What if you live in a high-rise apartment? Does that does not mean you can’t have your own fresh herbs? Gardening herbs in containers is an easy way of creating a beautiful indoor landscape on a shining kitchen windowsill. It is a perfect place to grow some of your favourite herbs. Being creative with a window box or hanging basket can turn an otherwise unimpressive area into something that can in an wink be beautiful, useful and aromatic. In fact, growing herbs in containers is as easy as growing any other house plant. Each plant has it own set of requirements.

All plants need nutrition supplied through sun, soil and water.  There is no exclusion for herbs. The right combination of these elements is the key to growing every type of plant, including herbs, whether indoors or out.   A southern or western exposure will give the best quantity of sunlight.   Lavender has different sunlight requirements than basil or mint but every herb needs adequate sunlight for healthy growth .  Then there are “grow lamps” to supplement the need if natural light is inadequate.

As to the soil you use, it is primary that it drain well to prevent root rot.   This is easily achieved by mixing two parts of a peat rich potting soil with one part coarse sand or perlite for herbs with about an inch of gravel at the bottom of the pots to assure proper drainage.   A teaspoon of lime, per 5-inch pot, should be added to this mix make the soil sweet enough for herbs.

And now to the matter of watering your herbs – watering lightly 2 – 3 times a week should be sufficient.  Misting in between times will give them a nice somewhat humid condition.   A pot will hold water more than the soil in a garden, so it is necessary to be diligent to prevent the roots from get soaked or waterlogged. Never forget well draining soil!

The advantages of gardening herbs in a container are numerous, such as you can move them about as you please, it adds aroma to the room, herbs are a unique type of house plant, etc.   Annual herbs can stay indoors all year long but, perennial will do better if placed outside during the summer and brought indoors before the first frost.   This does not apply to mints, chives or tarragon as they will form firmer and fresher growth after being exposed to a light frost. The lovely flowers of chamomile or the aroma of rosemary provide more reason to grow them indoors.

Although all herbs can be grown in pots , some do better than others such as mint or oregano. Left alone in a garden, these two can take over a corner of any garden but are easily controlled in a pot while adding something different to your apartment.   As I said, gardening herbs in pots is easy and takes only some special knowledge while keeping your culinary herbs available anytime you need them.

Caring for your herbs will ensure a healthy plant. With these tips and your prudence, you will be able to continuously harvest your herbs which will keep them robust giving you more supply for your next recipe.  Pruning herbs just as with other plants encourages new growth.   Periodically feed them and yearly repot them to produce the healthiest herbs. And in the end use them in your recipes, harvest them and give them as gifts to your friends.

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It might be surprising to some, but most herbs grow better in an indoor herb garden. A large number of herbs are annuals. Annual herbs and plants have a year lifespan. They grow and bloom in one season then within a year, they die. You may think that this type of herbs is too expensive, but you actually extend the life of your annuals.

Here are some key points explained in establishing an indoor garden.

Knowing the easy-to-grow indoor herbs

Annuals are the best type for indoor gardens. Since their lifespan is limited, they cannot be exposed continuously to changing weathers. Their roots usually have small growth; which is why they cannot stand the outside environment. They can be easily uprooted and their leaves would easily wither.

Some varieties of basil like Thai, Holy Basil or Tulsi and lemon, chives, scented geranium, lavender, rosemary, sweet woodruff and lemon verbena are some of the annuals appropriate in indoor settings. These could be grown in small pots and they could survive without constant exposure to sunlight. However, some may need to be taken outdoors once in a while. These would be further explained in the succeeding parts.

On the other hand, some perennials could also survive in indoor environments. They just need to be exposed outdoor from seasonally.

Having the right locations

Window areas, door openings, atriums and any area inside your house with natural lighting or close proximity to outside ventilation are the most suitable places for indoor herbs. Place them near the windows in the kitchen which should always be left open or at least ajar. Just a few hours under ample sunlight could make your plants healthier.

If you are into aromatic herbs, you most definitely want them placed in various parts of the house. But do make sure that you take them outside for at least one to three hours daily. Too much sunlight will cause their roots to dry up and that would result to frequent wilting of the leaves.

Perennials could also stay indoors but as much as possible expose them to sunlight regularly. Put them in places where there is most sun exposure. If you have limited space near the open areas, you could use chains to hang them instead.

Taking care of the herbs – on watering, pruning and soil maintenance

Indoor plants need as much water as outdoor plants. You can have them watered every other two days. But never drown the soil as this will make it too soggy to absorb other nutrients from the soil.

