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Herb Garden - Why and How to Grow Herbs

By Carol Stack

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Published: 09Feb2007
Word count: 598
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If you are looking for an inexpensive way to try out your green thumb, you may want to try growing an herb garden.

Herb gardens actually trace back to medieval times when monasteries and nunneries would use them to grow needed medicinal herbs and as time went on they were also used for culinary and decorative purposes.

Now herb gardens are making a comeback and many people are beginning to try their hand at growing these simple gardens.

Why Have a Herb Garden?

There are a variety of great reasons to have an herb garden including medicinal uses, culinary uses and decoration. For years, herbs have been used to improve health and there are various herbs that have been found to improve the health of the body as well as the health of the mind.

Growing herbs is much cheaper than purchasing them at your local supplement or nature store, so you can save money by having an herb garden.

Herbs are used for culinary purposes as well and, once again, it is much cheaper to grow your own herbs than it is to purchase fresh herbs at your local supermarket. Herbs make great additions to a variety of foods and enhance the taste without adding unneeded salt.

Another reason you may want to have an herb garden is for its decorative qualities. Herb gardens have long been used as decorative gardens and if you are just getting started at gardening, an herb garden can be a simple place to start.

Where to Plant an Herb Garden

If you want to plant an herb garden, you can either plant it in pots or planters or you can make a garden plot in your yard. If you have limited space in your yard or do not have one at all, the pots and planters will be a great place to start an indoor herb garden.

Whether you decide to grow in pots indoors or you have a plot outside, there are a few things to remember.

You need to be sure that your herbs are in a place where they get plenty of sunlight each day. If you keep them inside, make sure they are near a window with plenty of sunlight and if you have an outside garden, be sure to pick a plot that gets sun for at least 6-7 hours each day.

Also make sure that the soil is good and if not, you can add organic materials to make the soil more productive. Water is also essential to your herb garden, whether it gets rain outside or you are watering it inside.

Choosing Herbs to Grow

Making a choice on what herbs to grow in your herb garden will undoubtedly be somewhat based on your purpose for growing an herb garden. If you are growing the garden for medicinal purposes and special remedies, herbs to consider are aloe vera, ginger, chamomile, calendula and thyme.

If you are growing herbs for culinary use, you should consider growing herbs like basil, oregano, sage, marjoram, bay leaves, chives, parsley, mint and dill. If you want a decorative herb garden, you will want to pick the more attractive herbs like lavender, sage, rosemary, evening primrose, chamomile, hollyhock and lemon balm.

Herbs are both beautiful and very useful and having an herb garden will be a joy. You can have the pleasure of eating your herbs or just enjoying their simplistic beauty while you watch them grow. Whatever your reason is for starting an herb garden, you will undoubtedly find hours of pleasure and enjoyment in your herb garden.

Carol Stack has enjoyed gardening all her life. She lives with her husband, children, dogs, cats and chickens in the United States. They have a large property that keeps them busy with gardening chores. You can learn about landscaping, organic gardening, lawn care and more at Carol's Web site, http://www.howtogarden.info

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