It does not matter whether you live in an urban high rise, brownstone or suburban-style apartment you can have a wonderful herb garden and reap some of the benefits herbs have to offer.  In my first apartment, I started slowly with a couple of herbs in containers mixed in with a few flowers on my front stoop—just your basic kitchen necessities like basil, oregano and parsley.

I also added some herb plants inside my apartment. Congregated around the only southern facing window in the place were a number of other small herb plants like lemongrass and lavender, which smelled fabulous together, and to those I added my outdoor herb plants when winter came..

In a later apartment in the city I had almost no sun because what little I could have had was blocked by an iron grate that covered the whole opening. So I constructed a flower bed made from chicken wire, leaves, newspaper, pine needles, peat and sod to hang outside the grate and I filled it with my kitchen herbs, plus some chamomile and other flowering herbs and some cascading vines. Although it was an inventive solution to the problem, it needed gallons of water every day because of the heat and window reflection.

You can apply a couple of these same principals in your apartment herb garden.

First things first, look around your apartment to find spots where you can cultivate your herb plants. Do you have a suitable indoor or outdoor location where you can get your green thumb on? Do not believe that you need some large elaborate space either. Some herb plants, like chives, only need a pot about the size of a coffee cup to survive and do well.

Check out your lighting to see what can work. The correct amount of lighting is essential to your plants’ growth. Without the right amount of natural light your herbs cannot grow. In an apartment I had in the city many years ago I had 2 windows in the whole spot: one faced east, which meant that it got the full morning sun, but nothing else and the other, a tiny window in the bathroom faced south—which is the best way to face—and that one became my herb garden window. This worked because the window got a lot of southern sun and humidity from the bathroom helped the plants.

Now that you know where you’re going to start your herb garden and you’ve determined what kind of light you’ll have, such as the quality, type and amount of light you will have, you are ready to begin selecting your herb. I could go on for days about which herb plants to select, but the bottom-line comes down to how you plan to use the herbs. Do you want herbs for the aroma, for healing purposes, for cooking or for use in cosmetics or maybe you just want something pretty to look at? No matter what your interest, you’ll have plenty of herbs to select from. Start by flipping through a book on herb gardening and focus on herbs that have the sunshine needs that your space can respond to. Very soon, you will be ready to go!

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Windowsill Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

Next time you’re a little upset or on edge, experiment with some chamomile tea. Its delicate flavor can begin the soothing process, and when the chemical compounds within the tea take hold, you will feel so much better.

When you are ready to pick-up your chamomile, you will find 2 main types. They are similar in function, but not in appearance, so be sure you’re getting the right chamomile for your needs.

You can try German chamomile for many different things ranging from teas to lotions. The combination of this herb’s woody, apple smell and daisy-like appearance can brighten any room.

A nice benefit of German chamomile is that it is self-seeding, which is wonderful since it is an annual and this way you don’t have to replant it every year. You can even collect the seeds to try somewhere else in your garden or give some to a friend.

It’ll do best in full or direct light and dry conditions. German chamomile herbs grow straight up, which is different than how Roman chamomile grows, and can reach a height of almost 3 feet.

To propagate German chamomile, start with seeds in a container indoors or sprinkle the seeds on the ground. Regardless of whether you plant the seeds inside or outside, you don’t need to cover them because they are so little. Keep the sod moist, but not wet, and if you are cultivating your German chamomile in pots, wait until your seedlings are at least 4 inches high before you transplant them. The very best way to increase your harvest is to plant more seeds every four weeks during the growing season. German chamomile produces only a few flowers, so the more you grow the better.

I haven’t seen the variety of German chamomile that is double-flowered, but I am sure it is brilliant.

Roman chamomile, which is frequently called “true chamomile” or “English chamomile” is also nice in teas to ease nervous tension. English chamomile has the same woody, apple-like smell of the German chamomile, but it is special in that it is a creeper or ground cover rather than a bushy herb.

This plant can only grow to about 10 inches high as it creeps along the ground. In the summer, the Roman chamomile will get a little taller and sprout little white blossoms with yellow centers that are similar to the German chamomile, but more pungent.

The natural oil from the Roman chamomile is used to lighten or soften your hair. A few kinds are even used to flavor sherry.

It does not do as well if started from seeds, so it is best if you pick-up it or begin with a division from a friend’s plant.

Fortunately Roman chamomile is drought tolerant and able to thrive for long periods of time without water, for those of you who forget this necessary task.

