Article
Herb Gardening
By Joey Reynolds
Herb gardening is an enjoyable and useful way to garden. We will start with choosing herbs. You should decide what uses you want the herbs for, before you purchase them. You can purchase herbs at garden centers, catalogs, trading with friends, or divide herbs that are already growing in your garden. When choosing herbs you shoud do some research before you buy. Alot of nurseries will sell tender perennials as perennials (to be able to sell them at a higher price).
Herbs are not picky about their soil. Other than heavy clay or extremely rocky soils (which some herbs will grow in), herbs can be grown in poor soil. You plant them as you would flowers; digging a hole, putting the plant into it, filling the hole with the excavated soil, and tapping the soil around the plant. Herbs require an inch of water each week. They can also be fertilized, which will encourage bushy foliage; but fertilization isn't essential. Herbs should be mulched to maintain soil moisture and discourage weeds. Most herbs like full sun, but some can be grown in shade. Variegated herbs always need full sun, as their leaves do not contain as much chlorophyll as completely green leaves.
Herbs can be grown in a bed dedicated to one type of herb, or a variety of herbs grown together. They can be added to a perennial flower bed. They can be grown in the vegetable garden. Some herbs make wonderful groundcovers under trees and shrubs. There are many designs for herb gardens. Traditionally herbs are placed in some sort of pattern, with bricks or rocks used to make the form of the bed. Herb gardens can be used in a variety of themes. There are herbs for tea gardens, culinary use, medicinal gardens, bath use, aromatherapy, children's gardens, a moonlight garden with night-blooming herbs or herbs with foliage that looks interesting in the moonlight, astrological gardens, gardens to attract bees or hummingbirds, gardens of herbs with similar texture or color. The possibilities are almost endless.
Herbs can be annual, biennial or perennial. They have almost no pest or disease problems. There are herbs that grow in wet conditions, others that are wonderful for rock gardens. There are some that should be planted in bottom containers to keep their roots from spreading, such as mints. Pruning herbs inspires more growth in the plant. You can begin harvesting the leaves as soon as you see vigorous growth in the Spring. You should stop harvesting of perennial herbs about six weeks before the first frost, to give them time to harden-off before Winter. You can harvest annual herbs until frost, then harvest the entire plant. There are a variety of ways to prune herbs. Leaves should be harvested early in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun has burned off the essential oils; ten A.M. is the ideal time. Never harvest more than two thirds of the growth at one time. You can get multiple harvests over the entire season.