All You Ever Wanted To Know About Home Herb Gardening

Home herb gardening is becoming more and more popular, thanks in part to its flexibility when it comes to space. You don’t need a large plot of land to be able to enjoy this hobby. Even if you live in a one-room apartment, caring for an herb garden is still possible.


Aside from this characteristic, keeping an herb garden doesn’t demand that much attention from the home gardener. Mature plants can survive on lots of sunshine and a two to three times a week watering schedule. And if you’ve ever watched a celebrity chef cook on TV, you’d probably noticed that they used fresh herbs picked from pots placed in their kitchen.


The variety of herbs to choose from is breathtaking and can be overwhelming, especially for beginner herb gardeners. How do you begin to choose? There are many ways to measure your choices against.

Obviously, weather and climate is an important consideration. You wouldn’t want a tropical herb when you live in a region that has winter cold months (although it is still possible to care for them with sufficient skill and paraphernalia). Another important consideration is your interests – do you want herbs that you can use for cooking, for soothing, or simply for beauty?


Knowing the requirements of each herb is really helpful when deciding which ones to grow. Finally, your skill level will also impact your choice. While herbs are hardy plants, there are some varieties that can challenge the expertise and patience of master gardeners.


Starting this rewarding hobby can be easy. Of course, like with anything else, preparation goes a long way. If you are ready and you feel confident that you know what you are doing, then your plants will have a better chance of thriving and you will also find yourself enjoying the hobby even more.


If you are serious about it, I recommend Jeannie Wood’s “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening”. It’s a great guide written specifically for beginner herb gardeners, no gardening background necessary. It’s written in a language that is easy to understand and easy to read.


In this book, she talks about the things you need to know when it comes to choosing, caring, watering, and harvesting your herbs. She also talks about how to avoid herb illnesses and pests and what to do in case your plants get infected. And if you are into organic herb gardening, which I absolutely recommend, this book advocates it and will teach you how you can raise your herbs 100% in the organic method.

This book is available electronically, which means you can enjoy it immediately once you download it. It’s only available at the book’s website. You can check it out here: http://healthyhappyherbs.com

Herb Planting – Starting an Herb Garden

Any person who says the words “herb planting” to me, and I instantly conjure up images of my mother. I would see her mulling over books to know what herbs to plant (we didn’t have the internet when I was young, and now she sees no reason to learn how to do so), checking out the containers or pots she’d be using, plotting her little piece of land that she fondly calls her haven.
My mom who has a green thumb said that some herbs can be a bit tedious to grow, but most aren’t. Through time and experience, she suggested the following herbs as simple enough to grow that even a child can do so:

• Basil. It grows to about 18 inches, basil is very good for flavoring tomato juice and tomato-based dishes (which worked well with the family’s tummies as her harvest would always lead to flavorful cooking).

• Chervil. It grows to about 2 feet and should be spaced 8 inches apart from the next plant. This is usually mature and ready for harvesting in 6 weeks time. Do not transplant, as this will eventually cause the plant to wilt and die. Good in flavoring egg dishes.

• Chives. This bulblet plant can germinate in 10 days. Mature plants grow to about 12 inches, preferably with a 6-inch space in between other plants. Perfect for salads, sauces and egg dishes. Can also be put on a window sill, all potted up.

• Dill. The blossoms of this herb are tiny and in pale yellow. Grows up to 2 ½ feet tall, and may be spaced 4 inches apart. Good for pickling and preserving, and for flavoring or marinating meats.

• Lavender. This has a variety of uses as aside from being an herb. Its leaves can also be used to make soothing and calming tea, and the leaves can be used to leave a nice scent in a chest of drawers or a cabinet.

• Marjoram. Sweet marjoram can grow to about 12 inches in height, to be spaced 6 inches from the next plant.  This flavor favors lamb, fish, soups and salads.

• Mint. This herb is at its best in good rich soil. It grows to 2 feet in height, and should be spaced 12 inches apart. Best used for mint jelly, lemonade and other fruit drinks.

• Sage. If planted indoors, it will germinate for 14 days. It grows up to 2 feet high and should be spaced at least 6 inches apart. This herb is specifically used for dressings for chicken, pork, turkey, sometimes beef (although the taste is sometimes less desirable), and is used to flavor sausages.

• Sesame. This needs warmth for germination (hence, the proliferation of sesame seeds in Asian and tropical countries) which would take place in 3 to 7 days. They grow up to almost 3 feet in height and would need 9 to 10 inches of space in between plants. The seeds are used to flavor breads and cookies. Can also be made into sesame oil.

