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Creating Your Herb Garden

To think of walking in an herb garden, with its delicate scents wafting upwards to your nose as you take each step, is like something out of a fairy tale.  You can, however, create your own fairy tale setting right in your own back yard or garden.

There are many things to consider when you decide to plant an herb garden but the first, and possibly most crucial, is location. You need to remember that most of the plants in this garden are going to be used in the kitchen.  The best place to put them, therefore, is next to the kitchen, close by the door.

You have the best of intentions.  Yes, the fresh herbs are going to be used in the cooking pot! But if they're just too far away it tends not to happen.  When the herbs are right there within a few steps from the kitchen door you are more likely to run out and pick a few leaves to use.  If you have to go all the way down to the main vegetable patch you may not feel so inclined to add that particular flavoring to your dish, especially if it's raining.

You do not need acres of land to have a great herb garden with a good variety of plants. You can have more than enough space for the most common herbs in a five foot square area.  You must, however, remember that herbs which start as small plants in a three-inch pot can start to spread rapidly once in the garden soil.  Within a few short months you can find your little plot bursting at the seams.

A sunny location is a good choice for your herb garden.  One that gets partial shade in the afternoon is best.  Herbs love the sun, but too much can make them wither or go to seed quickly.  Once an herb goes to seed, it can become woody.  However when you do not allow the plant to have the light of the full sun, you can have spindly little plants.  This is not what you want in an herb garden.

Along with proper growth come the essential oils that give herbs their wonderful flavors and aromas.  In full sun the plants are able to develop rich green foliage and intense oils.  The flavors will come bursting out when you use them in the kitchen.

Many herbs have in the past been treated as garden weeds, and in some cases still are thought of as such. Like most weeds they will grow in almost any soil.  Some, for example mints, can quickly become invasive, spreading rapidly outwards into areas where they're not wanted. In fact I now grow mints only in plastic pots sunk into the ground so that they can be among the others whilst having their root spread contained.

Use a natural fertilizer where possible.  Most herbs like to have a fairly neutral soil.  Adding some dead leaf compost and tilling it under when planting can, however, help by giving the soli some texture. 

As we've seen, most herbs will grow almost anywhere.  As a matter of fact, you may find they may even grow right out of the nice bed you have prepared for them and into the lawn.  You might not even consider this such a disaster, as the smell can be beautiful when you're mowing the lawn.  At other times, just walking past and brushing up against the fragrant leaves releases a wonderful aroma into the air.

The main problem many new gardeners face is what to plant and what to leave out.  It is not advisable to try every herb at once.  The best way to enjoy your culinary garden is to choose four or five hardy varieties of an herb you will use in the kitchen.  This will allow you to get started with the basics of growing an herb garden.  It is a great experience which you will be able to enjoy year 'round.

Some of the more hardy varieties include basil, oregano, and mint.  Most herbs are hardy enough to be grown anywhere in the country, although there are some which are only going to thrive in warmer climates.  You should check the hardiness zones of the plants you want to grow before you purchase them.  This can save you from disappointment.

Growing your herb garden is not at all difficult.  Most of the herbs will fend to themselves once you have them in place. 

When you finally decide on a sunny area for the garden, make sure it is tilled up smoothly.  The rich dirt can be bolstered with nutrients if you like.  A standard general purpose garden fertilizer is all you need, but not too much.

You can either start the plants in the house during the winter, six weeks before the last frost, or you can sow the seeds directly into the ground.  You must make sure if you start the seeds in the house, the plants are hardy and can take being transplanted.

Remember though, once the herbs are growing, that you want them in the kitchen.  Don't forget to bring them to the cooking pot.