Starting an Herb Garden -Continued-
You'll need to weed (but use those weeds if you can!), water and mulch. Mulches help control weeds and retain moisture. Some good mulches are bark chips, compost and dried grass clippings. Snip herbs often to keep them from getting "leggy." Don't, however, take so much that the plant dies or has to struggle. Take it easy to start and soon you�ll know the right amount to take.
Once you know your plants well in containers, you'll probably want to try putting some of them in the ground. This you can now do more successfully because you know exactly what it takes to keep each herb healthy. Some herbs can be invasive and take over your entire garden, so know which ones these are and take measures to contain them or simply delegate these to containers for the duration. Get to know your property well � where the sunlight hits,
when and for how long; what areas get the best drainage, what types of soils you have, what kinds of animals
might be seeking out your herbal bounty. Keep a notebook and write down your observations before you plan your garden. Next, draw out a plan on graph paper based on what you�ve learned.
Prepare the soil. If you�re starting small, you can probably do this using regular garden tools and simply spade to break up the soil and then rake it level, removing any large clumps of soil, rocks and debris. You may need to rent or borrow a tiller to break up the soil if it's especially compacted. The soil should be loose to a depth of 6 to 12 inches. Or you can opt to create raised beds (here we are, back to container gardening!) by making frames and filling them with top soil. Take into account the space requirements for each plant. Some will need to be six inches apart, others 12 or 18 inches. Try grouping several (at least three is aesthetically pleasing) of the same plants together or experiment with interplanting.
Once your soil has been prepared, place your
pots approximately where you want them, then dig a hole for each plant a little bigger than the pot. Take the plant out gently and slightly break up the roots before setting it in the hole. Fill the hole with soil and cover up to the same point as the plant was in the pot. Water thoroughly.
Have fun growing your fresh herbs and knowing you are getting the best possible ingredients for the dishes you serve and the medicines and body potions you make.
Resources
Books
McGee and Stuckey�s Bountiful Container by Rose Marie Nichols McGee and
Maggie Stuckey; Workman Publishing Company, 2002.
Herbs: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy by Norma Jean Lathrop; HP Books, 1981.
Seed and Plant Sources
Richters Herb Specialists
357 Highway 47
Goodwood, Ontario, Canada
L0C 1A0
www.richters.com
Garden Medicinals and Culinaries
P.O. Box 320
Earlysville, VA 22936
www.gardnemedicinals.com
Georgene is the author of several books including "The Complete Idiots Guide to Simple Living" and the "The Complete Idiots Guide to Organizing Your Life." She has been studying herbalism for 3 years, has converted to an almost all herbal household (very few commercial cleaning or personal care products or even medicines) and is working on a book about herbal home keeping. She is studying with Jeanne Rose and a local master herbalist who specializes in native Southwestern herbalism. You can contact her at [email protected] m