Tea Herb Gardening

Tea Herb Gardening

The easiest way to enjoy the herbs you grow is by making a nice cup of tea out of them. Not only do you get the delicious taste of the herb, but also herbal teas offer many health benefits from stress relief all the way to fighting cancer. Research suggests that herbs like chamomile and lemon balm have countless benefits (And taste great too!).

Before we begin, a quick note on terminology. More traditional gardeners often point out that ‘tea’ is in fact made from the leaves (And occasionally the twigs and stems!) of the Tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Therefore the word ’tisane’ was coined to describe ‘teas’ that were not made from the Tea plant itself. In this article I will mostly be using the more commonly known ‘herbal tea.’

There are many different herbs that can be used to brew tea. Luckily most of these are very resilient and easy to grow herbs. Here are some of the many herbs that make great tea:

  • Anise/ Aniseed
  • Boldo
  • Catnip
  • Cerasse
  • Chamomile
  • Echinacea
  • Fennel
  • Lemon Balm
  • Garden Mint
  • Sage

Usually these are prepared by simply pouring boiling water on top of your cuttings and then drinking the result. Usually 1-3 tablespoons is plenty. You will need to add a lot more (Usually 3 tablespoons) if the herbs are fresh than if they have been dried. Various parts can be used for tea, with the leaves being the most common. For some plants there may be other parts that can be made into tea. The best thing about this is that it gives you a use for the parts that you can’t cook with. Here it is useful to do some research about your herb of choice, as some parts will be better than others!

Also some herbs taste okay on their own, but amazing when used to flavor other teas, so have some fun experimenting with different mixtures. Try also adding juices or honey to give it a little sweetness. This is especially important if you have many bitter herbs together, unless you want everyone to laugh at your pursed up face!

Because these herbs are being drunk, the best times to harvest your herbs are similar to how you would harvest culinary herbs:

  • It is best to harvest early while the day is still cool
  • Most herbs are at their most flavorful before they bloom
  • Harvest before the frosts come

So there you have it, yet another great benefit to growing herbs. So sit back and relax with a cup of tea as a reward after a tough days work. A delicious way to help improve your health.


Windowsill Herb Garden

Growing and Using a Windowsill Herb Garden

Have you ever been in the middle of cooking a tasty dish and you think ‘Hmmm… this is great, but it needs a little something.’ Immediatly you start looking around for some herbs to add to the pot, but you’ve run out of preserved herbs. You could of course use fresh herbs, but your garden seems too far away for you to go out and pick them. So what do you do? You have two choices:

A. Sigh and reach for the salt

B. Grow a windowsill herb garden and always have fresh herbs at your fingertips.

This mini herb garden is easy to grow. The most important thing is remember is how small your garden is. Make sure that you don’t chose a herb that is significantly bigger than your container. The last thing you need is an overgrowing herb taking over half your kitchen! The best ones for this kind of garden are the smaller, easier controlled culinary herbs such as basil, mint, chives and parsley. The other very important thing to remember is the amount of sunlight that the window gets. Ideally you want to chose a window that gets at least 5 hours of sunlight. Less than this and you will have to invest in an artificial light.

When you chose a container, make sure that you chose one that is deep enough for your herb. The container should be between 6 and 12 inches deep. First fill up the bottom three inches or so with soil. Make sure that the soil is well-drained and you have something underneath the container to catch the drain off.

Next place your herbs in the container and then add more soil. Be careful to keep at least an inch between the upper level of the soil and the top of the container or wet soil will spill out every time you water it. Not a pleasant thing to clear up!!! Also every month or so add some fertilizer to give your plants some extra nutrients by adding fertilizer. When buying your fertilizer, make sure that the one you want to buy is marked as being suitable for use on edibles. The only thing left to do then is wait until it is time to harvest your herb garden.

That’s it! The best thing is that it probably took you less than 20 minutes to get it ready. So the next time you run out of herbs, you will be able to quickly grab them. Less time cooking, more time enjoying. Sounds great to me!


