HerbGardenFacts.Com
Posted on 16 September 2009 | No responses
Hi to all you budding Herb Gardeners out there. If you are looking for information on herbs and herb gardens, then look no further than our library of resources and products to help you plant and grow, flavorful and healthy herbs… Check Out Our Main Site Here: www.herbgardenfacts.com
Growing Herb from Seeds
Posted on 11 March 2010 | Comments Off
I remember that back in the day folks did all their gardening by ordering their seeds from a catalog. I’m sure a few people still pour over the seed catalogs. Those times are long gone now. I do not have the time to wait the month or more for germination. Do you?
It’s that same old story, some herb plants work better than others when you start from seeds. One plant that will quickly grow and rapidly mature is dill. Germination for the dill plant is a cinch. If you want to grow other herbs (like thyme) from seeds plan to wait a very long time for sprouting. Annuals are easily grown from seeds, as are some perennials. Since perennials keep coming back every year, they are real values for your budget.
I prefer not to begin my perennial plants in a seed tray or in a regular herb garden bed; instead, I use a container. The pot will give the herb lots of room to thrive and protect it from invasive weeds while they grow little by little. Most herbs can begin to sprout within three or 4 weeks.
If you have a mild winter where you live, you can sow both your annual and perennial plant seeds year-round, provided that you have the right herbs. If you’re planning to begin your annual herbs outside, you can plant them in the spring, summer or fall.
Here are a couple of the best herb plants to raise from seeds:
- Anise: Also known as the hyssop, the anise plant has a lovely licorice aroma and has almost iridescent purple, green and blue notched leaves and spiked blossoms of blue and purple. Most people use anise as a flavoring in many meals and in teas. You can also use it in your potpourri. Begin these indoors in a little terra cotta pots at least six to 8 weeks before you intend to move this perennial outside.
- Caraway: The interesting looking caraway plant, which has a nutty, licorice flavor that is just as interesting, is used in liqueurs, but also in sauerkraut, split pea soup and even goulash. The most frequently used part of the caraway is the seed, but the root is also edible. To have a longer growing season with this biennial, begin your plant inside from seeds at least 6 weeks before you plan to move it outside.
- Coneflower: Add coneflower to your herb garden if you’re looking for a perennial that is not a problem to care for. Even though many people call it a wildflower, it’s an herb because of its healing benefits. The healing name for the coneflower is Echinacea, which can hold your allergies in check and keep your immune system strong.
It will take about 6 weeks for your herbs to sprout, get strong and be ready to go outdoors in either pots or beds. This is especially helpful if you live in cold-weather climates—it’ll give you a jumpstart on the growing season.
If you are in a warm-weather climate, you can start your perennials at anytime.
When you plant your annual seeds, just sow them straight to your herb garden, or container if you are going to start there. Most of your basic annuals can sow their own seeds if the growing season is good and you will be off the hook for that.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Herb Garden Kits. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
The Topsy Turvy Upside-Down Planter
Posted on 11 March 2010 | Comments Off
Back when I was just a young feller some 40 years ago I used hanging planters to grow strawberries and tomatoes but didn’t have a lot of success as they just dried out too fast. At that time I was in a bachelor apartment on the 11th floor and it was always windy. I couldn’t go to work and come home without my plants looking wilted.
When I saw the Topsy Turvy Strawberry Planter for the first time last year I was impressed to say the least and wanted one immediately. My mind filled with images of all the veggies I could have hanging around our backyard.
The last couple of homes we lived in had little to no room in the backyard, if you could call it a backyard. I sure wish that we had the Topsy Turvy Hanging planter back then.
I love the idea of growing veggies without the need to weed them but hadn’t even thought about that benefit until a gardening friend who already has a few hanging planters pointed it out to me. I was already convinced to buy a couple myself and now was even more convinced.
We have plans to use the plants for strawberries, tomatoes and even some chili pepper plants. Of course we aren’t going to stop there we just arent’ sure about how much weight they will hold.
We’ve heard that some tomato plants don’t do well because they require far too much water for a hanging planter and also they get to be way to heavy.
An important thing to note about hanging planters is to grow things that won’t get to heavy as it will break your planter. So don’t try and grow pumpkins in a hanging planter. Not sure how Zuchinni would work but it might eliminate the problem we have here with slugs.
Outdoor Container Gardening
Posted on 10 March 2010 | Comments Off
My absolute favorite kind of pot for raising herbs is the strawberry pot (those cute little pots with all the openings on the sides) because I get to cultivate so many different herb plants in the same pot. With the right arrangement, cascading vines, long spikes, spindly and bushy plants can all thrive together in the strawberry pot. Be aware that these containers dry out fast, so unless you are a diligent waterer you probably will want to stay with herbs that are drought resistant.