Herb growing is a delightful activity. To ensure that you cultivate a thriving garden, consult fellow herb gardeners or use a guide like “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide to
Herbs and Herb Gardening” to know the merits and the requirements of each herb. With the proper knowledge and armed with the right equipment, you will be well on your way to becoming the culinary gardener you’ve always dreamed of.
If you are serious about cultivating an organic herb garden, be sure to check out “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening” by Jeannie Woods. It’s a book packed with all the information you need to be able to successful start and keep a thriving organic herb garden. You can read more about it here: http://healthyhappyherbs.com.

Common Natural Healing Herbs

Before the advent of medicine and pharmaceutical drugs as we know it now, herbs have been used as remedies or treatment for a lot of illnesses. What we do not know is that we have herbs growing in our gardens that are natural healing herbs. In some cases, these herbs may be so common, we mistake them to be weeds sprouting everywhere. Here are some common natural healing herbs and their uses:

• St. John’s Wort is a very popular herb used as a remedy for depression because of its soothing properties. It can also be used to soothe burns while extracts from its flowers can be used as an antiviral agent, a sedative or as an astringent. It can also be used to remedy varicose veins, hemorrhoids and cuts.
  
• Lawn Daisy. The sap from its stem can be used to clear skin spots. The flower can also be made into an infusion consisting of 1 teaspoon dried flower to 1 cup water, boiled for 5 minutes and strained. This can then be used as a skin wash to treat eczema. However, caution should be taken because lawn daisy can aggravate allergies in some people.
  
• White Cedar can be found in many of our yards as a decorative evergreen but its various parts have a lot of uses. Its twigs are used as an anti-viral and anti-fungal agent. Its leaves and twigs can also be used as remedy for rheumatism, urinary problems, bronchial problems, vaginal infections and coughs.
  
• Dandelion leaves are effective as a diuretic and as treatment for urinary disorders especially those dealing with fluid retention. Its stem contains a sap that can be used to treat warts and corns while its roots can be used to lessen inflammation and promote liver health. This is one example of a plant that we usually dismiss as a mere weed but actually has a lot of hidden virtues.
  
• Cornflower with its beautiful flowers and color is often used in dried flower arrangements because it does not lose its color when dried. Its flowers can be used as an antibiotic and has stimulant properties. Its leaves or flowers can be used to infuse water and this infused liquid can be used to treat rheumatism and as an aid in digestion.
  
• Houseleek leaves can be eaten as a salad and can be made into a tea that can help speed the recovery of mouth sores. Sap from its leaves can sooth burns, skin abrasions and insect bites.
  
• Morning Glory seeds, in fact the whole plant, can be used as a purgative to get rid of intestinal parasites and treat constipation. Its dried seeds however, is toxic and can be harmful.
  
• Queen Anne’s Lace seeds are used as treatment for hangover while its roots contain carotene and are rich in vitamin C. A herbal tea can also be made from the plant which can be used as a urinary antiseptic and diuretic.
  
• French Marigold flowers are made into condiments while secretions from its roots are used to repel harmful organisms in organic farms and gardens. In early times, ancient Aztecs used the French Marigold’s leaves as a hallucinogen to calm victims of human sacrifice.
  
• Raspberry fruits are used to treat anemia and they can also be used to treat bed wetting and kidney problems. Its leaves can be made into tea to relieve menstrual discomfort.
  

These herbs can be helpful in providing immediate remedies for very common illnesses. But before you apply the medicinal properties of these herbs, it is best to consult with a naturopathic doctor or a medical doctor to asses their suitability to your specific condition.

For beginner herb gardeners, choosing natural healing herbs is a popular way to select which herbs to plant. Consulting a guide such as “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide to Herbs and Herb Gardening” can help you further fine tune the selection process by giving you information on what the herb plant needs in oder to thrive and to asses your lifestyle if the amount of care and attention you can give will be sufficient.
If you are serious about cultivating an organic herb garden, be sure to check out “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening” by Jeannie Woods. It’s a book packed with all the information you need to be able to successful start and keep a thriving organic herb garden. You can read more about it here: http://healthhappyherbs.com.

An Herb Garden Design to Suit your Needs

When starting an herb garden, one of the things you need to decide on is your herb garden design. This means selecting the herbs you will be planting and how you will locate them in your garden.

An excellent herb garden design has a lot of benefits. For one, it is essential to making sure that the herbs you plant are given the right conditions to thrive. Another benefit is you create a garden that is pleasing to look at and easy to care for. And lastly, having a design from the outset will prevent you from making mistakes in placing your herbs.