Believe it or not, even though these 2 herbs look alike, taste alike and have the same name, according to the scientists, they aren’t related at all.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Tea Herb Gardening. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

I collect cookbooks and like to experiment with interesting dishes from other culture like a Mexican mole. Do you enjoy trying yummy international dinners? You can try your hand at growing a scrumptous themed kitchen herb garden.

You can raise the major herbs in your own garden and have the freshest ingredients to add to your recipes, or experiment on your own.

A themed kitchen garden can be raised in the ground or you can cultivate your themed kitchen garden in pots.

Here are some recommendations on growing your own themed kitchen garden:

• Asian: From Thai and Vietnamese to Indian and Chinese, Asian cooking has so many tastes and spices to choose from. Try growing lemongrass, cayenne pepper, cardamom and anise in your Asian kitchen herb garden. The licorice taste of anise adds a warm sweetness to baked goods, soups and Indian dishes. You can also try it in tea as well as in baking a savory-sweet cookie. The growing popularity of Asian cooking has helped it fall back into favor in the US in recent years.

• Mexican: Would you like to have a bit of a Mexican herb fiesta? I like to eat my favorite Mexican meals, such as burritos, fajitas or quesadillas at least once a week. Can you even cook an authentic Mexican dish without Cayenne pepper, Cilantro and Garlic?

• Italian: What’s your favorite Italian dish? Mine is baked ziti with grilled herbed chicken. Among my favorite herbs to try in your Italian dinners are basil, fennel, parsley, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme. You can add garlic to all your favorite Italian meals and savor the oniony flavor! You can add it to your mashed potatoes or even roast it with some olive oil to eat it by itself. Don’t overcook your garlic because it loses its flavor the longer it cooks.

• Middle East: Foods from the Middle East and north Africa are growing in popularity these days. There’s such variety in the array of herbs used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Add chick peas, couscous and figs to your pita and herbed yogurt sauce for something super special. Try these herbs to spice up your Middle Eastern dishes: cardamom, garlic, parsley, rosemary and saffron.

• German: You don’t have to wait for October to cook up an Octoberfest dish at home if you have the right herb plants used in German cooking. These are a few of the best and most often used in authentic German dishes: chives, dill, horseradish, sage and thyme. Horseradish, which is in the mustard family, is a fantastic condiment, opening the sinuses while adding tang to the taste buds. Horseradish is a wonderful addition to your dinners. Try it in mayonnaise or potato salad. Horseradish will also go well in cream cheese spreads and meat loaf.

Unless you use too much of your herb in cooking, your plant will keep growing and provide you with ingredients for other meals. Once you clip off some lemongrass for your pad Thai, it can grow back. Oftentimes it will grow back bigger and fuller than it was before.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Fresh Herb Gardening. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

Solar Lighting will transform your garden, for outdoors solar lighting has so many uses it is obvious why solar lights are so popular. Solar lighting has so many uses, landscape lighting, path lights, security lighting, patio lights, highlight plants and trees. Because solar lighting is so versatile and simple to move, it is very easy to vary lighting effects. Solar lights needs no wiring, they are  very versatile and easy to change around, it is very easy to try different lighting effects.

Solar lights need no maintenance.

Solar lighting is maintenance free, an infrequent wipe to clear dirt covering the solar panel, and can be bought in dozens of styles at extremely low prices. You don’t have to worry about electronic timers, or switching the lights on. When it’s daylight solar lighting switches off and start charging the batteries, during the hours of darkness, they come on automatically. Most come with an on/off switch so you can turn the lighting off at night. Solar lighting incurs no ongoing costs, no extra wiring to purchase and no timers.

Solar lighting is very versatile.

As solar lighting does not require any wiring, it means you are able to try various effects, highlight one plant during the summer, and use the same solar light to highlight a different plant during the winter.

Solar lighting can be installed in areas where it would be impossible or difficult to install wired lighting such as on wooden fences or buildings. Because there is no wiring, no heat generated, solar lighting is safe and convenient to fix anywhere. A lack of wires also means you don’t have to plan in advance your lighting in advance. How about a barbecue with a gas grill and solar lights for evening entertainment outdoors with ultimate portability. Or what about placing solar lights around your patio furniture and sit outside after dark

Solar lighting is safe.

With no electricity running through cables in the garden, solar lights are very safe. You do not have to worry about children and pets finding a piece of cable with the insulation bitten away by a rodent. With no wiring, you are able to dig in your garden without worry about cutting through a live cable with your spade.

Solar lighting is perfect for bordering paths, especially when there is no other lighting and a path is difficult to see. Solar lights will light up as soon as it starts to get dark, lighting the way, making it easy and safe to walk up the path.

