Technorati Tags: Home Herb Garden

One major advantage of growing our herbs indoors is that we can have
fresh herbs all year round.  I have recently taken the coriander and
parsley from my large mixed herb outdoor pot, and re potted them into
their own small pots. I have now placed these onto my large kitchen
window ledge, which fortunately gets plenty of sun.

Curled Parsley and Coriander Herbs

Most herbs need plenty of sunlight, you can usually find the specific
details by reading the seed packet or the little plastic information
card that comes with potted plants.  For this reason, a sunny
windowsill is an ideal place to grow them.  The following details were on the little cards of the coriander and parsley:

Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
An annual grown for both its distinctively flavoured bright green young leaves and spicy aromatic seeds.

Suitable for: Plant in full sun in a rich light soil. Ideal for tubs and pots.
Flowering time: Mid to late summer
Height (approx): Up to 60cm (2ft)
Culinary uses: Widely
used in Asian and Middle Eastern dishes. Use fresh leaves in salads,
curries, sauces or as a garnish. The seeds are used in curries, to
flavour meat and poultry and in cakes, breads and biscuits.
Care: Water well before planting and until established.

Curled Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
A biennial herb with curly leaves. Makes a good edging plant for the herb garden.

Suitable for: Prefers a rich moist soil in a sunny or partially shaded location. Ideal for tubs and pots.
Height (approx): Up to 60 cm (2ft)
Culinary Uses: Chopped leaves can be used in green salads, soups, sauces, vegetables. Serve as an accompaniment to fish.
Traditional Medicinal Uses: Sometimes used as a diuretic or for the relief of rheumatism.
Care: Water well before planting and until established.

As my window ledge fills up with many herbs (as I fully intend it to), I
can move the parsley further away from the window as it can tolerate a
partially shaded location. I am looking forward to using my fresh
coriander and parsley in salads – I get so bored of iceberg lettuce! I
also make a lot of soups and curries and both of these herbs will be
wonderful additions to them to add flavour. Both of these herbs will
also serve as a garnish to finished dishes, for a professional touch.

Window Sill Herb Garden

An indoor, or in particular a window sill, home herb garden is a great
hobby, and if you’re an avid cook, you will know that there is no
substitute for having fresh herbs and spices nearby at your disposal.
Growing your own indoor home herb garden and having it right there
where you can see and smell it is just fantastic, and it will reward
you constantly by adding fragrance and beauty to your culinary
masterpieces and to your home.

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It can be difficult to know where to start when planning your first home herb garden.  While you may have your own creative flair and design skills (or maybe not), you need to keep in mind what is best for the plant.

You want to grow your herb in the best possible conditions with regard to soil, water, air and sunlight. As your herbs grow, you may notice a tendency for them to struggle.  For example if a plant is looking limp it may not be getting enough sunlight in which case you should move it to a more suitable position, or maybe it needs more nutrients, if so you can mix plant food to the water or use a fertilizer. Changes should be made in order to maintain the health of your herbs, this will allow your plants to continue to thrive.

For this reason I would recommend starting with just a few herbs in pots (this can be indoors or outdoors), so that they can be moved around easily. Make sure the pots have good drainage and when planting seeds, do not plant them too deep. Read up on the information provided on the seed packets or on the little information cards that are provided when buying potted herbs.

Most herbs are really quite resilient and you will soon get used to which ones prefer which conditions. Prune them regularly taking off dead leaves. Simply by learning about them and monitoring them you will be able to enjoy them for years to come.

INDOOR HOME HERB GARDEN
An indoor herb garden has the advantage of allowing you to grow your herbs all year round.
For beginners, the windowsill is a great place to set up an indoor home herb garden, a sunny kitchen windowsill would be absolutely ideal if you intend to use your herbs for cooking.
Shop around for attractive pots that will compliment your home decor. Multiple pot trays are a favourite of mine, this allows you to have several herbs grouped together.

OUTDOOR HOME HERB GARDEN
If you want a large, varied home herb garden you may want to plant outside. Bear in mind the time of year you are planting, Rosemary will grow all year round, whereas Basil is more of a summer herb, so you wouldn’t plant it outside until perhaps the spring.  If you are growing your herbs from seed you will probably start them off indoors and then transfer them outside at the appropriate time of year provided that they are fairly established.

You can use herbs for decorative purposes in your garden, for instance you could have a large pot with an ornamental citrus fruit tree, and plant herbs around the base. If you have bare walls you could plant creeping thyme which has red flowers when it blooms, and is a lovely alternative to ivy. You can plant this anywhere you would normally plant a creeper.
Herbs can have a practical role to play: Herbs from the mint family (notably peppermint and spearmint) have been used for pest control, repelling mice, ants, lice, flies and moths.

Technorati Tags: Home Herb Garden, indoor herb garden, outdoor herb garden, planning a herb garden