Formal English Gardens

Guide to Formal English Gardens

There is nothing more English than an English formal garden. Something about the mixture of plants, the smells and the beautiful colors seems to resonate with people. In America there is a whole series of brochures advertising nothing but these beautiful gardens.

If you choose to make a formal herb garden in your own garden, it is best to spend an hour or so sketching out a rough plan of where you want everything to be. A great tip is to use colored pencils to make your sketch if the herbs have brightly colored leaves, so you can see how visually appealing (Or otherwise!) the colors look together. You also want to consider the height of the herbs (Taller herbs should be placed at the back and corners; smaller in the center), their texture and what you intend to use them for (Don’t put your culinary herbs in a difficult to reach location for example). Also now is a great time to think about something that you can place in the middle of the garden to act as a focal point such as a bird bath. This will really add to the charm and make the migrating birds happy forever grateful too!

If you want to make your garden look like something out of a brochure, consider adding some other touches to your garden. These may include:

  • brick/ gravel pathways
  • gates
  • stone walls
  • areas with bark for decoration or walking on
  • a pot full of herbs (Especially good for herbs that like to spread all over your garden!)
  • a sundial
  • some seats
  • interesting-shaped rocks
  • a frame possibly with roses, jasmine or honeysuckle growing over the top of them

Now is the time to plant the herbs. Usually plating in a row is easiest, so many gardeners choose straight edges such as squares for their gardens. Circles and knots are also easy to use as a scheme to plan herbs around.  Then begin to plant your herbs following this image. The ornaments should be added last as big objects can block sunlight. Before long the flowers will bloom in many different colors and smells and you will have a garden as good enough to put on the cover of any brochure!!!


English Herb Garden

A Guide to an English Herb Garden

One of my favorite memories from my childhood is our family going on holidays to the west country of England. The days were warm and I would often go outside and play with my brother in the gardens near our holiday home. These memories are still linked to the beautiful flowers and the smell of fresh herbs.

Many people who want an English garden worry that they don’t have enough space. The good news is that there are small herb gardens (Known as an English cottage herb gardens) that can be made in a small area of land. These are often stored close to the kitchen door, so the herbs can easily be added to the pot.

For those with grander aspirations English herb gardens can be made on a larger scale. These are often called formal English gardens. Because of their size, sunlight becomes very important, so you want to make sure that your garden receives plenty before attempting to make one of these. Most gardeners choose a shape (A diamond with herbs planted in a straight line is common, circles are popular too) and then use that to help guide the placement of plants. Some people love to get really creative here and create herb knot gardens , mazes or a mixture of shapes and themes! The shape is then used as a guideline for planting. Small herbs usually go closer to the center and larger herbs towards the back and corners.

A long time ago medicinal herbs were very popular in British gardens. Many old books have vast pages dedicated to the use of herbs to treat almost any ailment. If you are interested in completely natural medicine (Or just like the look) there are many herbs that are great for British-style gardens:

  • milk thistle
  • chamomile
  • valerian
  • peppermint
  • and many others…

Of course culinary herbs are very common in English herb gardens too. Basil, chives and parsley look great in an English garden and make great food additives/ condiments. It is useful to work out where to put these in relation to your door. It makes harvesting your herbs difficult and if they are too far away it makes it tough to grab them in the middle of cooking!

The best herbs to use are perennials as they look great all year round. Sages, lavender, thyme, rosemary marjoram and lemon balm are all great to plant as they last for a long time and are resilient enough to survive disease and pest attacks. For those who want to create the smell of these gardens, lavenders, bergamot, lemon thyme and honey thistle all have great scents so hopefully some of your memories can be linked with this fantastic plants.