For newbie’s, raised flower beds can help you out if you have challenging dirt, or if you have poor drainage troubles. They might also be designed to be attractive as well as practical, and when strategically located, they can enhance the natural beauty of your garden, or attract the eyes away from a less desired region.

Raised flower beds are not only for flowers as the name suggests, instead they are an outstanding way to produce herbaceous plants and vegetables as well. Most people – if you mention raised flower beds – think of perhaps a stepped flower bed, or something of that kind. In fact, raised flower beds can be nearly any form or design that you can think of. The kind of material you apply to build your raised flower beds may impose a few limitations on the designs you are able to accommodate.

The style of your raised flower bed might be elegant, simple or anywhere in between. Certain material types can restrict your design options due to their specific characteristics. However, it is possible that you could walk around your property, or that of someone you know who has acreage in the country, and find many materials suitable to build your raised flower bed with. For those of you who might be interested, it is even possible to blend a special material to use rather than dirt in all kinds of flowers pots and planters – Hypertufa is a great and inexpensive option.

A very durable material for establishing your raised flower bed that is fetching, durable and widely accessible, is cedar. It is available at most building centers. It is one of the more costly materials, but it does have a natural beauty not commonly found elsewhere. Railroad ties and treated lumber make up the materials in a great number of raised flower beds. Several people have concerns with the chemicals used in the treatment of the wood, they fear the chemicals could leach into the earth and then into the plants.

Some other alternatives that make beautiful raised beds are brick, block, decorative stone or simply plain old rocks. A few homeowners may be able to take a look around their home and acquire most of the stuff they demand to make a beautiful flower bed. Some of these materials may require mortar to connect them, while others will be perfectly ok with merely the stacking method.

A pretty revolutionary material on the alfresco scene, that is gaining popularity is PVC. A lot of people, who make a conscious effort to be earth friendly, are enamored of its plastic composition. It doesn’t break down like wood, and it is virtually maintenance free. You may want to check with your local building supply store concerning the requirement of special tools for cutting and assembling this material. As practical as it is to use PVC for your project the lack of different color options reduces the value of this building material somewhat.

While it is a widely accepted practice to limit the height of a raised flower bed to less than eighteen inches, it is certainly not written in stone. There are many ways to build a higher raised bed, including but not limited to, building multiple layered beds, building on the side of a hill, using tie-in methods to ensure stability.

The first thing you need to do is design your bed, then do some research and obtain your building materials. Once those things are in place you are ready to start building. The place to start is with assuring your bed can be fastened to the earth. This is most normally done with a ditch having a depth that permits for a couple inches of material to be immersed. After that you simply add new layers until the bed reaches the desired height

Further advice and inspiration on creative gardening and how to make Hypertufa pots in specific can be found on our homepage. On the site you will be educated about Hypertufa stepping stones and countless different creative horticulture advice.

Although an indoor plant watering can is a useful device and still has its place in the gardening centers of today, the indoor plant watering cans are becoming obsolete as there are other, more effective methods of watering the indoor plants.  It used to be that the indoor plants could only be watered in one of two ways.  The plants could be picked up and placed under a faucet so that they could be watered or they could be watered from an indoor plant watering can which had to be lugged around from place to place in the home.  The down side to an indoor plant watering can is that it has to be refilled time and again if it is too small, and if it is too large, the can is often too heavy to move around comfortably without spilling the contents all over the home.

Solutions To Indoor Plant Watering Cans

There are many indoor plant watering devices on the market today that help solve the problems posed by the indoor plant watering can.  There are indoor plant watering hoses now that are attached to the faucet of the house and have a spraying device attached to the other end of it.  These hoses are often about forty feet long so that they can reach every part of the home through the means of being attached to the various faucets of the home.  The hoses make it very easy to water all the plants in the home in addition to being able to fill up a freshly cleaned fish tank without having to make many trips back and forth to the faucet.  It can also be helpful with any pets in the home so that they can be washed in the tub without using a cup or other device to rinse the soap off of them.

Another solution to the awkward plant watering can is the automatic plant watering systems on the market today.Out of these some are made for people who are interested in starting all types of plants indoors which are planted outdoors afterwards.These equipments will allow the individuals to create a mini greenhouse inside to grow delicate plants.  There are other devices that allow individuals to water their plants when they are gone on vacation.  They can simply place the reservoir of water on a counter and then the plants to be watered on the floor beneath it.  The water is regulated so that only a certain amount is released each hour, thus preventing over watering.  Usually, several plants can be hooked up to the same device and the watering will last for two weeks or more.

