A Fragrant Secret in Your Backyard: An Herbal Garden

It is a beautiful Sunday morning and after waking up, you step outside to the back-yard with a coffee cup in hand. At your feet, you notice emerald grass feasting from the shining sun, and the joy of owning a real estate rises even higher. The scenery can be beautiful, but there is still much more beauty to archive and rewards to gain from the back-yard. The soil in the back-yard can provide the ideal ground to not just grass, fruit, and vegetables plants, but your very own herbal garden. An herbal garden can provide a wire array of herbs for culinary and medicinal needs as well as adding more beauty to your back-yard. And for a home owner who loves the kitchen, a close by herbal garden is indeed a must. It is relatively easy to make and maintain an herbal garden, all that is required is a good spot and a little bit of dedication.

The Perfect Spot

Selecting the best spot for the herbal garden is very essential. Finding the perfect spot might sound complicated, but after knowing the criteria for what you are looking for, everything becomes clear. A good spot is one in which the land is exposed to sun light most of the day, and in which the soil does not stay wet for long periods of time, since most herbs are intolerant to muddy soils. Is very important that the area chosen is fairly shielded from winter winds, at least from two sides, and that the spot is not located in the middle of a wide open field. Lastly, the area selected must be a place protected from pets and close to the kitchen. An herbal garden close to the kitchen ensures that harvest is possible during all kinds of weather. These criteria are very essential, but if your spot only meet some of them, the soil can still yield its rewards. On the other hand, it is very likely that you will not be getting the most out of it.

The Best Design

The layout of an herbal garden is extremely important, as it allows you to avoid stepping on your own herbs, prevents different kinds of herbs from clashing with each other, and reduces the likeliness of struggling during harvest. The layout also promotes beauty and organization by having the herbs grouped by kind. Usually, herbal gardens’ geometric design consists of circles or squares, divided in to even pieces and separated by either dirt or pavement. The dirt or pavement must be at least 3 feet wide to allow easy walking, irrigation, and harvesting. Furthermore, the farthest herbs must be within arms reach, otherwise problems might arise during harvest. Without a design, the herbal garden can be chaotic and problematic during harvest.

The Nourished Soil

Smashing holes in the ground randomly and tossing seeds here and there isn’t going to do the trick. The soil must be first freed of stones, weeds, or other plants that might compete for nutrients. Different nutrients naturally exist in different soils, and that is why potatoes are grown in Idaho and oranges in Florida; but the land in your back-yard is definitely not unfertile. To give live to the garden, the healthier soil underneath must be brought to the surface by using tools to rake the earth. Enrich the soil with organic fertilizer, but only use minor amounts, and compliment it by also adding organic matter such as shredded bark. Before planting the herbs, it is also beneficial to put water in the hole as it will be harder for the water to reach the roots later on. The hole must be at least 3 inches deep and if you are transferring herbs from pots, it is vital to remove the root dirt carefully to encourage new growth.

The Real Need

Having all the herbs in your garden is totally impossible, since there are over hundred, if not thousands, of herbs. This is where the real need for your herbal garden comes in to play. Depending on your primary use for the garden is what determines which herbs to plant and care for.

• For culinary needs: basil, sweet basil, dill, summer savory, mint, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, and oregano, are some of the herbs used for flavoring aid
• For potpourri needs: lavender, lemon verbena, lemon balm, anise, fenugreek, and Orris, are a number of herbs used for taking the home closer to nature
• For medicinal needs: mint, lemon verbena, chamomile, bergamot, evening primrose, sage, are used for ointments. Mint, lemon verbena, and chamomile can be used for tea.

If your garden is too small, there are some herbs that are considered a must have in your herbal garden. Thyme is good for flavoring soups, meat, and stews, and Italian oregano is good for pizza, pasta sauces, and cheese dishes. Parsley is useful as a tea and good for treating kidney gravel, as a breath freshener, and for promoting healthy urinary system. Basil is utilized as an infusion for hot bats, a tea to aid digestions, and in many Italian foods such as, pastas and tomato risotto.

The Never-Ending Love

After the hard work is done, the rest is patience and proper care. The herbs must be irrigates regularly until they are well established and afterwards, often irrigation is not necessary. Forget about inorganic fertilizers and focus on the balanced organic fertilizers, since inorganic fertilizers makes herbs develop poorly and become susceptible to pest and diseases. The amount of fertilizer also has to be considered for the proper growth of the herbs, and because to much fertilizer can have a detrimental impact on the herb’s potential for flavoring or scenting. Fertilizer is needed every month during the first growing periods, but only one or two times during the winter. From time to time it is also important to maintain the soil around the herbs by removing dead leaves and flowers, as this may discourage growth. If your herbs do get an infestation, cut the herbs or use an organic pesticide.

Having your own herbal garden might be bothersome, but with dedication the rewards can be extraordinary. From a simple cooking condiment, to a tea, or to a lavender bath, an herbal garden can supply it all and fresh. If you want to take your garden a step further and develop a truly unique and more complex herbal garden, you can visit Herbgardens.about.com. This website contains a compilation of blogs from people who has discovered the secrets for a proper herbal garden growth and maintenance, and is a perfect source for information and gardening tips. While, of course, you can find seeds and herbs for your garden at your nearest garden center, parkseed.com is also a good place for your herbal hunting. Nevertheless, an herbal garden is a must for every home owner.