Italian Herb Garden

A Guide to an Italian Herb Garden

When most think of cooking that uses a lot of herbs, Italian cuisine is probably the one that comes to mind first. Choosing to grow Italian herbs is choosing some of the best known and most delicious herbs in the world. Basil, parsley, oregano and fennel are just some of the many culinary herbs that Italy has given the world.

Basil is a very popular Italian herb. While most of its popularity comes from its use in all kinds of foods for Thai to Vietnamese food, it is great for growing herbs in pots as it acts as a gardener’s best friend by giving benefits to the plants planted near it.  Great examples are peppers and tomatoes that gain a stronger flavor if they are planted next to basil. As it is also a relative of mint, it repulses flies and mosquitoes, so benefits the gardener too.

Parsley is pretty tough to grow, but well worth it as it is a very popular garnish. A long time ago it was used as a breath freshener as chewing it got rid of mouth odor. These days we have gum for that, but the herb remains popular and can be found everywhere from Europe to Western Asia.

Oregano is so beautiful when it flowers that many people use it for decorative purposes. It is an exception to the usual rule of harvesting herbs before their flowers bloom as the edible part of oregano is at its most tasty after the plant has flowered.

Fennel is most famous for its seeds. Chefs prefer to use fennel seeds when they are still green as this brings out the maximum flavor. The plant loses its flavor as it ages, so it is best to harvest it when it is young. Most cultivators replant the herb annually to ensure the best flavor is constantly preserved. Fennel has so many uses it is a great herb, it is best used for making delicious Italian-style meatballs.

Like basil rosemary is popular for its appearance as well as its taste. The plant is covered with blue flowers that look fantastic when flowering. It is also highly resistant to pests, so is relatively easy to take care of. On top of this it is a delicious additive to Italian cuisine. Be careful planting it in cold places however, as it is vulnerable to frost.

Garlic forms the foundation of most Italian cuisine and is an essential ingredient in countless difference cooking styles. The great thing about this herb is that it grows with very little maintenance. Once it is ready to eat it can be pickled or frozen for later use.

Sage is a popular herb in many dishes. The plant itself can be tricky for gardeners as it needs to be trimmed a lot, so be prepared. Constant trimming will provide you with a lot of flavorful clippings, which can be used. After blooming is a great time to harvest this herb.

So the question of which herb to use is one that requires a little thought. Take a piece of paper and write down the growing conditions that your garden experiences, so you can prepare appropriately. Remember that even if you don’t intend to eat the herbs many of them are great ornamental herbs with beautiful colors and smells. One sniff and next thing you know you will swear you woke up in a Mediterranean paradise.


Using Herbs from a Home Herb Garden

Harvesting Your Herbs

Finally the moment has arrived and your herbs are ready to be harvested. You have so many ideas about what you’re going to do with them, so this part is easy… right? Well not entirely! However with our helpful advice it should be simple.

Knowing when to harvest your herbs is one of the most important things. The oils that are so important to the taste and effectiveness of the herbs can easily be dispersed by heat or wind. Wet days likewise reduce the amount of oil that the herb produces. Therefore the best time to harvest your herbs is on a calm and dry morning in the middle of summer. Make sure that the harvesting is done before the flowers open. If you want to harvest before you intend to use the herbs then it is best if you preserve the herbs for later use.

A common mistake at this point is to cut off too much of the herb. All you really need to harvest is the part that you intend to use plus a little more growth. Never remove more than a third of the total foliage as this can be too much for the herb to regrow. Also look carefully for insects and damaged leaves at this time, as these can cause huge problems when the plant tries to regrow its leaves.

These herbs can then be used for cooking straight away. Simply place them in cool water to wash off any impurities. After this add about 1-2 tablespoons of salt to drive away any insects that may have made their home there. These herbs can then be removed and dried using a colander.

Preserving Your Harvest

If you chose to preserve the herbs there are a number of ways to do this. The most common are :

  • drying
  • freezing
  • preservation medium such as salt/ vinegar.

