Well after the herb reviews went down so well, I was sat down watching a film (Practical Magic) and it dawned on me, what if all these fantastic feedbacks I keep getting for my reviews need to know about how to make a herb garden ?
So hopefully you will find this useful and hopefully help ... Read review
Well after the herb reviews went down so well, I was sat down watching a film (Practical Magic) and it dawned on me, what if all these fantastic feedbacks I keep getting for my reviews need to know about how to make a herb garden ?
So hopefully you will find this useful and hopefully help you on your way to enjoy the world of the herb.
***The Herbs***
The herbs have a history that is full of myth and magic and to be honest there is a lot of rubbish information regarding there properties.
Most herbs that have been brought in to Europe were done so by the Romans, they brought herbs from Greece and the Mediterranean islands.
Herbs are used in medicine and cooking and have been used for 1000's of years, and comes in all shapes and sizes and can be grown in tubs or in the garden.
Some herbs like the Basil herb, isn't just a great plant for cooking with, it's also a great for deterring pests from tomatoes.
My review is based on an organic garden like my own.
***Why bother growing organically?***
Well the famous Henry Doubleday (Henry Doubleday Research Association) (HDRA) which is an organisation that researches and promotes organic gardening once said
"The organic approach to gardening recognises that the whole environment in which plants grow is much more than the sum of it individual parts, and that all living thing are inter-related and inter-dependant"
Organic growing respect's the environment and help with nature's cycle.
Good organic gardeners build up the soil by feeding the soil with organic waste that get recycled from the garden and house waste.
This method helps the microbes in the soil to break down and recycle the waste into food for the plants; the plants in turn will benefit and flourish and will attract beneficial insects to the garden which in turn helps with pollination.
Seeds are produced and fall to the ground, and in turn will grow in to new plants for next season, as life is a cycle so is the garden.
***The Soil***
I am not going to go into taking PH tests and all that for the soils, I never did I went by instinct.
The best way to check your soil is to pick up a handful and look at it and smell it.
Is the soil falling through the fingers or is it a lump?
A good soil will be teaming with life and you should be able to see channels that the worms have left, which shows that soil is aerated and not to compact, Plants will grow better in good structured soil. - If this is your soil it just needs a general organic feed every winter time that should keep it happy
If the soil is clumpy or sandy like or even clay, the best way to improve it is to use bulky organic matter like horse muck, its easy to get hold of and the stable or farm will be happy for you to take it away free of charge. I would put on about 6 inches on the top then dig it in, don't do it all in one day take a break or you will get some blisters and back ache.
Of course some herbs like sandy soil like the Orange scented thyme and some herbs like clay soils like Soapwort, Well if that is the case make a certain patch in the garden just for them.
Most herbs will grow in normal soil and don't need any help to get established.
***A few tips***
Soil can be improved by a 6 inch mulch or dig in to the soil in winter
Don't stand on the soil; if possible use a plank to dig from. Walking on the soil will compact the soil which makes the roots hard to penetrate.
Dig only when you have to, over digging can damage the soil structure.
Don't over fertilize the soil, as this encourages lots of growth but no flowers or fruit.
***Preparing new beds for planting***
Before you can plant out we need to prepare the ground, by getting rid of the weeds, certain weeds like bindweed are persistent and are deep rooted.
If the soil is heavy we need to dig it over in the early winter preferably after a rain fall, which makes it a bit easier to work.
If the soil is light, leave it till spring before you dig it over.
Once the site is cleared of weeds, cover with a black sheeting to stop the weeds coming back, we do this so when we have our new plant stock we are not wasting time again weeding and it also stops the weeds seeds from growing as we have blocked out the light.
***Designing a herb garden***
Why are you growing the herbs? Is it for there colour and fragrance? Or are you growing them for cooking? Or are you growing a selection for medicinally beneficial herbs to make infusions for example?
You may want to grow Mint, this is not a good plant to put in the herb garden it spreads so fast it will take over the garden; Mint is best planted into a container.
Do your research on the herbs you want to grow, no point in having herbs your are not going to use?
Some herbs like to be planted together (companion planting), Think of some herbs that bring in insects like birds, bees and butterflies.
All herbs will self seed so maintenance is pretty important, you need to clip evergreen foliage into a shape and cutting off flowers before they run to seed.
Don't be scared into replacing an herb, if you don't like it or is dying, replace it with something else.
Draw a design on a piece of paper and once your happy with it transfer it to the soil obviously you cant use a pen ;) so use a sharp sand in a old washing up liquid bottle to draw a outline on the soil.
It doesn't have to be on a large scale, split the ideas into section in the garden.
You may want to do a square spilt into four, on the lines maybe plant lavender then in the four squares you could choose maybe salad herbs in one for example. Have a mess around with the drawing and make some good shapes. You could have triangle, oval or even rectangle…..EXPERIMENT!
***A few tips***
Growing a Rosemary hedge on the outside lines on a triangle for example will protect certain herbs, like the Mediterranean variety Oregano and Thyme from cold winds and driving rain. You can clip the hedge to make it look more formal.
Don't forget some herbs grow tall like the Bay, Juniper, and Angelica for example, and others like Chamomile, House leek and Thyme will grow like ground cover, so you need to work out how and where you are going to plant.
