Herb gardening has existed for centuries and the joys of an herbal garden is well know to a lot of gardeners. Even beginner gardeners may have a high quality of success by beginning with the fundamentals and working their way up to a more complex herbal garden. It is possible to plant a container garden garden or an indoor herb garden. There are three types of herbs which can be grown in you herbal gardens, culinary herbs, cosmetic herbs, or medicinal herbs.
Culinary Herbs
Culinary herb gardening’s purpose would be to add flavor and spice to your cooking. Culinary herbs are the herbs which use fresh or dried leaves in cooking. Some of the traditional culinary herbs are parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil. You might even want to plant some sage and thyme. There’s a difference between spices and herbs. Spices are seeds, roots, fruits, flowers, and bark while, as stated earlier, culinary herbs are dried or fresh leaves.
When contemplating your culinary herb garden your main decision is the place. You’ll require a sunny place with at least six hours of sunlight. The sunlight the herb garden gets the flavor will grow in the herbs. Try to put your culinary herb garden as near the kitchen door as you can. This will make certain that the herbs will be used every day.
An easy and delicious way to use basil is to slit a few juicy ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Overlap them onto a plate, scatter a few extra virgin olive oil and chopped ginger. It’s also great with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Anyone who has developed a culinary herb garden and used the new herbs will inform you the new herbs are superior over the dried herbs.
Ornamental Herbs
Ornamental herb gardening can make your gardens not only functional but beautiful also. By “decorative” we mean that the key current usage is purely cosmetic. Some of these cosmetic herbs have a long history of culinary or medicinal use. Pots of decorative herbs add colour and texture to balconies or patios. They are fantastic for lining your flower beds.
A fantastic example of an ornamental herb is Dittany of Crete, a favourite oregano herb of several herb gardeners. It will form a low mound and produce leaves with fine silvery hairs. You would never need to use this in cooking, it’s strictly for show.
Rue is another fantastic option for garden borders. Its unusual blue green colour features contrast to bright showy blooms. The rue leaves may be utilised as a garnish but due to its bitter flavor doesn’t work in cooking.
Ornamental herbs are exactly what they say, decorations to your gardens. Ornamental herb gardening will add interest and texture to your flower beds.
Medicinal Herbs
We come to medicinal herbs. Before the 1900’s medicinal herbs were used extensively in america. Somewhere in the 1960’s herbs used as medication dwindled. Now, many doctors are prescribing medicinal herbs in addition to mainstream medicine.
There are three ways that the medicinal herbs work on the body. Medicinal herbs are proven to fortify an organ so that it may heal itself. Some medicinal herbs purge the body of illness and toxins, while others develop the immune system which will aid in retarding illness.
There are a number of ways to use medicinal herbs. Some are infusions, herb vinegars, ointments, teas and tinctures. For instance, to make a healing herbal tea, boil water and pour the fresh herbs in a cup. Let it steep for 5 minutes but no more then 10 for it will get bitter.
The medicinal herb stevia can be utilised as a natural sweetener and is easy to grow in an herbal garden. Additionally, it reduce tooth decay and gum disease if used as a mouth wash.
Before beginning any class of medicinal herbs, make sure to notify your Doctor to determine if they’ll interact with any medications you’re currently taking.
Conclusion
These are a few of the fundamentals of the 3 herb groups. Plan your herb garden, select a bright sunny place and plant your herbs. Remember you can plant an herb garden at the floor, as a container garden or an indoor herb garden.