Whether it is an indoor hanging plant or an orchid, there is always a need for an indoor plant watering device to provide the moisture needs for that particular plant.  There are some plants that are more particular about their water, while others seem to do fine no matter how much water they get per week.Since the larger plant cannot be moved under a faucet to provide the easy access to the water, it is more difficult to water them.In such cases, the watering can will have to be filled over and over again till the time the plant has all that it needs.  There are easier solutions, however, to this type of situation through the use of indoor plant watering devices that are on the market today.

Tips Before Opting For Indoor Plant Watering Devices

The first tip when thinking about an indoor plant watering deviceis to check the soil in all of the plants in the home. If the soil is not the right consistency, it is not going to matter what type of indoor plant watering device is purchased, the plant will end up either having too much water or not enough due to the soil.  The soil should be made up of a porous material that is not too heavy.  The porous material will allow some moisture to be held in the soil but will also allow the excess moisture to drain out of it.The roots of the plant will be saturated all the time, thus causing rot, if the soil will hold too much water because of too heavy soil.  If the soil is too light, such as a sandy material, the water will pass right through it and will not retain what the plant needs to stay healthy.

If the soil is correct, there are plenty of indoor plant watering devices to make the watering job easier.  There are automatic plant watering devices that will allow the plants to stay watered for two weeks or more.  These devices can be hooked up easily by the individual and can be created from scratch or can be bought in a garden supply store.  The range of cost for these devices can be from ten dollars to over one hundred dollars, depending on the complexity of the system.Usually the More complex and pricey systems will water up to forty days to about twenty plants by usuing this system.  These devices are very convenient when the person is going on a long vacation and does not want to have someone else come in to the home to take care of the plants.

When growing indoors, herbs can be grown quite effectively in containers or pots. They can also be grown in window boxes or hanging baskets. Growing herbs in pots is not any more difficult than growing herbs in an outdoor garden. Indeed as you would expect, indoor herbs require the same conditions to grow as those outside. Click here for more: how to grow herbs in pots

The main ingredients are of course; water, sunlight and fertile soil.  Herbs are no different. Obviously sunlight is crucial to growing any kind of plant including herbs, indoors or outdoors. You should place herbs grown in a kitchen or other room in a south or west facing window to get the best kind of sunlight. Different types of herbs have different light requirements but, for the most part, all need a sunny location. Some home herb growers supplement the light source with “grow lamps” or fluorescent lamps.

Herbs also need a well drained, not too rich soil to grow in. Add two parts of sterilized potting soil with one part coarse sand or perlite for herbs that are grown in containers. Make sure you put about an inch of sand into the base of each pot or container to help with the drainage. Herbs grown in pots indoors can also be supplemented with one teaspoon of lime per 5-inch pot to ensure that the soil is sweet enough for the herbs.
For more visit our blog: Herb Gardens Blog

Water is the next important factor to consider. By spraying them with mist, it will wet the pebbles and leaves and help them in humid conditions. Just because they are indoors does not mean they will need more water than herbs grown in the garden but make sure you don’t waterlog the roots. Of course the main reason to have your herbs in pots is so you can move them around.

Annual herbs can spend all of their time indoors but, perennial herbs do better if they were to be placed outside during the summer. Although all herbs should be brought inside before the first frost in order to avoid the loss of foliage. However, it is something you can miss when it comes to chives, mint and tarragon. These types of herbs will go into a rest period then form firmer and fresher growth after it is introduced to a light frost. It is possible to grow all herbs in a container but some will thrive more than others. One herb that will need containing is mint as it tends to take over a garden.  

On the whole it is quite easy to manage an indoor herb garden. The herbs are within easy reach for cooking for example. And with these tips listed above, you will be able to care for your herbs and ensure a healthy plant. It’s also a good idea to repot your herbs once a year and give a light feed every so often. You will also have to remember to replant annuals each year and move perennials outdoors when needed. Plus, use your herbs as much as you want as well as harvest them occasionally. By regularly pruning plants you will stimulate new growth. This rule also applies to herbs. So dry them, store them and add them to your cooking recipes! Click here for more: Herb Gardens

You have planted the herbs and watched them grow and flourish. Hopefully you will now know how very useful they can be in lots of different ways. But, using herbs from a home herb garden requires a little bit or work first.