Hopefully all being well you should have colour all through the year
This review was getting to big so I have decided to split it into two reviews, second part can be found here -
Thanks for reading my reviews, and thankyou for rating them.
Advantages: Taste,variety and uses Disadvantages: None I've discovered
...Rocket - A member of the mustard family this rampant hang over from Elizabethan times makes a delicious leaf added to a salad.Have a big area to grow this in.
Rosemary - Not only is this a delicious herb to add to lamb,pork or game it is also a beautiful shrub type herb that can make a decorative addition to any garden.It can grow into a mature and full bush which will flourish every year,or can be contained to a small pot with pruning.
Thyme - ... ...make an excellent accoumpanyment to fish or chicken.The lemon scented variety especially lends itself to chicken.It should regrow every year,but after a very harsh winter it may need reseeding.It grows in clumps and low to the ground and is idealy place in boarders or in tubs.
Bay - Another essential for boquet garni,this herb lends itself to stews,stocks,pates,pickling or poultry.Again it naturally grows bush like and returns annually.
Parsley ...
babajane32 15.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Member Advice on Herbs & Spices
Advantages: Smells great and has medicinal values Disadvantages: you may not like the fragrance
Coriander was used by mankind as early as 5000 BC. The name Coriandrum, is derived from the Greek koros, (a bedbug), because of the unpleasant smell of the leaves, while the Africans called this herb by a similar name (goid). The best coriander was supposed to have come from Egypt, and no doubt the Israelites gained their knowledge of its properties. It is still much used in the East as a condiment, and forms an ingredient in curry powder.
It is ... ...and South and Western Australia. ******************************************************
Uses in the Kitchen
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Coriander is something which is used as a garnishing agent in Indian cooking. Besides this, coriander is also used as a chutney. Coriander is used in two forms, in the form of a spice and in the form of a herb.The former is the dried form of the whole mature seed capsule (fruit) but ...
jilmil 22.07.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Member Advice on Herbs & Spices
Advantages: Easy to make, and smell wonderful Disadvantages: Need some special materials
Simmering potpourris are bringing the fresh scent of herbs and spices into homes all over the world. Just about every store from K-Mart to Macys carries little packets of scent to be added to your own boiling water. Making your own custom scents is simple and a lot of fun! You can modify the recipes to your own taste, and create your own signature scent. Your home will smell wonderful and unique. Did you know that many real estate agents recommend ... ...prospective buyers are looking at it? Why? Because the spicy aroma conjures up memories of cookies and pies baking in the oven, giving your home a warm, cozy feeling. Does it work? I don't know, but simmering potpourris sure do smell good, no matter the time or reason you use them!
What is a Simmering Potpourri?
A simmering potpourri is a heat-resistant container you fill with water and bring to a boil. Then, you add in a few spoonfuls of scented ...
RenoWriter 10.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Member Advice on Herbs & Spices
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Chimeraboy 29.12.2002 (10.08.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Member Advice on Herbs & Spices
Advantages: Great for flavour, use in medical properties Disadvantages: Some are a little hard to find
...as hollandaise.
Chive:
This member of the onion family has long narrow, green leaves and purple flowers.The leaves are used to flavour salads, sauces and dressings and as a garnish. Chives are easy to grow; to use, they are best snipped into short lenghts with scissors.
Coriander:
Also known as Chinese parsley and cilantro, this pungent, intensely flavoured herb plant is also grown for its seeds. It resembles flat-leafed parsley, but the leaves ... ...Fennel:
This is a member of the same family as dill and has a similar, slight aniseed flavour. It is a classical flavouring for fish. Fennel also works well in marinades and soups.
Fines Herbes:
This classic mixture of chopped chives, chervil, parsley and tarragon leaves is used in omelettes, with fish poultry and salads. To prepare, mix 15ml each finely chopped chives and chervil with 30ml finely chopped parsley and 10ml chopped tarragon.
Kaffir ...
Britishninja 07.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Member Advice on Herbs & Spices
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Advantages: Easier to grow and use Disadvantages: Somewhere to store in the winter
After the herb reviews went down a storm I did a review on "How to make a herb garden"
(http://www.ciao.co.uk/MemberAdviceonHerbsSpicesReview5630783)
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First thing is "DON'T" use ...
Advantages: Great for the kitchen and for medicinal purposes Disadvantages: Some herbs need protecting and some can be harmful
Hopefully you have read my reviews on Herbs and the reviews on "How to make a herb garden" if not you can find it hear
(http://www.ciao.co.uk/MemberAdviceonHerbsSpicesReview5630783)
So you should have your garden already to plant the herbs, if not why have you not started? ;) This is the perfect time to start seeding and be ready for the summer.
Well the next instalment ill try to give you as many ideas as i can for a Herb gardens, Did you know you can have many different types of herb garden ranging from herbs for Aromatherapy, Salad, Medicinal, Cooking, and herbs that you can use to make a Potpourri.
**Cooking Herbs
Let's start with an herb garden for people who like to cook with herbs. The best place for a cook's herbs garden is in a sunny area, as near to the kitchen if possible as you don't want to have to go ...
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