So You Want To Plant An Herb Garden?

Herbs have been around for a very long time and served different kinds of purposes. They have been used to treat sickness and season cooking as well as being used in many craft projects. Interested in starting your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to begin an herb garden.

Plan your garden. Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials? Are you wanting certain plants for cooking, or another purpose?

How much space will they occupy when they are full grown? You can purchase a book or go to the library that can give you the right information on what specific plant’s requirements for each variety. You can also check out a gardening book or catalog or the nursery you purchase plants from to give you that information. You’ll want to look at sunlight needs as well.

List or draw your garden on paper first. Consider planting the annuals separate from the perennials so when at the end of the season you can pull up the annuals, you won’t disturb the perennials. Perennials can be planted on the outer edges of your garden so when it is time to till your garden they won’t be in danger of getting dug up. They can also be placed in an area dedicated for just the perennials (which means they come up every year on their own).

Another factor to consider is to plant the tall ones towards the back and the shorter ones in front. Give your plants plenty of space to grow and also find out their sunlight requirements and make adjustments accordingly. Properly positioning will help you in this department.

If you would not put your herbs in your garden you could grow them in container pots. These are large pots with three or more outlets. Fill the container to the first outlet and plant it before filling the second outlet, and continue that process until finished. It’s preferable that the herb that requires the most water is planted in the bottom outlet, while the variety that needs the least, goes in the top one. Use a good quality potting soil and ensure that it has proper drainage.

You can consider having a square herb bed. You can have your square bed divided into sections. You can edge it with stones or bricks for a beautiful look . A wooden ladder may also do the trick. You can lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs. You can also choose to have a wagon wheel bed. Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders. Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel’s wedges.

Of course, different plants have different needs, but many of them require alkaline soil. This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can help you find out how you should care for your plants. If you germinate your herbs from seeds, remember to follow the directions on the packet for soil, watering and temperature.

Herbs can be very easy to grow on your own. Give each plant it’s basic requirements in regards to sunlight, proper drainage, moisture and fertile soil and you’re bound to get a great harvest.

You’ll also want to consider what you plan to do with the harvest. Will you cook them fresh? Freeze or preserve them in some other way? You’ll discover that you have some favorites each year and which ones didn’t perform as you would have hoped.