To dry herbs, bundle approximately 10-12 stems together and bind them with soft string or yarn. Using a pair of scissors, cut off any foliage that is near the base of any of the stems. This bundle should then be hung in a cool, dark room. Individual leaves can also be dried, however it is better to simply use a rack, turning them on a regular basis. Recently many people have been using dehydrating machines, ovens and microwaves to speed up this process. All these machines save a lot of time, but risk losing a lot of flavor, so be careful.

The easiest way to preserve herbs is by freezing them. Using a wax paper-lined baking sheet will ensure that a lot of goodness is preserved. Cut the herbs into centimeter-squared pieces using a sharp blade, then place them onto the paper and freeze. Once they are frozen transfer them from the paper to a bag and store lots of them together.

Using a preservation medium is a tried and trusted technique. Mint, basil and tarragon can be preserved by coating them with vinegar. This will keep them fresh for months. Another way is to take a herb and then layer it with salt and put another herb on top. You can keep doing this, adding layer after layer to preserve your entire harvest. Eventually the salt will draw all the water out and the preserved herb will go brown. Brush off the salt and store the herb in a dry, airtight container for later use.

These should provide you with the basic guidelines. Every species of herb is different in terms of harvesting, preparing and using them. Therefore supplement what is written here with your own research for the best results.

Want to learn more about how to grow your herbs bigger check out my article about growing herbs in pots.


Herb Garden Plants

A Guide to Herb Garden Plants

Like most kinds of plants, herbs have annual (Grows, flowers and dies in one year), biennial (Lives for two years usually with a period of dormancy in the middle) and perennial (Lives for more than two years) varieties. Each of these types is different to the others. People who want to grow herbs need to carefully research the caring, harvesting and usage of herbs from a home herb garden.

This article is designed to explain the different categories of herbs to you and what to do with them after harvesting.

Annual herbs have some challenges that every gardener should be aware of. Basil and cilantro, for example, rarely survive frosts, so if you want to grow these delightful herbs, they need to be planted from seed each year. On the other hand the more hardy perennials such as sage survive the cold easily, returning year after year with little effort from you.

If you favor biennials such as parsley or angelica, these should be sown in late spring. In the first season these herbs will form leaves, these will then be followed by flowers and seeds in the second. These herbs then die. It is recommended that you make the soil as good as possible for their first season to really give them a good chance of survival. This can be done by really working the soil into a fine texture and adding a little water. When planting the seeds, make sure to plant them as shallow as possible with the moist soil firmed on top. Another great tip is to cover the area with wet burlap or paper to keep the soil as moist as possible for germination.

Different Kinds of Herb Garden Plants

We all know that some herbs are better used for potpourri and some for eating. Many people like to divide herbs into categories based on their most common usage. These categories should never be considered absolute as many herbs can belong to all four categories:

The most common categories are:

Most gardeners focus primarily on culinary herbs. These herbs have countless uses in cooking from garnishes up to flavorings. Herbs like chives, thyme and sage have strong flavors so are usually added in small amounts to really give your food a tasty ‘kick.’  Conversely a herb like parsley is mostly used as a garnish, its color making the food look more appealing. Others such as chives are used for both flavoring and garnishing. The Italian herb garden plants are some of the most popular as these are useful in many different cuisines and are easy to grow.

Aromatic herbs such as mint and rosemary are often grown for other reasons. Both of these herbs have fantastic smelling flowers or foliage. Perfumers often extract these smells and use them to make scents. Parts of some aromatic herbs can also be used to add a distinctive scent to clothing. Other kinds of herb can be dried out and made into potpourri, where their scent is preserved for a long time to be combined with others. Lavender and lemon verbena are great for this purpose.

Both the Chinese and the Egyptians have a long history of using herbs medicinally, so much so that Chinese herbs have become an industry of their own. Some of the herbs can have surprising medical benefits, while others are little more than modern snake oils. It is not difficult to tell which is which, however sometimes even Western medicine is a little slow (A potent anti-malarial recently derived from the Artemisia annua herb had been used by the Chinese for hundreds of years). Be warned though that some herbs have defense mechanisms designed to prevent animals from eating them that make them poisonous in large amounts. Research carefully any herbs that you intend to use medicinally and their recommended doses.