You can also do occasional pruning. But do not take out the drying foliage immediately. Letting them fall on the pot would make them possible fertilizers. However, if there are too much falling leaves, you have to remove some of them. They may be too moist, thus killing the roots.

Your soil should have regular peat moss or compost supplements. At least every three months, dig up an inch from the surface and put in a new batch. This is also a basic in growing herbs in pots.

Before annuals die, start repotting so you would not have to start planting all over. Trim off a healthy part of the herb. Each cut piece should have some roots and foliage already this will make it easier for you to grow them.

Now these three easy key methods would ensure you of a flourishing indoor herb garden all year round.

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As the ole saying goes, a lot of water has passed under the bridge, since the days growing up on a farm. I was a boy that was full of energy and was always getting into something and then out came the old first aid kit.

My big sister took great pleasure in torturing me with anything and anything that would cause pain. My mom on the other hand had that magic touch and used herbs to soothe me. My sister knew what to do to ease the pain and help me heal, she just liked to see how much pain I could endure without screaming.

Herbs were used instead of all the crap drugs we use so readily these days. Perhaps you didn’t know that many of the medicines that you buy in the drug store have herb plants in them? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier and cheaper if you grew your own healing herbs? By using herb plants from my herb garden to fill my medicine cabinet, I have saved a lot of money.

I am already starting an indoor herb medicine cabinet and plan to increase the number of herbs we grow in our home garden as well. Stock up on some Mother Nature’s meds for the winter months.

Home Gardening Tips: Get Your First Aid Kit Growing

Do you have any of these issues? Try herb plants!

• Coriander, chervil and thyme all help awesome for aching joints. For a cheap antibacterial, use calendula, lavender, lovage, marjoram, oregano or peppermint.

• Do you have bad breath? Parsley, mint, anise and sweet cicely will help everyone breathe easier.

• Constipation is never any fun. Help get the kinks out with fennel or dandelion.

• It’s amazing how many herb plants will help with flatulence, such as peppermint, summer savory, lemon balm, ginger, caraway, coriander, beebalm and lovage.

• By the end of the day I can usually go for some chamomile tea for my frazzled nerves. Some other herb plants that could assist include dill, goldenrod, lavender and lemon balm.

• Not much can is better than thyme for helping with your Saturday morning hangover. It works better than the raw egg/tomato juice drink people might tell you to drink.

• Can’t cure your hiccups? Give dill a try It not only has a fabulous flavor; it also works like a charm.

• To take care of your insect stings, even mosquito bites, experiment with aloe, goldenrod, hens-and-chicks and summer savory.

• Unable to sleep? A lot of the same herbs that will calm your nerves can help here too, but chamomile and dill are most likely to help you with your insomnia.

• If you suffer from seasonal allergies or nasal congestion, sage, horseradish and violet are good choices. To clean out your sinus passages in no time at all, experiment with a little horseradish.

• Indigestion and stomachache respond well to dill, fennel, lovage and of course peppermint.

Please do not be alarmed with all these treatments—they isn’t snake oil! You don’t believe me? Experiment with it for yourself!

• Aloe Vera: I have two different aloe vera plants that are always suffering from me breaking off bits to treat burns (including sunburn) and mosquito bites. As a succulent, aloe vera does not need very much in the way of creature comforts and I have to be mindful not to over-water it myself. If you’ve planted your aloe vera in a pot, but sure it has well-drained soil and lots of light. You’ll also want to make sure that it stays firmly rooted by packing the dirt around the stem.
• Chamomile: As one of the more popular medicinal herbs, chamomile is good for both mental and physical ailments.. Chamomile comes in two types (German and true or Roman chamomile), both of these herbs will self-sow if you allow it, which can reduce the amount of time you’ll have to spend replanting these perennial herb plants.
• Horseradish: Just a whiff of this will clean you out, and quickly. As a member of the mustard family, horseradish has a peppery flavor that does not attract horses at all. Although the leaves can grow to 2 feet long, it is the root that is important for the herb gardener.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows and be sure to leave your own home gardening tip in a comment below.

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

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Every cook wishes that his kitchen has a variety of herbs and spices. These are used to add that extra zest and flare in everyday dishes and make our food healthier for us. Extensive research is being done on herbs and spices’ therapeutic effects and thyme garden herb.

