Herb Garden - How to get started
So you think you’d like to plant an herb garden, but you have no idea how to get started? Look no further. This article will explain the basics and give information on how to get your herb garden started and enjoy it for years to come.
If you are familiar with vegetable or flower gardens, you’ll be happy to know that herbs will flourish under the same conditions as they do. Although most of your herbs in your herb garden will grow in a little bit of shade, it’s recommended that they get at least four to six hours of sunlight each day. Also, your herbs will do better in soils that have low to medium fertility, so you do not need to give them additional fertilizers and food.
Prepare your herb garden in the same way that you would do gardening for vegetables and spade it about six to twelve inches deep. The size of your herb garden will depend on how many herbs you want to grow. Usually about a dozen annuals and perennials will give you a good variety.
Once you have decided on the type of herb garden you want, jot it down on paper. Make a drawing or a rough sketch. This will help you get a good idea in your head of what you want it to look like and in figuring out how many plants you will need. Think about how you want them lined up and how much contact they should have with one another, usually putting the smaller plants in the front and taller in the back.
You may not need to plant your herb garden outside. Many times, herbs do really well in containers on a patio or windowsill. Some good reasons why it may be better in this kind of location is because many herbs are small, and they tend to get lost in bigger gardens, plus, getting to see them close up will let you appreciate them more and view them occasionally at your leisure. The only problem with growing them in containers is watering. Watering can be difficult because plants that grow in containers dry out faster than those in the ground. If it is a really hot, sunny day, a container might need watered once or twice daily. Of course, this will vary from plant to plant, but it’s something to keep in mind.
To purchase seeds for your herb garden, visit a local seed and nursery firm, or even look through mail order companies. Common seeds to get started with are dill, basil, parsley, thyme and sage.
So go search for your seeds today and get your herb garden started!