Do you use a lot of herbs and spices whenever you are cooking? If you do, perhaps instead of buying these from the grocery, you can get this for free by making your own organic herb garden. In fact, it is so easy to do that even kids can get into it.

So what kind of herbs should you plant? Since they are going to be used for cooking, why not go for herbs that are either Italian or Thai. These herbs are called culinary herbs. Other examples that you can plant for cooking later on include basil, bay leaves, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano and parsley.

Chances are you would like to start from the very beginning which means you have to buy herb seeds. These are sold in packs and it is best to read the instructions before opening them.

Some organic herb seeds can be sown directly to the soil while others have to be raised in seedbeds. Best of all, you do not have to worry that much about pests because they are not that frequent when compared to planting fruits or vegetables.

One herb plant that you should avoid mixing with others is mint because it acts just like a weed and has the tendency to kill the rest. But since you need it, it is best to grow it in a pot so it does not harm your other crops.

Organic herb gardening is not different to organic farming because similar techniques are used to make them grow. The first step is to find the right location that offers adequate sunlight and drainage. Also, check on the soil conditions because what you have in your backyard may not be suitable for it.

When the soil is ready for planting, the rest of the work is easy since you just have to monitor their progress daily. You should also use compost bins so you produce your own organic fertilizer that can be applied to the garden.

Aside from making an organic herb garden outdoors, you can also do the same indoors so it is much closer to the kitchen. Instead of planting these on the ground, you will have to buy organic containers. These can be made from clay, plastic or wood. The important thing is that it provides excellent drainage and good air circulation.

When you use pots for your organic herbs, do not use soil but a mixture of peat, perlite and vermiculite. They need to be watered regularly so make sure it is moist and not damp. Since they also need sufficient sunlight, you can place these outdoors and then bring them back in when it is too cold or put these in the western or southern windows of the home.

Regardless if your herbs are grown indoor or outdoor, you still have to deal with pests and weeds. You can pick them off by hand or get other insects to do your dirty work. Mulch is another solution and you should apply at least 3 to 4 inches or 8 to 10 cm in order for it to be effective.

Herb gardening is a lot of fun since it can be used for other things aside from culinary like for cosmetic, craft, household or medicinal purposes. But if you are into cooking, then organic herb gardening is good for the kitchen.

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Growing an herb garden is another excellent way to start your own garden without too much fuss or hassle. And you can reap the rewards by eating the herbs you choose to grow. These are great gardens to help children grow as well, since herbs tend to grow quickly and can be used from the time they’re small sprouts.

You can grow herbs based on your own personal preferences of course, such as those you like to cook with or those you like to put into your own salads and other meals. Another fun way to grow an herb garden though, is by creating themes.

You could for instance, create an Italian herb garden for use in your Italian based meals and sauces. An Italian herb garden could include basil, garlic, onions, sage, chervil, parsley, and other herbs which are commonly used in Italian meals.

Another excellent themed herb garden might not seem like an herb garden at first, but it is: A spicy herb garden, or a Mexican herb garden. This theme would include herbs which tend to be very spicy and hot such as green and red chili peppers such as cayenne, jalepeno peppers, horseradish root, cilantro, coriander, cumin, and any other spicy or hot herbs you can think of. This type of herb garden is also sometimes called a chili garden, because it’s often used for making soup and Texas-style chili.

Then there is the herbal tea garden theme, which is another very popular one to grow. An herbal tea garden grows a wide variety of herbs which are often used for making tea. You can grow standard tea itself, along with flavored varieties such as lemon grass or lemon balm, spearmint, peppermint, chammomile, Echinacea, Angelica, Anise, catnip, red clover, lavendar, rosemary, thyme, and too many others to list in just one article. Generally, any herb can actually be used for tea, but not all of them will taste well as a tea of course. So select a few to start with, and grow your tea garden as you desire.

One other type of herb garden you might want to try is a medicinal herb garden. Just about all herbs which are used for foods and teas have medicinal properties of some kind, and many are excellent for a wide variety of purposes. Garlic is a must grow herb for any medicinal herb garden, and you’ll love having Echinacea on hand for the cold and flu season too. Try your hand at a variety though, and again, just expand your themed herb gardens as desired.

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For centuries people have been growing and using all kinds of herbs. They have been used as medicine and to improve the flavor of foods as well as for their aromatic and ornamental qualities. While most herbs are very easy care plants that do not need much more than sunshine and good drainage, you will want to follow some basic guidelines when planning and planting your herb garden.

The first thing you will want to do is plan your herb garden. An easy way to do this is to make a numbered list on paper of the herb plants that you want to include. Then, beside or below the list make a quick sketch of the area that you will be planting. Now it is a simple matter of arranging the plants within the sketch. Draw a circle and place the number from your list inside to indicate which plant goes where.

Important considerations when choosing the herbs you want to plant is the size and growth habits of the various herbs you’ve chosen. For instance, mints are taller and tend to be intrusive making it wise to contain them in a separate garden area or plant them within a container dug into the garden. Thyme makes a terrific border plant since it is a lower growing plant with a tendency to spread. Generally, taller plants should be placed toward the back of the garden and shorter ones in front.

Herbs can be annuals, perennials or biennials. It may benefit you to separate the perennial plants from the annual plants by placing perennials to the outside of the herb bed. By doing this you reduce the chances of digging up and discarding your perennial herbs when it is time to prepare the bed for any annual herbs that you will want to plant each year. Parsley is an example of a biennial herb that we tend to treat as an annual. If you allow it to flower and go to seed, it will reestablish itself. Seed in parsley for two consecutive years when you start your herb garden, and you’ll have a continuous supply as though it were a perennial.

