Herb Garden Plants

For culinary use, there is an unlimited variety of scents and flavors for seasonings and teas.

For medicinal purposes, there are generations of legend and folklore, as well as scientific evidence to support their use.

For fragrance and craft, they can be added to potpourris, wrapped into garlands, hung on wreaths, or dried for use in numerous projects.

When you consider that you don't even need a plot of land to grow herbs, since many grow well in a pot on a sunny window, why would anyone not have a few fresh herb plants?

Whatever their use, herb garden plants are useful and should be included in every garden.

Types of Herb Gardens

Herbs can be incorporated into your flower garden, or you can create a garden area dedicated just to herbs.

There are kitchen gardens, which ideally are accessible to the kitchen, or on a sunny windowsill, in pots.

Formal herb gardens, like a knot garden, are carefully planned and require time to keep plants neatly trimmed and symmetrical.

Informal herb gardens can be freeform beds or borders along a building or fence, allowing plants to grow wild and more naturally.

Selecting Herb Garden Plants

Decide how you want to use your herbs, where you are growing them, and how much you need to grow. Since many herbs grow very large, get to know their growth habits.

Most herbs are easy to grow, but always check their individual soil and sun needs. Most herbs need at least 6 hours of sunlight, do well in average soil, and require good drainage.

Growing Herbs

As with any garden area, plan your layout. This planning will provide you with fresh herbs throughout the growing season and a bountiful crop to harvest for later.

In colder climates, perennial herbs should be treated as annuals. Start herbs indoors from seed to get a large quantity. The seeds are very small and it's easier to transplant them than fight the weeds.

The exceptions are chervil, dill and coriander, which should be planted where they will grow, in either the spring or fall.

For container gardening, some of the easiest herbs to grow are basil, catnip, chives, dill, fennel, oregano, parsley, and marjoram.

Unless you have lots of room for it to spread, it's best to grow mint in a pot as well, as it can be very invasive. You can set pots into the ground to limit the spread.

With a little knowledge of the growth habits of herb garden plants, you'll find the best way to grow each of your favorites.

Harvesting Herbs

There are many methods of preserving the bounty of herbs. You can dry leaves, laying individual leaves flat, hang in bunches with stems.

For flowers, cut either individual flowers or leave some stem attached. Drying leaves and flowers flat is a great way to preserve for medicinal teas and culinary use, as they can be bagged once dry.

Hanging herbs with flowers and stems works best for craft and decorative uses.

Freezing is another option. Softer leaves can be placed in freezer bags, or chopped up and placed in ice cube trays, topped with water. Once frozen, pop them into a freezer bag and they're ready to be added to recipes, no defrosting required.

Experiment with your favorite herbs, preserving some by each of these methods, and see which works best for your uses.

Whichever herbs you choose to grow, indoors or in a garden, and which method you select to preserve them, there's no question that adding herb garden plants will be beneficial for culinary, medicinal and creative purposes. Once you start herb gardening, you won't be able to stop!

More Herb Plants