The final category is the ornamental herbs. These herbs are so beautiful that often inedible species are grown just to brighten up a garden. The white colored flowers of the medicinal herb valerian makesit a popular choice. Likewise chicory with its fantastic blue flowers would liven up anywhere.

If you can’t decide… that is great too. There are plenty of herbs that have a number of different uses. Mint for example is not only delicious for making a sauce for lamb, but also as a refreshing tea and a handy pest-repellent. Whatever your goal is, spending time understanding what you want to grow herbs for will help you make your garden a huge success.


Herb Garden Kits

Using Herb Garden Kits

Many of us really want to grow our own herbs, but lack the information needed just to start out. Most people have the same initial problems with starting their herb garden. For example, which herb will grow best in my garden/ pot? How do I prepare a good soil for herbs to grow in? Herb garden kits solve a lot of these problems, as they contain concise guidelines for growing the herbs.

Herb garden kits have many different herbs categorized by what kind of herbs are contained in the pack. Common categories are:

Generally the contents of these kits are very similar: seeds, an instructional guide, a planter to grow the herbs in, and soil/ pellets to grow the seed in. Additionally some kits may contain recipes that use the herbs and a dome that keeps the humidity and temperature consistent enough for maximum growth. If you buy on the internet, you may want to sign up for the newsletter if they have one. This will provide hints, tips and recipes for the herbs you produce.

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to use these kits. This gives you easy access to the herbs, especially if they are near your cooking area and also gives you an extra level of control. This control is especially important if you are experiencing a tough winter, which often kills many species. Rainfall can also be a curse if there is too much as herbs can easily become waterlogged and this hinders their growth. Most herb garden kits are small enough to be grown indoors and if you use the instructional guide this will help take most of the guesswork out of it.

Some people love the feeling of seeing their herbs growing outside. Likewise many gardeners like to go outside and enjoy the Sun while they work in their garden. It takes a little work to get to the point where you can consistently grow herbs outside. The best way to learn is growing herbs in pots using a herb kit, where the difficulties are replaced with the joy of growing the herbs. Once you get the feel for handling herbs correctly you can then move them into the garden and enjoy those pleasures too.


Herb Garden Information

About Herb Gardens

The world’s culture has evolved alongside herbs. Cave paintings discovered in France show that about 15,000 plus years ago our ancestors were using herbs. Both the ancient Egyptians and the Chinese made entire cultures out of the use of these amazing plants. The Greeks and Romans were also believers in the healing properties of herbs. These days we appreciate herbs for their many different uses. They are great for brewing and making tea, for adding an extra tang to food, as a tasty looking garnish and even as a way of controlling pests in the garden.

Herbs are great for modern gardeners too as they grow quite happily indoors. Any part of your house with adequate sunlight can be converted into a garden full of herbs. Even if you don’t have a sunny area, you can still grow herbs as some species actually thrive in the shade. These indoor herbs have the added bonus of making your house look (And smell) homely. Some gardeners even decide not to grow culinary herbs (These are the delicious, edible kinds) and instead focus entirely on growing the best smelling, most beautiful herbs they can. These herbs can then be dried to make potpourri and keep the great smell for even longer.

Herbs generally have four varieties: annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees. These all have similar needs. One of the most important things is good soil, that is well-drained. Fertilizers are not needed for most herbs, so instead organic matter can be added to solve problems caused by heavy or compacted soils. Some plants do well indoors, whereas others (Such as dill, fennel and coriander) are better grown outside.