The size of the container is very important. A pot that is too small can restrict your herb, eventually causing it to die. The nutrients tend to settle in the bottom of the pot, and if it the pot is too large the young roots can not be able to reach them.
I don’t recommend plastic containers, simply because they do not allow the sod to breathe the way that a terra cotta container does. Even though I don’t use plastic pots, I do use a lot of different shapes, sizes and colors to add variety to my stoop.
After you have selected your containers, it’s a nice idea to add compost to the potting soil before you add your herb plants. Now I make my own compost, but you can get compost at a greenhouse or home improvement store. Another thing I like to do is add a small bit of sand to each container.
Some nice choices for herbs to cultivate in pots are:
- Dill: With dill, you can’t go wrong. It is without a doubt one of the best choices for an easy herb. Using seeds is a great way to start your dill, and it self-seeds so it can do all the work for the rest of the growing season. Use a well-drained container and put it so that your dill herb can get full sunlight. Dill is also gratifying in that you can harvest it not long after you plant it because it grows so quickly. You can clip off the leaves, flowers and seedheads and use them immediately, freeze them or dry them for the future.
- Garlic: You can start garlic in either spring or fall. It is best to plant it about two inches deep with the clove pointing up, making sure that the dirt is well drained and the garlic will get direct natural light. It loves to be watered often and adding some nice compost can help it persist. You’ll soon notice that the tops of your garlic are bending over which means that it’s ready to be harvested. After you unearth the bulbs, you’ll want to spread them out on a flat surface to dry and after about a week their skins can start to resemble that of store-bought garlic. Then you’re ready to enjoy!
- Lavender: If you want to grow your own lavender plant—and who wouldn’t—do not bother with seeds because you’ll be waiting forever. The best thing to do is begin with a little lavender herb which you can pick up at the local nursery. It is essential that the pot you choose for your lavender plant allows for good drainage, is large enough to provide plenty of space for the roots and also allows for mulch. Lavender loves full sun, so find a nice bright place on your patio or balcony for this happy small herb. Use the dried blooms in potpourri and sachets. There is really no place you can’t put these small treasures.
- Yarrow: With all the colors that yarrow comes in the options for brilliant dried floral arrangements and wreaths are endless. You can try yarrow to make some great soaps, shampoos and lotions. It really doesn’t matter if you choose to start this herb with a young herb or with seeds. Unlike most herbs, yarrow is adaptable and therefore able to do well in moist earth as well as well-drained earth. It can persist in full sun or in a semi-shady place. After it begins to bloom you can snip off the buds to be dried in a cool, dark place.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Herb Garden In Pots. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
Diy Hydroponics – The Gardening Of The Future
Posted on 10 March 2010 | Comments Off
Thinking about setting up your own hydroponics garden? You will find a plethora of methods you can use to implement this strategy. With regards to the DIY hydroponics, you can afford to select between very simple tactics and difficult ones. All of it relies on what your vegetation flourish on.
What is DIY hydroponics? It’s a gardening procedure that enables you to cultivate plants, fruit, vegetables, and more, all whilst not having soil. This is a particularly powerful technique for spots where it’s too warm, too arid or too bumpy to grow whatever. There are lots of advantages that hydroponic gardening provides over solid ground based growing – the most significant ones being that you will no more need to stress about weeding, invasive vegetation, or pesticides, because all of these can be found inside the soil.
Instead of land, herbs are submerged by the roots in a heavily treated mixture of water and plant nutrients. But, when it pertains to making the optimal habitat for your herbs, the smallest issue can cause your efforts to end up all wrong.
Sometimes, DIY hydroponics lets you take more normal steps in maturing the plants. For example, rather than utilizing grow lights, natural sunlight is a costless substitute. Likewise, it’s not necessary that you pay for steep growth containers – a lot of DIY hydroponics garden builders get by just fine by utilizing jars, buckets, as well as other sorts of typical domestic stuff.
But, in relation to other stuff, it’s best not to pinch when it comes to finances. This is particularly true regarding purchasing plant nutrient solutions. There are too many places that provide less costly, low quality solutions that do almost nothing for the vegetation in any way. In worse scenarios, they could even affect the crops or cause lesser produce.