They layout and design of your herb bed will depend greatly on the size of your garden location, the plants you have chosen and simple personal preference. Herb gardens are often planted in the traditional wagon wheel, semi-circle or simple square or rectangle patterns. For a more formal looking herb bed, you can divide the garden into sections using bricks or stone. Your gardens location is a very important consideration, especially if you are planting herbs for use in cooking. You’ll want ot plant your herb bed as close to the kitchen door as possible.

Preparation for a basic herb garden is not complicated at all. Once you have the area prepared for planting, it may be necessary to add lime to the garden as many herbs prefer slightly alkaline soil. A garden plot that receives full sun is ideal, but most herbs will thrive in al little as 4-6 hours of sun each day. Annual herbs should be planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Perennial herb plants can be added at any time during the growing season.

If space is a problem, herbs can be planted in containers and placed around your patio. Use a good planting mix and be sure that your pots drain well. Herbs prefer not to have wet feet. Container planting herbs considered “tender” perennials in your area is also a good idea. You will be able to move them indoors during the cooler months and keep them healthy and happy.

Many herbs can be easily started from seed, either indoors for an early start or sown directly into the garden in early spring. Be sure to follow the directions on the seed packet for care and growing. Some herbs like lavender and rosemary will prove to be slow starters when growing from seed. For these varieties, you may want to purchase plants. If you have friend of relatives with herb gardens, you can ask them for starters or divisions from their established plants.

All in all, herbs are not difficult to grow and after they have established themselves, they require very little care and maintenance. Be sure that they have a well drained bed with at least 4 -6 hours of sunshine and you’ll be able to enjoy the flavors and fragrances of your herb garden for years.

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Since ancient times, large gardens have been used for growing vegetables, flowers, fruits and medicines. These gardens are called herb gardens. Some common plants grown are rosemary, parsley, sage, marjoram, thyme, mint, rue, angelica, bay and basil. Herb garden designs can be useful or ornamental depending on the kind of plants grown in them.

Herb garden designs of medieval and Renaissance Europe period are a big influence for herb gardeners today. Practical as well as ornamental, formal herb gardens laid out in simple beds date back to medieval Europe and continue to be popular today. It is very easy and inexpensive to maintain a herb garden. By practice the herb gardener can be an expert. Keeping in mind the modern times, herbs used can be differentiated as:

* Culinary herbs
* Medicinal herbs
* Ornamental herbs.

Culinary herbs are the most popular herbs like rosemary, parsley that are very easily grown and contains both annual and perennial varieties. You can also grow medicinal herbs but extracting the medicines from them is not an easy procedure. Ornamental herbs are the otherwise useless herbs, which have shown to have no medicinal value, but because of their beauty or just to add soft foliage to the garden they are still grown.

Traditional herb garden designs do not always suit our modern needs. Some of the preferred designs today are as follows:

* Herb container gardening

For beginners, container herb gardening is the best bet. They are very easy to manage and are flexible enough to be changed often. Pots or containers of different color, pattern and texture add a character to an otherwise dull and green garden. Some herbs like rosemary, which are better to keep indoors during winters, can be brought in without any fuss. Containers are easy and fun to use and soil mixtures can be adjusted without much hard work to suit specific plant needs.

* Raised bed herb gardens

Somewhat related to container herb gardens, raised bed gardens are a great herb garden design technique which allows us to amend the soil, since many herbs require more drainage than what the soil can allow. Plants like mint or weed can prove troublesome if planted loosely without planning, and this is where raised bed herb garden designs help.

* Parterre

This design gives the garden a formal and elegant look. You have to simply segment your garden into different areas for different herbs you plan to grow and hedge them in. The most popular plant used for hedging is the dwarf English boxwood. Large boxwoods can be used at the corners and junctions to add height and visual interest and a sculpture or sundial would give a nice finishing touch. Planting of herbs in threes and fives allows the eye to register the plant and move over to other groups without troubling our vision. This is a common technique used in most herb garden designs.

* Roses

Roses are one of the earliest and original inhabitants of the herb gardens. They prefer drier and sunny conditions and the foliage of the herbs provides a perfect foil for the rose blossoms. Rosa rugosa is a great rose for the herb garden both historically and aesthetically.

Herb garden designs are not too hard to maintain and can be done even by a beginner who would acquire the skills in the process. All level of skilled gardeners can try their hand in herb gardening and enjoy its simple yet effective results.

Do you want to Grow An Herb Garden then just click on the link to discover more!

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Someone on one of my other blogs asked me about the various lenses I have with Squidoo and I thought I would share my Gardening and General Home Improvement type lenses here with you:

Deck Building

Easy Woodworking Projects

Home Improvement Remodeling

Landscaping for Dummies

Declutter Your Home

How To Grow an Herb Garden

Lawn Care

Gardening Ideas

If you are interested in Squidoo I also have a lens on How To Succeed With Squidoo and have published a couple of eBooks which you can see at Squidoo Revealed!

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I am delighted to say that we have just released the first of our Herb Gardening reports with one which has been in demand: How To Start an Herb Garden. This new report includes:

Why Starting an Herb Garden is a great idea
What Makes a Good Spot for an Herb Bed
What Should You Plant in Your Herb Garden
The Herbs for the Beginning Herb Gardener’s Herb Garden
What Do I Need to Start Growing Herbs in My Garden?
How You can Grow Herbs For Both Fun and Profit

Take a look at it now at: How To Start an Herb Garden (click on the link!)

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