Starting an Herb Garden
By Georgene Lockwood
Herbalists agree the fresher the herbs you can
find for your culinary masterpieces, medicines, tonics and preparations, the
better. What could be fresher than herbs from your own garden? If you're
thinking of starting some herbs outside your kitchen window, on a patio or in a
window box, this is the column for you!
Before you do anything, though, first take a look around where you live and get
acquainted with the weeds. Yes, I said WEEDS. But they're no longer weeds to
you. They're medicinal plants and food sources! Some so-called weeds that grow
readily in my Northern Arizona garden are horehound, mullein, and plantain.
Other native wild plants include manzanita, squaw bush, and cliff rose. In other
areas nearby, dandelion, vervain, Oregon grape and mountain mahogany grow
plentifully. All of these plants have medicinal or food value. What plants are
growing around you that are naturešs gift to your food stores or medicine
chest? You'll be cultivating these rather than eradicating them (or at least
saving a place for them!).
The natives and other wild plants found all around you are also clues to your
soil and climate. When I moved to Arizona from New England (where you can throw
a seed on the ground, spit, and it will thrive) I struggled to grow the same
things I always had "back home." Finally, I let Mother Nature tell me
what would flourish best in my new home and saved certain other
things for containers or purchased them dried from another source, finding they
were just too much trouble to grow where I lived.
If you're still having difficulty getting a handle on your soil, take some
samples from various locations, label them and bring them to your local
Cooperative Extension office. They'll test it for free. You can also purchase a
soil testing kit from your local gardening center. Knowing what you soil
contains in nutrients (or lacks) is essential to knowing what you need to amend
it with for optimum plant health and growth. Of course, you'll want to start a
compost bin or pile, if you haven't already!
In my area, the herbs best suited for the existing soil are various sages,
lavenders, the artemesias like wormwood, mints, thymes, tarragon, rosemary,
parsley and fennel. At least, this has been my experience so far. I've had some
moderate success with comfrey and burdock, if I can keep the animals away. These
herbs alone provide almost everything I need for basic first-aid, body care and
culinary seasoning. Other herbs special attention here, so I choose them
carefully, as I know they'll mean more work for me.
What are the herbs most suited to your location?
Talk with other herb gardeners, see if you can find a regional guide for your
area, look for local herb societies or garden clubs to learn all you can about
what naturally grows best in your area. You'll be saving yourself a lot of work
and disappointment if you gather information and then use it to garden in
harmony with where you live.
For the rest of your herbal needs, I highly suggest container gardening.
Potagers or herb gardens in pots, can be found everywhere, from suburban patios
to urban balconies. Growing plants in containers has several advantages: you can
control the soil composition and moisture level more easily, you can experiment
with locations until you find the happiest place for each plant, you can move
your herb garden to wherever is most convenient, and you can bring many of your
pots and containers indoor over the winter for year-round fresh herbs.