It's daunting, I know, taking that first step into the garden to begin growing your own. Where on Earth do you begin? Carrots? Peas? Runner Beans? I'm going to stop you right there. Before you begin throwing yourself in at the deep end, take a look at herbs. For every beginner vegetable gardener, herbs are by far the best place to start.
There's a lot involved in the up keep of many vegetables and fruits in the garden. In fact, from the moment you decide to sow a seed to the time you harvest, growing the majority of vegetables is quite simply difficult for a beginner. Of course, in time you begin to get to grips with it. By all means, have a go at growing carrots without any prior knowledge, but don't come crying to me if you end up with carrots that look like celeriac.
So why are herbs the best option for the beginner vegetable gardener?
I could sit here and bore you to death with quite a few reasons why herbs are such a good idea to grow in the garden, but after much deliberation, I've come up with three main reasons why herb growing is the top dog for beginners:
1. They're really easy to grow. No honestly, they really are so simple. You don't have to spend day in, day out caring for them, ensuring they get the right amount of water and the perfect hours of sunshine. You also don't have to spend any time regulating the soil, checking the acid, lime and whatever else levels. They can pretty much care for themselves.
2. We all use herbs, a lot. I bet you use herbs at some point in your cooking. Correct? Even if it's only a sprinkle of basil leaves in your pasta sauce, a bay leaf in a stew or a handful of coriander in a curry. They are the perfect flavour enhancers. By having a herb garden, you can have yourself an unlimited supply of free and fresh herbs. I'd say that every meal I cook involves herbs. I've even experimented with herbs in my deserts and with my herb garden, I can afford to waste a few here and there. Just don't go trying Chocolate and Sorrel Mousse... It doesn't work!
3. Some herbs last a lifetime. I'll discuss this further in a minute. But there are types of herbs, such as Rosemary and Bay which will return year on year. Plant it once, and be supplied forever unlike the majority of vegetables which you have to sow every year. Rosemary has to be one of my favourite 'returning' herbs particularly the climbing ones that grow bigger and taller each year.
When it comes to herbs, there's not an awful lot you need to learn about. What you need to know first is there are predominately two types of herbs: The woody hardy ones and the soft delicate ones. This information is vital as the former tend to be the ones that last a long while in the garden, while the latter tend to die off and then you have to replant them each year.
So let's first look at the woody hardy varieties. These include Oregano, Thyme, Bay, Marjoram, Rosemary, Fennel and Sage. Here's a photograph of my Oregano plant not long before writing this article:
If you're buying these herbs as plants, then the best thing you can do is grab a pot, fill it with compost, plant your herb in their own pot, give it a little water and then let it do it's thing. No really, it's that simple. These herbs really do tend to look after themselves. When there's a dry spell in the weather, give them a little water but you really don't have to do an awful lot with these herbs to look after them.
Many of them grow naturally in the wild and don't have Joe Bloggs popping along with his watering can and box of fertiliser to ensure they grow. They grow without any of this! Remember that and give your herbs a little freedom to do what they should.
Growing herbs from seed is a little more difficult and can be hard if the weather conditions aren't correct. In general, it's best to wait until the last frost has passed and the soil is warm. What I often do is grab a small handful of seeds, sprinkle them all over the soil in a pot and then a cover with a thin layer of compost. Water regularly. And again, let it do it's thing.
So now let's look at the softer of the herbs. These include Parsley, Coriander, Tarragon, Dill, Basil, and Chives.
Again, with these herbs, I tend to plant them in their own individual pots however they do tend to require well drained soil, so in the bottom of the pot, I throw in a couple of large pebbles just to help with the draining. Also, with these herbs, make sure they're in a really sunny spot. That's why I love to use pots for herbs, because you can always move them so they're in the sun whereas if you stick them in the ground then they're stuck there, no matter what.
When you're out sunning yourself and topping up that tan, shift your herbs with you. Surround yourself with them. While you're topping up, they can photosynthesise and grow large and tastier.
Again, I would actually not recommend growing these herbs from seeds, especially herbs like Basil as they require an awful lot of attention and the perfect conditions. If you have the time, then certainly give it a go, but the idea of herb growing is to make your life easier and to get your fingers a little greener, well actually browner.
If you do find yourself still struggling to Grow your Own, or if you want more free information then visit Grow This N That for your collection of completely free Grow your Own guides. Click Here to grab yours now!
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