Any DIY hydroponics gardener will tell you that superior products are more than worth their expense in the long run. For instance, plenty of stores that are more useful but costly also offer products that help improve the quality of the crop, the volume and colour of blooms, and even growing speeds. Additionally, there are quite a few superior fertilizers that will help as well.
Also, acquiring pH lab tests and stabilizer solutions should not be something that you acquire by the cheapest dollar. When it comes to testing your plants for additional acidity and treating them, you can’t be too thorough
Gardening Shoes
Posted on 10 March 2010 | Comments Off
Comfort and safety make gardening shoes practical in the first place. They are not exactly the nicest kind of footwear around the block, but they are very comfortable and practical indeed. People who spend a lot of time in their garden know how many pairs of shoes they can ruin while doing things around the house.
Gardening shoes slip on and off without any difficulty. Such footwear is convenient to wear. Then, they have to be waterproof by all means so as to protect you on rainy days or when you use the hose to water the flowers. The cheapest material here is rubber, and although such shoes won’t keep you warm, they keep you dry. Then, gardening shoes have to be sturdy in order to prevent injury of your feet. There are thorns, branches and even debris that could hurt you if you don’t have a good protection from the footwear.
Colors are not a problem, you can pick anything you like. Some users will choose dull-looking gardening shoes while others will enjoy brightly colored footwear. Who cares after all? Rubber boots are the only alternative to gardening shoes. They become necessary when you work in a lot of mud, dirt and water. The advantage of boots is that they protect not only feet but clothes too, particularly when they are as high as the knee.
Get both gardening shoes and boots around the house because you will certainly use both types of footwear. If the local supply store does not have such specialized footwear, you can order the items online. Rubber footwear is the cheapest, yet there are more expensive models that include waterproof features thanks to an incorporated layer of Gore-Tex. This means that rubber gardening shoes still predominate in the customers’ preferences.
Change them whenever there are serious signs of deterioration; they will seldom be worn for a whole year. Rubber does have a limited resistance. Yet, the fact that they are low cost indeed, would not make the expense noteworthy. Change the gardening shoes if they have holes or cuts because water may get inside causing discomfort.
Your Kitchen Herb Garden
Posted on 9 March 2010 | Comments Off
A kitchen herb garden is just a garden that is full of herb plants that you use in your kitchen. Most people keep these somewhere near their back door so that they can dash outside for a couple of sprigs while they are cooking.
So when you are planning your culinary herb garden think about what you like to cook and begin with the herbs that are listed in your favorite recipes.
Some good herb plants for your kitchen garden are:
- Chives: I love raising and cooking chives because they are so touble-free. From seed to cooking pot, these are uncomplicated all the way around. If you do have a recipe that calls for fresh chives, just cut the tops off a few of your sprouts and the herb will continue to grow It’s fabulous for making special meals or sprinkling on your baked potatoes.
- Dill: Anyone can grow dill—you don’t even need a green thumb. Your dill plant is a self-sower, so if you are providing the full-sun and well-drained sod it loves and you don’t want more and more dill plants, clip off the blossoms before they go to seed. The leaves, stems, and seeds are all nice to eat. The dill plant also tastes fabulous in your tuna salad or chicken salad.
- Cayenne Pepper: Because this sizzling hot plant will grow to more than 3 feet high, you will want to plant it so that it does not block the sun for another plant. If you live in a region that has frost during winter months, you will want to bring your cayenne pepper plant indoors. You can start with seeds indoors and move outside after the last frost. As summer winds on, harvest your peppers as soon as they begin to ripen, because they will easily and quickly rot on the plant.
- Tarragon: I like the awesome taste of tarragon. Adding just a little to your chicken salad or a mayonnaise-based vegetable dip can create a stir among your guests, and even in your own mouth. Don’t worry about buying seeds, pick-up young plants from the nursery, greenhouse or home improvement store and go from there, snipping off leaves as you need to use them. You will also want to keep the herb trimmed back, so if you need to give it a manicure and do not have anything on the menu that calls for tarragon; you can also freeze it for the future.
- Cilantro: If you are not using cilantro already in your burritos, tacos or salsa, you are missing out on the rising star of Tex-Mex. It can do well from seeds and can be grown year-round in temperate regions, which is wonderful for those winter pots of chili. You can also take it inside during winter for guaranteed success. The leaves near the bottom of the herb have the best flavor, so begin here when you harvest the leaves for your next Mexican dish.