The very first thing to do is to harvest them and getting the timing right is one of the most important things. The wind and the heat can disperse the essential oils of the herbs. You should choose a calm and dry morning during midsummer to harvest your herbs. Fewer oils are produced by the herb on extremely wet days. So wait for a few hours for the early morning dew to evaporate from the leaves and then pick them just before the flowers open. Click here for more: herbs at home

When harvesting, you don’t have to remove the whole plant. At this point, you are just taking a certain amount of growth for use. Also you won’t necessarily need to use them immediately after picking. You can preserve them to use later.It is important that you leave at least two thirds of the plants foliage ant any time. This will help the herb to recover and re-grow. You should also inspect the plant for insects and damaged leaves before you harvest it. 

Typically there are three ways that people preserve their herbs for later use; drying, freezing, or preserving them in a medium like salt or vinegar. For drying, you can bunch the stems of six to twelve together removing any unwanted leaves at the base. Tie the bundle up with some gardening string. Hang the bundle in a cool location away from sunlight. If you are looking to dry individual leaves you can place them on a screen or a rack. Don’t forget to turn them regularly so they can dry properly. Some gardeners use machines like ovens or dehydrators etc. to dry herbs, although this may not be as good. For more visit our blog: Herb Gardens Blog

Freezing is a fairly easy method of presaervation. Place the ¼ inch cut herbs onto a baking tray covered with wax paper. Once the herbs are frozen, you can place them together in a bag and store them in the freezer until use.

The third alternative for storing your herbs is via a medium. For instance, you can cover herbs like chopped mint, basil or tarragon with vinegar and it will be preserved for several months. Or you can make a flavored salt to preserve herbs by alternating layers of fresh herbs between salt. The salt will completely dry out the herb and all that is needed is to separate them and store in an airtight tub. 

You can, of course use your herbs fresh and straight out of the garden. Take care cleaning the herbs before they are placed fresh in recipes. In order to clean fresh herbs place them in a bowl filled with cool water. If there is a large quantity of herbs you can use the sink. Place about two tablespoons of salt in the water. The salt in the water will drive away insects without damaging the plant. Remove the herbs from the water and dry them in a salad spinner. 

There are many different kinds of herb for many different uses. Each different type of herb has their own list of instructions on how to use, harvest, and chop them. Make sure into research the specific type of herb you are using to use it correctly. Click here for more: Herb Garden Facts

We would all probably like to grow our own herbs, but sometimes lack of space and information stops us in our tracks. There can be questions that may hit you before starting off in the first place. Firstly, what herbs can be grown from seeds? What is the right kind of soil to grow herbs in? If you bought a herb garden kit this would give you the opportunity to have all your questions answered. Click here for more: herb garden starter kits

Herb garden kits contain a large variety of herbs and can be categorized into Italian herbs, culinary herbs, international herbs, German herbs, herbal tea herbs, salsa herbs and many, many more. The kits themselves are all unique but all contain various items to get you off the ground. All herb kits will contain seeds.  Several of the kits contain a dome to help to supply a reliable temperature and humidity to be able to help the herb plants to grow a healthy root system. They will also contain an instructional guide. This will give the herb grower easy to follow instructions to succeed with their herbs.

The kits may even have some recipes for you to use that you have grown for your own cooking. Other websites that sell herb garden kits will offer a newsletter you can sign up for which will provide recipes and additional useful information. Kits will also provide the planter in which the herbs will be grown in. Most of the kits are the same but some differ, but all will provide the pellets or soil in which you are able to grow the seeds. For more visit our blog: Herb Gardening Blog

Growing herbs indoors from an indoor herb kit has many benefits. Mainly because they are right at your finger tips. You never have to trail outside to get your herbs if adding to a dish, they are right at your fingers. It is very easy to freeze your herbs for use in the winter or future. The added advantage of indoor planting is you have the same conditions all year round and you will not have to be concerned about losing any plants during the winter.  

They have a steady temperature in which to grow. They maybe all different but most are petite and compact. Fantastic for apartments or limited space. It can be hard when trying to grow them outdoors due to various factors, ie how much light and which part of the garden would be best suited for each plant. The amount of rain fall can cause the plants to get too much water and cause damage to there growth.  Insuring you use the users guide for growing herbs indoors it makes things easier for this great hobby and have a very flourishing time.   

There is probably a better feeling of accomplishment when you become an herb expert and can grow any kind of herb in your garden. But it takes work to get there and a good way to learn is through an herb kit where the difficulties are removed and you are left with the enjoyment of the herbs. When you get to know your herbs in side out you are on your way of becoming an expert and take them out into your own garden. Click here for more: Herb Garden Guide