Choosing a Location for Starting an Herb Garden
Most of the herbs that you can grow at home need two things — sunlight and well-drained soil. This means that when considering places in your yard to plant an herb garden, you need to look for a location that gets six or more hours of sunlight a day and that is well drained. Many people also consider convenience when selecting a place to start growing an herb garden. Planting near the kitchen or near the house will make it easier to harvest herbs from the herb garden.
Preparing the Soil Before You Plant an Herb Garden
Once you have chosen the location for growing an herb garden, you will need to prepare the soil. If the soil is sandy or clay heavy, add plenty of compost. Even if your soil is in pretty good condition, working some compost into the soil will help provide nutrients to the herbs while they are growing. When growing herbs, do not use composted manures in the herb garden. These are typically high in nitrogen, which will make the herbs grow quickly but will reduce their flavor.
Choosing the Herbs You Will Be Growing in an Herb Garden
Which herbs you grow in your garden depends largely on what you would like to grow. Almost all herbs will grow for at least one season. Some will grow year after year. Some common herbs that people grow when first starting an herb garden are:
Basil Oregano Rosemary Chives Mint Sage Dill
Planting and Growing Herbs
Herbs can be started from seed or planted as plants. Planting herb plants is easier than starting them from seed, but if you are on a tight budget, starting herbs from seeds is not that difficult. Once you have you have planted your herb garden, make sure that it gets 2 inches (5 cm.) of water every week. Also make sure to harvest your herbs frequently. Many times when a new gardener is starting an herb garden, they are afraid that harvesting the herbs frequently will hurt them. Actually, the opposite is true. Frequent harvesting of herbs will result in the herb plant producing more and more foliage, which increases the amount you are able to harvest. At the end of the season, you can also dry or freeze your herb harvest so you can enjoy home-grown herbs all year long. Taking the time to plant an herb garden is very satisfying and easy. By starting an herb garden and growing herbs, you can add beauty to your garden and flavor to your kitchen.