- Welch Onions: These little onions are similar to scallions and have a pretty, mild flavor. I have used them in meals more for their appearance than any other quality. These onions grow in clumps, so be sure to leave plenty of room in your pot.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Fresh Herb Gardening. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
The Reasons You Should Consider Buying a Garden Storage Shed
Posted on 9 March 2010 | Comments Off
Tired of seeing the mess in your garage? Tired of stumbling over your pots, rakes, and other gardening tools that are scattered around? Now is the right time to give them a new home. You need an outdoor storage facility such as a garden storage shed for that purpose. Outdoor storage shed plans will help you stay organized and keep your home and garden looking great.
Even if you have available space in your home for your gardening tools and equipment, you still want to store them outdoors and keep them secure. Thus, you can rely on a garden shed to give ample space for your gardening stuff and to keep them secure even if they are stored outdoors. Aside from that, a garden shed makes your tools easily accessible while you work in your garden. If you get a garden storage shed, your garage will become less cluttered.
As a gardener, you know how important your tools and supplies are in caring for your plants and garden. Organizing your pots, shovels, rakes, gloves, and lawnmower is just as important. That won’t be a problem when you use a garden shed, which come in an array of choices these days.
Do you want to have your own storage shed in your garden? You can create a garden shed by yourself or purchase one that’s ready to assemble. Building your own garden shed is the cheaper option. It is also quite easy to create your own garden shed when you use a high-quality shed plan. But you have to build your garden correctly or else, you put your time and effort to waste. If you don’t have much time to build a garden storage shed from scratch, a better option is to buy a ready-made garden shed. Also, you are assured of a professional-quality garden shed if it is made by a reliable garden shed manufacturer.
There are a number of factors to think about (e.g. sizes, styles, and materials of the garden shed) if you are going to buy a ready-made garden shed.
Typically, garden sheds are made of wood, plastic, metal, or vinyl. If you live in an area with lots of harsh weather then you might consider metal garden storage. Metal garden sheds are the most durable, while wooden garden sheds are the most visually appealing. Garden sheds made of vinyl are also a good option because they are durable and maintenance-free. Plastic garden sheds don’t give much hassle when it comes to installation and maintenance.
Whatever material you choose for your garden sheds you need to make sure that it is the right size. Size is an important consideration when choosing a suitable storage shed for your garden. Regardless of the style and material of the garden shed you choose, be sure that you buy a shed that provides adequate space for your intended purpose. To determine the suitable size, you have to take measurements first. Also, you have to estimate the space your tools, supplies, and equipment will occupy in your garden shed. In doing so, you will have a clear idea of the right size for your garden shed.
The kind of gardening tools, supplies, and equipment you plan to keep in the shed determines the correct style for your garden shed. There are many types of garden shed, each designed to suit certain preferences. So for instance, if you plan to store just a few small garden tools, equipment, as well as long tools like rakes and spades, you need a vertical garden shed. Another shed type is the portable garden storage shed, which provides an additional temporary storage to your garden.
A quality garden storage shed is all you need to keep your gardening tools and equipment organized and secured at all times.
Growing Herbs: Basil
Posted on 8 March 2010 | Comments Off
Don’t you love basil? A meal cannot possibly be deemed Italian if there is not any basil in it. This fantastic smelling herb is one of the best ones to begin with because it is so simple to raise and harvest.
You will see basil all over Greek, French and Italian menus, but this little herb that could is native to the tropical Pacific islands. I do not know what twist of chance brought it to Europe, but what a nice twist that was. In my opinion, the best basil dish is a scrumptous pesto, which is a green sauce made from a whole bunch of chopped basil mixed with olive oil. Scrumptious!
Just a couple of the numerous types of basil that you can choose from are:
- Sweet Basil: This variety is the most popular one for dishes. The leaves are glossy in appearance and they provide a full basil flavor.
- Lettuce-Leaf Basil: For a milder flavor, you might want to choose this type which has broad leaves. Green Ruffles, Napoletano and Mammoth are just a couple of the many types of this type of leaf.
- Bush Basil: Tiny Leaf Purple, Bush, Piccolo Fine Verde, Spicy Globe and Green Bouquet are just a couple of the many types of this smaller basil which is wonderful for edging.
- Lemon Basil: This type has short, small leaves and offers a lemony fragrance. Herbal tea, fruit salad, vinegar and poultry and fish dishes are just a few of the things lemon basil leaves can be used for.
- Purple Basil: It is no surprise that purple basil has broad purple leaves and delicate pink flowers. Use it in your vinegars and in your Greek dishes.
- Thai Basil: This type of basil has long, thin leaves and is (of course) from Thailand. The slight licorice taste is a nice addition to Thai and Indian dinners.
