Herb Garden How To
A Simple How To Guide for Herb Garden Growers
When you want to start growing a herb garden there are a few things that are very important to know:
How Big Are the Herbs That You Want to Grow?
This is important as bigger herbs will cast shadows over the smaller herbs as they grow. This can lead to the smaller plants not getting enough light and dying prematurely. I have included section about this in my article on herb garden designs.
How Much Sunlight Will The Garden Receive?
It is always worth thinking about how much light your garden will receive. If you have only a limited amount of light you will need to suppliment the natural light with an artificial light source. This is especially important if you have a home herb garden.
Many gardeners have chosen to grow herbs that thrive in shaded areas. This can be a great way to maximize space if you have a limited amount of space. With careful planning you can mix herbs that like the shade with those that need lots of sunlight, filling every inch of your garden.
What Kind of Weather Do You Have In Your Area?
The weather conditions that you experience will highly influence which herbs you grow. If you live in a really hot area, try a herb like cilantro in your herb garden and you will soon find yourself constantly fighting against your bolting plant. Likewise other herbs such as some Italian herb garden plants die very easily in frosts.
The Amount of Space That You Have to Grow Herbs In
There are a large range of garden sizes that are commonly used for growing herbs. The smallest are the windowsill herb garden and the home herb garden. These gardens can be grown in the smallest of spaces. On the other hand formal English gardens can be as big as the garden has space. You may also want to divide the garden by the kinds of herbs that you use, for example using parts for edible herbs and other parts for medicinal herbs.
What Do You Want to Use The Herbs For
Not all herbs are created equal! There are many different uses for herbs and this will influence both your garden design and the type of herbs that you plant. Obviously if you want to eat the herbs, you will need to plant culinary herbs. There are also medicinal herbs (Used for medical reasons), aromatic herbs (Good smelling ones) and ornamental herbs (Those that are attractive to the eye). The best part is that some herbs serve multiple functions, some even do all these roles.
Once you have thought about the organisation and types of herbs that you want to plant it is time to get on with the next part, growing the herbs. The best bit of course comes as you harvest them and eat them. Yum!
