Supermarkets may be brimming with fresh and dried herbs for everyday cooking, but it is no way near as satisfying as cooking the herbs you've just grown yourself. A Fresh herb garden can be very convenient to keep and plus, you can pick up fresh herbs anytime you want.
Your fresh herb garden need not be very big with many varieties of herbs you can not even use in your regular menu. Many people have been growing herbs in their garden so they can toss it to their dish right after they pluck their needed herbs. Your fresh herb garden may just be some potted herbs right in your windowsill. This is just fine since you will only need a few sprinkles of herbs to brighten up any dish.
Benefits Of A Fresh Herb Garden
There are so many more benefits than simply having some tasty cooking extras. With some careful planning and choosing a balanced combination of herbs you can greatly enhance you garden.
Firstly, many herbs are visually stunning with a range of vibrant colors. Marigolds, lavender and daisies come to mind. Combine these with the classic greenery you expect from herbs and you can create a beautiful herb garden bringing a new dimension to your gardenscape.
Herbs are of course known for their distinctive aromas, so having a garden full of great smelling herbs will make you enjoy your garden even more. Have a combination of gorgeous smelling herbs in your garden will make you want to work on it with more effort, and as a result you will have a much more successful experience with herb gardening.
There are some natural benefits for your garden, most immediately is the variety of flowers which will attract bees and butterflies. This is great as it helps pollination within your garden flora to maintain genetic diversity and hence naturally healthy plants. Lots of herbs are also naturally repel insects, so planting these herbs will be a great protection for any surrounding plants.
Herb Maintenance
If you're keeping your plants indoors, place your fresh herb garden along a windowsill where they can receive sunlight. If it is too small, just screw a one by six inch board as an extension. Or, you can buy windowsill extenders intended for cats and put your potted herbs instead.
Different herbs have corresponding ways to care and nurture them. It is best to do your own research regarding the specific plant you want to grow. However, you can take note of some general rules to guide you. Wind and heat lessen the essential oils of herbs, and you can be sure the flavor and nutrients decrease correspondingly. So if you want to harvest your plant, do it in mid summer in a tranquil, sunny morning. Too much rain will also cause your essential oils to decrease. Harvesting your herbs doesn't mean you have to mix all of them to your dish at once. You can save some for future cooking.
Herb Harvesting
When harvesting, watch out for insects and leaf damage. Also try not to pick off more than a third of herb foliage. They need this in order to re-grow. Clean your harvested herbs by soaking them in water with two tablespoons of salt. This solution can repel insects without harming your plants. Place them in a salad spinner to dry off.
Timing is important if you want to get the best out of your herbs. For example you should gather basil right before they're ready to bloom. Basil is most fragrant and flavorful during this time. Put the stalks in a cup of water to maintain the freshness for a week. Harvest oregano in the same way, just before it flowers. When the buds have fully developed and are about to blossom, this is the time when oregano tastes the best. Also soak the herb in water for a week to keep it fresh. Parsley tastes best when added fresh to your cooking. Wait until the herb has reached six inches before harvesting it. Include as much stems when picking parsley because the tastiest flavor is found in stems.
There is a lot more we need to expand on in detail, but I hope this article gives you an idea of what is in store if you start a herb garden. When people consider gardening of the first things that they consider is to plant flowers and shrubs. To be honest a lot of these flowers and shrubs require a lot of maintenance and attention. When you compare with herbs they are not necessarily nicer looker or greater smelling, and they will almost certainly not taste good.