Easy Herb Gardens
By M. Juan

Growing your own herb garden is a great way to spice up your cooking while beautifying your backyard!

The first thing you must do is decide which herbs you’d like to grow. Some of the most popular herbs are rosemary, oregano and mint, along with many others.

Once you have decided which herbs are best to grow according to your needs and taste, decide where you will begin growing your herb garden. Herbs can be grown inside, if need be due to weather and such, but most herb gardens are created as an added delight to a backyard garden. While most herb gardens are created for outdoor growing many gardeners find that growing herbs in containers is the best way to maintain their delectable herbs especially when growing mint, as it is known to overtake entire garden beds.

To create an herb garden as part of your backyard space, first figure the size you’ll need for the amount of herbs you’ll grow. A general herb garden is around 20 by 4 feet, but it really depends on how many and what kind of herbs you intend to grow.
The next thing you must do is consider how much drainage this area will lend to your herbs. Drainage is extremely important when growing herbs as planting herbs in an area with poor drainage will almost always mean a dying crop.

Creating your herb garden can be done by purchasing small plants from your local nursery, or you can create your garden from seedlings. Start with sowing seeds in shallow containers at the end of winter and then transplant seedlings outdoors in the spring. Again, soil that is well-draining is best for all herbs. Also make sure seeds are not covered with too much soil, or seedlings will not grow as hardy. A general rule to follow when sowing seeds is the smaller the seed the shallower it should be planted. There are also a few herbs (anise, coriander, dill and fennel) that will not do well when transplanted, so these should be sown directly into your herb garden.

Enjoying your herbs is as easy as growing them. Just follow the directions for harvesting and drying your herbs directly from your store bought plants or seed packages, and spice up your recipes using your own aromatic and beautiful herb garden!