Even though some folks may prefer to purchase their basil herbs at the nursery, picking-up seeds is also a good way to begin. Regardless of how you begin, your herbs should grow to about 20 inches tall as long as they have lots of sun and well-drained sod.
I cut off the white blossoms that will start showing up during the summer. I do this because I’m not in it for the flowers; I want those nice 1-2 inch leaves. When you cut off the flowers, you get a bushier herb with more leaves.
Harvesting your basil is as easy as 1, 2, three: simply cut the stem just before the flowers, pick off the leaves and dry them. The leaves can be stored in a freezer bag after you dry them. You can also skip the drying part and stick them immediately into the freezer. If you really want to bring out their taste, put the leaves in a container and cover them with olive oil. They will last like that for a number of months.
Growing basil indoors is not something that I recommend, although it can be done. I tried really hard to winter my basil a few years ago without success. Basil just cannot grow and survive unless it gets moist soil and gets around 5 hours of direct sun a day. Unfortunately, my kitchen does not get a lot of sunlight.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Italian Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
Landscape Gardening
Posted on 8 March 2010 | Comments Off
Landscape gardening represents the special decoration of the outdoor area around the house so as to meet certain style characteristics. It was during the 19th century that the concept became popular. People know landscaping under the name of English Gardens, because the English were the first to impose the trend. Many home owners will hire professionals for fanciful decorations while do-it-yourself options will always be cheaper.
Landscape gardening is carried out by cutting the lawn and the hedges in a peculiar way depending on your taste. Then, the flower arrangements, the presence of fountains with water statues or rocks, small bridges and special lighting systems contribute to the artistic effect specific to landscape gardening. There are companies that prefer to change the landscape of the surrounding outdoor area by hiring professional designers to preserve the same colors all year round.
The trees, bushes and flowers play a major part in landscape gardening. The most daring of effects can be achieved by working on these elements. The flower arrangements in the beds often follow complementing color lines, while occasionally, mono-color designs are preferred. This takes time, effort and plenty of hard work. River rocks, gravel, sand and carved wood find their place in landscape gardening too, if you know how to exploit every detail into your advantage.
Normally, landscape gardening is different depending on the alternation night-day. And the outdoor lighting system contributes to the modifications and the look of the garden immensely. Everything falls into shadow at night, but with light fixtures placed in strategic locations, you can achieve some things of incredible beauty. For instance, use small lights to show the way along the alleys, and create a touch of mystery by hiding the lights in the background.
The choice of the furniture, the porch or the gazebo further contribute to the impact of landscape gardening. Adapt every element to the features of the house and the size of the garden for the best effects possible. The main purpose of landscape gardening should not be that of showing off but rather of creating an atmosphere that you love. Personal comfort and satisfaction definitely come first here!
Hydroponics Gardening
Posted on 8 March 2010 | Comments Off
Hydroponics gardening represents the cultivation of plants without soil, but that is just to simplify the explanation of a much more complex system. The roots of plants are watered with a special solution that provides all the nutrients necessary. Apparently, regular agriculture has other ways but hydroponic gardening may have been known to the ancient world too. At present there are countries like the Netherlands, Germany and Australia that have implemented hydroponics gardening successfully.
Hydroponics gardening has lots of advantages of which the growth rate is probably the most conclusive and relevant. As compared to a soil plant, a hydroponic plant can grow twice faster. The specificity of the environment explains for this difference because roots cannot respond in the same way to water as to soil. More oxygen and nutrients are absorbed in hydroponic mediums. All the energy of the plant is converted into growth if it does not have to look for minerals in the soil.
Another great advantage of hydroponics gardening is the superior protection against fungi, bug infestation and disease. Thus, hydroponic plants can grow faster because they are healthier. They provide a solution to regular gardening in very dry geographical areas and if implemented at the large scale, hydroponic systems may reduce the food crisis in under-developed countries. Many states have shown willingness to implement the system in order to have fresh food available all year round while also reducing the level of imports.
It is up to the gardener to choose the growing medium. And the same holds true for nutrients. Both solutions and fertilizers are available in specialized stores. With 2 or 4 spoonfuls of nutrients you can create a gallon of solution for your plants. You can also get nutrients for growing or blooming purposes depending on the situation. Such mixes ensure that hydroponics gardening stays effective and optimal for the plants.
When you create your hydroponic garden, you will have to choose between active and passive systems. The nutrient solution is actively pumped in active systems so that the roots have solution available all the time. They are better than passive hydroponics gardening systems that just wet the roots without providing the same level of oxygen. Even if the active variant costs more, it is worth implementing.
