be dispersed by wind and heat. On extremely wet days the herb will produce less oils. For this reason the herbs ought to harvested as soon as the dew dries and before the flowers open. When harvesting the leaves only take about one third of the plant. This will allow the plant to grow back out again for a later harvest. Follow these advice and you should reap a great crop.
Cleaning Your Herbs.
Whether you are preserving your herb crop or using it straight out of the garden it is important to follow a simple step to insure it is properly cleaned for use. After the herb stems and leaves have been prepped by removing any trash or dead leaves put them in a cool water bath that has one ounce of salt per gallon of water. The salt will get rid of any insects. After washing in the cool saltwater bath dry them and proceed on to the next step.
Preservation of Your Herbs.
Herbs are great when taken directly from the plant and thrown on a slab of your favorite meat or vegetable dish but they can be preserved for year round enjoyment. The three most common methods are drying, freezing, or preserving.
Drying – This is a simple process that requires only one tool – a piece of string. Simply take six to twelve herb stems and tie them together at the base of the stems in a cluster. make sure you remove any leaves near the base of the stems and then hang the bunch in a cool, dry and unlit area. If you want to dry a single leaf at the time place the leaf on a rack or screen and put it in the same cool, dry and unlit area. In this case the leaves should be flipped over frequently to insure proper drying. Artificial methods can be used to dry herbs but nothing beats natural drying.
Freezing – This is a quick and easy method of saving your herb crop for future use. Simply cut the herbs into 1/4 inch pieces and spread them out on a baking pan lined with waxed paper. Put them in the freezer and as soon as they are fully frozen take them out and place them in a plastic bag and stash them back in the freezer until you need them.
Preserving – Another inventive way to preserve herbs is through putting them in some other products that will prolong the life of the herb. These include oils, salt and vinegar. This technique was developed long before anyone ever imagined refrigeration but it is still viable as ever today.
Please take note that this is a general guide to the utilization of a herb harvest. There are many different types of herbs available for you to grow and enjoy. Go out and discover which variety strikes your fancy, learn how to make it flourish and enjoy it.
Home Herb Garden With A Touch of Italy
Italian cuisine enjoys an international popularity. No matter where you go in the world you can usually find good Italian fare. Italian chefs have been honing their craft for thousands of years with great success. Today that tradition continues as some of the most popular Food Channel Personalities are Italian food specialists. Two of the best known are celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Giada De Laurentiis. One of the chief contributions to the richness of Italian cuisine is its liberal use of herbs that can be grown in a home herb garden.
You can share in this rich culinary heritage by growing your own Italian herbs. Here are a few you may consider:
BASIL – One of the most popular Italian herbs and used in almost every Italian recipe. It is one of the hardest working herb plants in the garden. Not only does it provide exciting flavors to a variety of dishes it repels mosquitoes and flies and when planted near tomatoes and peppers will improve their flavors.
PARSLEY – A long time favorite that got its start as a breath freshener. Before the advent of Altoids and other breath mints it was discovered that consuming a little parsley at the end of a garlic laden meal made the after dinner conversation much more enjoyable. A tradition was started to serve a small portion of parsley with each meal. That tradition continues today with the widespread use of parsley as a garnish on many dishes. It is a little more difficult to grow but it is well worth the effort.
OREGANO – Another multi-faceted herb. It is a flavorful addition to many dishes and it has been credited by some to possess medicinal qualities. In addition it blooms with a beautiful purple flower that will brighten up any bouquet.
FENNEL – Its greatest claim to fame is its contribution to Italian sausage.
The next time you sit down to a repast which includes Genoa salami thank the fennel seeds for the exciting flavor. Being a perennial plant that doesn’t age gracefully it is a good idea to replant after several years to insure a steady supply of flavorful seed.
ROSEMARY – The herb that never met a pork roast it didn’t like. Another great multi-tasker that not only provides great flavor to a wide range of dishes but produces beautiful little blue flowers. An ironic asset of rosemary is its ability to attract insects, namely honey producing bees. It is classified as a perennial but it will not stand extremely cold weather.
GARLIC – Italian Chef’s favorite. Garlic is by far the number one herb utilized in Italian Cuisine. If you like garlic in your Italian food you have lots of company. Good news for the gardener. Garlic is easy to grow without a lot of industry and will flourish almost anywhere. Garlic cloves are easy to harvest and store.
SAGE – It’s slight peppery flavor graces many Italian dishes from salads to meats. To insure best flavor use only the new shoots and keep the plants trimmed. This will promote new growth of those flavorful new shoots. Sage is a perennial that should be harvested after it blooms.
An Italian herb garden can take you straight to the streets of an Italian village with its aromas, flavors and colorful flowers. With the history, traditions and popularity associated with Italian cuisine it would be an exciting adventure to cultivate a garden full of Italian herbs. Learn which herb plants are suitable for your area and get started today on your Italian herbs adventure.