We don’t often think about the additional benefits of commonly used herbs and spices. Take cinnamon for example, the first things that pop up in our minds are breakfast buns and apple pies, but cinnamon has anti inflammatory properties and is used widely to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure. One can soak cinnamon sticks in water to make a healthy tea and enhance its flavor by adding a bit of honey and lemon.

Adding More Flavor and Health

Another herb that has anti-inflammatory benefits is Rosemary; it also has high level of antioxidants that can possibly help in improving memory. Rosemary’s flavor is said to be close to lemons. It is usually used in stews and lamb dishes and makes an excellent addition to eggs.

In our list of herbs and spices, another cherished ingredient is garlic. It is thought to have anti-microbial properties and thus helps build immunity against numerous cancers. Garlic also helps in lowering blood pressure and in preventing cardiovascular diseases. It is also used in various everyday dishes including stews, soups, sauces, salad dressings and also in marinades.

Fennel is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties but is well known for its influence as an anti oxidant. Seeds of Fennel are used in Italian sausages and as a rub on pork and chicken. Its flavor is similar to that of Anise. Fennel stalk is eaten as a vegetable and thus doubted being part of or belonging to the family of herbs and spices. The stalk can be used as a side dish with meat or eaten either roasted or raw.

Peppermint brings in mind sweets and candy canes, but what we don’t know is that it has high level of anti-oxidants and is also believed to contain antiviral and anti-microbial substances. An upset stomach can be soothed by peppermint and it may also help in relieving pain. Fresh peppermint is used with vegetable dishes containing carrots or peas or with various fruits such as strawberries. It adds a refreshing taste to salads as well.

Herbs and spices not only enhance the flavor of plethora of foods and dishes but provide an added benefit with its therapeutic effects. This diversity of herbs and spices is a great factor.

Ms. Reynolds, shows you how to dazzle and protect your friends and family with ease. Get the facts about Herb Garden Plants inside this free 2,506 word special report.  Available for a limited time at www.herbgardenacademy.com.

You may be feeling the pinch from the recession we are living in so I thought I would share a few tips that will save you some money.

1. Make Your Own Compost

Save the environment and stop sending things to the landfill that don’t need to be going their. I am of course talking about kitchen waste and yard waste that could be composted and used in your garden or containers.

We started composting last year in 2009 and just loved it. Now we don’t spend money on buying compost and additives for the soil, plus we are sending hundreds of pounds less to the landfill so Mother Nature thanks us.

2. Start From Seed

I meant to go this route a couple of years ago but time just sorta slipped away and before we knew it planting time had arrived and all our seeds were still in their neat little packages.

We ended up spending hundreds of dollars on plants. DUH!!

This year I have set aside a room in the basement for my own little nursery and will start as many vegetables and flowers as I can in the space we have.

Think about starting from seed. You will pay less for one pack of sees and get perhaps dozens if not more plants from that pack. So if you paid a dollar for the pack of seeds and grow a dozen plants you saved more than ten dollars right there.

Then, when your plants go to seed you can collect and save those seeds for next year, which saves you even more money. Pretty cool.

3. Start Mulching NOW

We didn’t do any mulching for years in our flower beds and never really thought about, all the time weeding unnecessarily. Not any more…

Now we have started putting mulch around more every plant we have and guess what, it takes far less watering as the water doesn’t evaporate as fast with mulch down.

We also have almost no weeding at all.

Note: put the mulch thick enough that starter shoot from weeds can’t get any light of the mulch won’t work well. I am talking from first hand experience.

4. Start A Vegetable Garden

We did a lot of flower gardening before we finally bought a place big enough that we didn’t have to use containers for everything.

Vegetable gardening is a great way to grow things at home instead of going to the superstore and giving them your money.

We started small with a 4 x 16 foot gardening and had great fun. It didn’t turn into a disaster at all, thanks to veggie gardening tips I have found around the net. Next year we plan to double or triple the garden size.

We plan to grow enough produce this year that we can preserve some for the winter months and save even more money. Our home is an older home and still has a cold room in the basement. Bonus.

5. Buy A Rain Barrel, Cut Down On The Water Bill

It’s a great idea to collect rain water so that you don’t have to use tap water as it takes away from our water table.

Keep a fine mess over the barrel to keep out breeding insects like misquitoes. We just use the same mess/screen that we put on our windows. It’s cheap and does the job perfectly.

Never leave standing water uncovered.

BONUS TIP: Grow herbs both indoors and outdoor so you have fresh herbs all year long. Keep your herbs in containers so that you can have them close to your kitchen if your garden isn’t.