Designing an herb garden to suit your needs can be daunting for a beginner herb gardener. To help with this crucial first step, consulting veteran herb gardeners and guides like “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide to Herbs and Herb Gardening” will really go a long way in making sure you get to enjoy a thriving garden as well as a rewarding hobby.


Designing your own herb garden depends on several factors: lifestyle, needs, overall purposes and personal preferences. Let’s take a look at some of these factors.


Designing and creating your herb garden based on your lifestyle means finding herbs that you have uses for. It also means choosing herbs that you will be able to easily care for given the amount of attention that you can actually give your garden.


For example, you decide that you want an herb garden that will provide you fresh and flavorful herbs for cooking. In this case, your choice of herbs would be those that are used most often in cooking. You may want to plant these herbs in movable containers so that you can put them in your kitchen, where it will be convenient for you to use them.

Some people want to grow herbs for aromatherapy or as raw material for various crafts. In this case, their hobby will influence the types of herbs that they will want to grow in their garden. For aromatherapy, popular herbs are camomile and lavender.

Let’s say you decide that you want an herb garden design that’s great for entertaining guests. In this case, you may choose herbs depending on how big they grow or if they bear flowers or not. You may also decide to allot a bigger space for your garden and build an outdoor patio for full effect.

If you have limited space available for your garden, then you need to choose herbs that don’t grow to big. Herbs that can thrive indoors or in container gardens are excellent choices. Container herb gardening is specially great for those who live in apartments but still want to engage in gardening.
There are also herb plants that you will need to pay special attention to. Take note that chives, lavender and mint are invasive herbs - they tend to spread easily and overrun your garden. So when growing these, putting them in containers and away from your other herbs is important.

Some plants that are grown next to each other tend to influence each other’s properties. For example, tomatoes when planted beside basil or thyme will acquire the flavor of the herb.

You can also choose an herb garden design based on various themes. For example, you can have an Italian theme and plant herbs like basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, sage and other herbs mostly used in Italian dishes. Or you can also to make a theme out of a certain herb and plant different varieties of it in your garden.

More formal herb garden designs usually involve designing around geometrical shapes with paths, walkways or kiosks. Herbs of various heights are selected for their pleasing and complementary appearance. 

If you are serious about cultivating an organic herb garden, be sure to check out “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening” by Jeannie Woods. It’s a book packed with all the information you need to be able to successful start and keep a thriving organic herb garden. You can read more about it here: http://healthyhappyherbs.com.

7 Best Herbs for an Italian Herb Garden

Italians are famous not only for their cuisine but also for the herbs they use in preparing their food. Growing these Italian herbs in your herb garden is a good idea because of the wonderful scents they can bring to your kitchen. Here are the seven (7) best herbs for an Italian herb garden which will truly bring unique flavors to your food.

• Basil. A popular herb that is used in many Italian recipes, basil does not only add flavor to your Italian cuisine but it is also a valuable addition to any garden. Basil when planted and grown beside tomatoes and peppers will improve their distinctive flavor. It is also an effective repellant against mosquitoes and flies.
  
• Oregano. An herb which is most flavorful when it is harvested with its purple flowers. When dried, this flavor is enhanced even more.
  
• Parsley. An herb which was usually eaten raw and originally used as a breath freshener. It was traditionally served after meals to get rid of bad breath from eating flavor-rich foods. Parsley is one herb that is hard to grow. Parsley nowadays is commonly used as garnishing for many different Italian and non-Italian dishes.
  
• Garlic. The most popular and most used herb in the world, garlic is easy to grow and will prosper in any kind of soil. Plus, it does not need a lot of attention. Garlic can be kept for a long time by freezing or pickling.
  
• Sage. Used in Italian cuisines from salads to meats, sage shoots are the most flavorful part of the herb plant. It can be harvested after blooming. To bring out new shoots, the sage plant need to be trimmed often.
  
• Rosemary. An evergreen perennial, rosemary just like basil is very helpful in the garden. It can grow into a large shrub with petite blue flowers which helps to attract bees. Although it is large and looks tough, rosemary is susceptible to frost.
  
• Fennel. A perennial plant that loses its flavor as it attains maturity, fennel is known for. Caring for fennel involves separating and replanted every few years.
  

Each herb requires a different level of care and attention. To learn more about what a particular herb needs, proper research is always a good idea. Talk to other growers or consult a guide like “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening” before you choose the herbs to plant in your garden.
If you are serious about cultivating an organic herb garden, be sure to check out “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs and Herb Gardening” by Jeannie Woods. It’s a book packed with all the information you need to be able to successful start and keep a thriving organic herb garden. You can read more about it here: http://healthyhappyherbs.com.