Herb Garden Plants
The purpose of this article is to provide you an overall review of herbs and their characteristics and to help you start a herb garden. Like other plant species herbs appear in biennials, perennials and annuals. There is a plethora of types of herb plants that produce a myriad of products. If it your intention to grow a particular herb you will meet with a greater degree of success if you learn as much as you can about the particular herb plant.
The three types of herb plants:
Annuals – These plants complete their life cycle in one year. They have to be replanted every year. They include such plants as summer savory, basil and cilantro. These plants will not survive cold weather.
Biennial – These plants sign up for a two year term. They will grow and produce leaves and flowers the first year and seed in the second season. This type includes angelica, caraway and parsley and should be planted in late spring.
Perennials – And here we have the lifers. Perennials can live through cold weather and come back year after year. Examples include winter savory and sage. These make more reliable additions to an outdoor garden.
Each type of seed being planted requires careful soil preparation. Prior to planting the ground should be carefully worked into a smooth consistency and slightly moistened. The seeds should be planted in shallow rows and kept moist during germination. Covering the bed with wet burlap or plastic will help with moisture.
Herbs are also grouped into the categories for which they are used. Here are some of their uses:
Functions:
Culinary – This exciting aspect of herbs is the favorite of all epicureans. Culinary herbs come in a small package with a powerful punch when used in food preparation. They are the most useful to the herb gardener. Included in this type are cumin, basil, savory, parsley, sage, thyme, marjoram and chives. They are the most useful to the herb gardener because they add zest to a wide variety of foods and are treasured by many.
Aromatic – Many herbs give off extremely pleasing and enjoyable aromas from there flowers and leaves. These include rosemary, mint, loyage, lemon verbena and lavender. Oil from these herbs can be used for numerous sweet smelling items such as toilet water and perfumes. Some herb plant foliage can be used to give clothing or linens a fresh scent. They can also be dried and included into potpourri which will preserve the aroma for a long time.
Medicinal – Herbal remedies have been used for many centuries. Many people believe that certain herbs have curative powers. There are some herbs that have been recognized by reputable medical authorities as being helpful to ones health in some cases. There are skeptics who disagree but if it works for you all the better. Just be very careful in considering herbal cures. Some herbs can be dangerous if consumed. Other than a nice cup of herbal tea this author advises caution when considering herbal remedies.
All three of these functions earn the herb family high praise but there is another function they serve that brings beauty to our lives. In addition to their medicinal uses, aromas and flavors there foliage and flowers give us a kaleidoscope of colorful beauty. Chicory and borage produces beautiful blue flowers and the crimson blossoms of the valerian are spectacular.
Herbs are wonderful plants. They make our lives better in many ways and some are even multi-faceted. The humble mint is a great addition to pest control, cooking and beverages. So learn more about these wonder plants and you will surely find one or several that will make your life better.
Shortcut to Herb Happiness
After learning about the wonders of herbs and their associated benefits it is only natural to get the hankering to grow your own. Especially since the plants are so easy to manage. Even the green thumb challenged among us can successfully raise herb plants. But if you are just beginning the start up process can be a little daunting. Some of the questions that might arise are; which herb do you start with, what kind of soil does it require and do you need fertilizer. But fear not, help is available in the form of a herb garden kit.
There is sufficient interest in herb gardening to encourage suppliers to offer packages with everything a new herb gardener will need to get started. These package are commonly called herb garden kits and they come in many varieties. One can choose a kit with a particular type seed such as herbal tea herbs, German herbs, international herbs, salsa herbs, Italian Herbs, Culinary herbs and many others. The kits offer many different type of seeds but in general they all supply the basic items needed to get started. They provide detailed instructions on the care and protection of the seeds and the plants they grow into. In addition they will provide suggestions on how to use the products produced by the seeds whether they be for culinary uses, aromas, medicinal or pest control. Some suppliers offer newsletters to provided continued education on the subject of growing herbs. All kits vary but most will provide not only information and seed but all containers and soil to grow the seeds. Finding kits that meet your requirements is easy. If you can’t find one at your local garden shop look on the internet. There are plenty available that can get you off to a good start.
If you choose to grow herbs indoors a starter kit can be a big help and get you off to a great start. Especially when you consider all the advantages of growing herb plants inside it makes utilizing a kit even more appealing. Imagine the convenience and excitement of being able to harvest fresh herbs right there in your kitchen which will add that perfect seasoning flavor to the dish you are cooking. That’s what you call real time convenience. It is much easier to take care of herb plants indoors because the environment is more stable and it is usually better for the plants. They can thrive year round because of constant temperatures and controlled watering. Also they tend to have more stable lighting indoors. outdoor gardens require more care and protection due to changing temperatures and rain conditions. A herb garden kit can be used to start and outdoor garden but they are excellent for getting started indoors .
If you decide to take up the challenge of growing herbs and persevere to point of being able to successfully grow all types of herbs in your garden you will gain an overwhelming sense of accomplishment because they are such wonderful plants. It is not that easy to do so if you don’t have a good mentor to show you the ropes you might be in for a period of frustration and disappointment. So don’t go it along start out with a good herb garden kit.