Most herbs start their lives as a seed, you can also try growing herbs  in pots. To do this we usually use a shallow pot. This key word ’shallow’ also applies to the herbs as they generally don’t have a deep root base, so too much soil is hazardous to them. As a general rule look at how fine the seed is. Finer seeds should be planted shallower. Next add a light, well-drained soil. Some plants will benefit from periods outside, whereas others should be kept indoors the whole time.

The problem of pests gets blown out of all proportion when it comes to herbs. Most herbs are pretty hardy and few pests can actually damage them. This being said, there are certain creatures that the grower should be aware of. Red spider mites are a pain in most dry countries. Likewise aphids love fennel and dill. The fungi known as  ‘rust’ is also a problem with plants such as mint.

Growing your own herbs is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things you can get involved in. As always there is a lot of information that you need to research and use to get your herbs. This site has articles and resources that you need to help you have a flourishing, healthy herb garden. Another option is to use herb garden kits as they have the research and information contained in them.


Growing Herbs in Pots

Herbs in Pots

Herbs are some of the most adaptable plants on Earth. While many people love to grow herb garden plants, there is no reason why herbs grown inside your house should be any less successful. To start to grow herbs inside all you will need to get you started is a sturdy pot/ container/ window box or hanging basket. Some people also buy prepackaged herb garden kits which  save a lot of time, especially if you are new to this activity.

The most important thing is to find a spot where the herbs can get the biggest amount of sunlight possible. Sunlight, along with having a good soil and water are the three most important ingredients for growing herbs.

A little preparation now can reap huge rewards in the future. You need to find out which spots in your house get the most sunlight. Usually a window in the south or west of your house is the best. There is some variation in the amount of sunlight different herbs need, but as a general rule most need a sunny location. If you can’t get enough sunshine to the herbs it is worth considering buying a fluorescent lamp, these are also known as ‘grow lamps’ and can be bought at most D.I.Y. stores.

Getting the Right Soil and Watering Your Plant

Just as diet is important for professional sports people, soil is very important for plants. The soil needs to be well drained and not too rich. The best ratio is one part course sand or perlite mixed with two parts sterilized potting soil. To set up your herbs properly for maximum growth take your container and put a layer of gravel about a inch deep at the bottom. This is important as this gravel will provide the herb with the drainage that it needs. The next part is to add the soil.

A great technique for indoor plants is to add a teaspoon of lime for every 5 inches that makes up your pot. This extra bit of sweetness will really help your herbs to grow rapidly. You also want to make sure that you re-pot the herbs every year or so, to ensure that everything is kept in optimum condition.

Finally you need to add water to help them to grow. As a general rule herbs grown indoors need more water than those grown outside. A lot of people drench their poor herb in so much water that it damages its health! Poor thing! A far better technique is known as ‘misting’ whereby you use a light spray to cover the herb with a thin ‘coat’ of water. You may also want to moisten the pebbles with a little water to keep the humidity up. These techniques should supplement, not replace, your watering routine.

Summary

If you want to grow perennial herbs (Dill or rosemary for example) indoors you will find that alternating between periods indoors and outdoors will increase their growth. As a general rule put these plants outside for the summer, then bring them indoors before the first frosts start. This is not a golden rule as some herbs actually benefit from a frost (Rosemary, tarragon and chives being three good examples). These herbs actually go into a dormant period in the cold, from which they emerge with hardier growth. On the other hand if you are growing annual herbs (Chervil or Perilla for example) they will grow perfectly well if you keep them entirely indoors.

Some herbs will always do better than others indoors, but all herbs can be grown indoors. The best thing is that indoor herbs gardens are easily maintained and readily available whenever you are cooking. The  herbs found in an Italian herb garden are especially well suited for this purpose. The best thing about using these herbs in your cooking is this kind of periodic pruning actually encourages the herb to grow more! So eat them, make a herb cellar with them and make friends by giving them to your neighbors. I have included some great tip for using herbs from a home herb garden if you want to learn more. With these tips, you will soon have healthy, tasty herbs that everyone will want!