Herb Garden How To in Pots
The adventure of growing herbs can be easily found indoors as well as in outdoor gardens. That’s right herb garden plants can be successfully grown inside in pots, window boxes or hanging baskets. The herb garden how to requirements are basically the same whether you are growing your herbs in a garden outside or enjoying them inside.
Let’s take a look at some of those basic principles. Firstly, herbs are no different from other plants in that they need three things to grow properly; water, good soil and sunlight.
The staff of life for plants is sunlight so if you are growing your plants inside it is important to consider which way the sun is shining. Depending on where you are located and what season of the year it is you will have to pay close attention to where you place your indoor plants to insure they get plenty of sunlight.
You will find different herbs will have different requirements for sunlight. Usually it is not a big factor of consideration if you just make sure your plants are in a sunny spot of your house. If finding enough sunlight is a challenge you may want to consider an artificial light source to help your plants grow.
The soil requirements for growing herbs in containers is not rocket science. All they need is a little so-so rich soil that is well drained. Just mix two parts of good potting soil with one part coarse sand or perlite in a container with about one inch of gravel on the bottom. The plants would also appreciate it if you would put one teaspoon of lime per 5 inch pot.
When you grow herbs indoors they are wholly dependent on you for water. Next to sunlight water is the most important thing you will have to provide for you plants. Your indoor plants will need more water than herbs grown in a garden but you must be careful not to overdo it. Misting is best. You want to keep them moist without watering to the point of making the soil soggy.
A handy feature of cultivating herbs in a container is portability. You can move them wherever you like without disturbing the roots.
When the weather warms up you can move your perennial herbs outside while the annual herbs can stay indoors year round. Just remember to bring them back in before the next frost comes around unless you have tarragon, chives or mint. Those can stand a light frost and in fact form firmer and fresher growth after a cold snap.
An indoor herb garden is easy to manage. And the excitement of having a supply of aromatic herbs readily available for enhancement of your cooking is well worth the effort.
Any herb can be grown in a container but some do better than others and as you become a more experienced herb gardener you will develop a list of favorites.
In addition to the basic tips given above occasional fertilizer applications and annual repotting will help keep you plants in tip-top shape. Another thing you should do is replant annuals and put your perennials outside.
And lastly, pruning and regular harvesting is good for all your herb plants.
Do these things and you will become the go-to authority on herbs and your friend list will grow as fast as your herbs when they start receiving the bounty of your herb harvest.
The Wonderful World of Herbs
One of the most fascinating gifts God presented to man is the wonderful family of plants generally referred to as herbs. Throughout history as long as man has written things down there have been references to herbs. They have many uses that were widely utilized by most cultures. Those uses include food enhancement, medicine, beverages, perfumes, pest control and in some cases objects of worship. Herbs are God’s catalyst that make other things work better. Now here’s the exciting part; they may provide exotic results but they are very easy to propagate and grow. Herb gardens can easily be grown in a small garden plot in your yard or indoors in any suitable container.
The aspiring herb farmer will be happy to know that you don’t need the south forty to produce an adequate harvest. Twenty square feet tucked away in your yard is plenty to keep you and your family supplied with an exciting variety of herbs all year. And if you want to keep your farm inside – no problem. Herb plants do quite well indoors. What could be better than having a ready source of savory cooking herbs right there in the kitchen. The exciting thing about growing herbs indoors is that they can flavor food, provide very pleasant aromatic treats and beauty to any room with their exotic flowers.
If you want to start you own herb farm just be aware that growing herbs is relatively easy if you follow a few basic principles. The first one is get the dirt right. Herb plants don’t like wet feet so make sure you plant them in well-drained soil. If your garden plot is not well drained it is a good idea to mix in a little organic matter. Herb plants in general love sunshine so consider this when you locate your plot. The good news is that they don’t need much fertilizer and with a few exceptions they are immune to diseases and bugs don’t like them. Just be aware that anise, caraway, fennel and dill are sometimes bothered by aphids and mint can be accosted by rust.
OK so you’ve decided to become a herb farmer. You have made a commitment to raising your plants inside or out and you have prepared the garden plot of suitable containers for indoors. Now what? You have a choice here of buying plants at the store or starting them from seeds. Either way has its advantages. Buying the plants will start your garden immediately. If you like this – go for it. There is nothing wrong with getting a fast start. Starting with seeds is a cool way to go because it allows you to watch the entire growing process. It is meaningful to observe the life cycle as a tiny little seed grows into a plant that produces a wonder of taste, aroma and visuals. I believe this is extremely beneficial for children to experience. If you go the seed route, plant them in late winter in your prepared garden plot in very shallow well-drained soil. For indoors plant about the same time. You might consider starting plants indoors from seed and transplanting them outside later. This works except for these that should stay where they are planted: Anise, fennel, coriander and dill.
If you do choose to pursue the joys of raising your own herbs please research the subject a little more, It isn’t rocket science but with a little knowledge you will reap great benefits. This article was meant to stir up your curiosity and interest and encourage you to explore the exciting world of herb gardening. So GO FOR IT!
