herbs - easy grow


Thinking about going wild and growing a garden, digging up the back yard - well maybe thats too much. So how about just trying a few herbs. Easy ones that are tasty and useful and without too much effort you will be able to harvest enough to share with others. If you don't have a back yard then use your balcony, deck or back door step. Convert some containers to plant pots if you like or visit your local garden centre to see whats trendy. The following are 5 herbs I’ve successfully grown for several years and get consistently pleasing results.


Mint

The common mint grows easy and will go wild and pop up in your neighbours yard too. So ideally suited to a pot. Start growing mint from cuttings, simply stand the sprig you have cut from someone else's plant in a glass of water until the roots appear and then plant in your pot.
This herb is best grown in a pot with holes in the bottom and sat on the ground.The pot will stop the wild spread of the plant without it becoming root bound, as the roots will grow through into the ground. Use a organic rich potting mix and give it a general liquid fertiliser. There are lots of great organic options. And water it daily. Positioning the pot near a water down pipe by the house seems to work. The sound of water does it here. It’ll be luscious and delicious all at once. 
Mint aids digestion and promotes good colon health. Add mint to all salads. Make jugs of iced water with fresh lemon and sprigs of mint. Cook with mint in vege’s and meat. 


Rosemary

Rosemary is usually grown from cuttings. It's much faster when starting with a cutting. Seeds can be unreliable. Simply stand the cutting in a glass of water, but a bit more effort may be required and the use of a plant growth hormone will ensure success. A pot or corner in the garden in the full sun works. When the plant flowers it attracts bees to your garden. 
Rosemary likes growing near the ocean, and its latin name equates to "dew of the sea." 
Rosemary contains chemicals called quinones, placing this herb high on the list of cancer-prevention foods. It is also particularly beneficial in the treatment of fatigue and neuralgia.
Herbalists use rosemary to treat dizziness due to inner ear problems, nerve conditions, headaches, halitosis, stomach ailments and as pain-reducers. Ancient folk remedies list it as a memory-enhancer.
Using Rosemary with cooking of meats and vege’s is easy. Once the plant becomes established you can cut the long sticks and use them as skewers on the BBQ.



Basil

Romans believed the best basil could only be grown if you sowed the seed while ranting and swearing. I have had good success with seeds and certainly from self seeding. If the plant sets flowers, it is on its way to going to seed and will not grow bushy and fill out with a lot tasty leaves.
By picking off the top sets of leaves as soon as the plant reaches about 6 inches in height the plant will bush out and the flowering is slowed. Once a basil plant goes to seed, the existing leaves lessen in flavour. The flowers are edible, so all is not lost if a few plants get ahead of you.
Basil is said to repel flies, mosquitoes and cockroaches, so in a pot on the doorstep is great. Water daily.
Basil is ready to start harvesting in about 60 - 90 days, from seed, although I have picked earlier. The fresh new leaves are the best. Watch for snails (they come out at night) as they enjoy the first leaves.
Basil is a most useful herb and can be added to salads and meat dishes giving the traditional Italian flavour. Make your own pestos as well. 

Thyme

Thyme requires so little care in the garden that it is successful in any sort of growing environment. It makes a hearty ground cover, and releases its scent whenever disturbed.
It makes a good doorstep plant as it will grow in the full sun with partial shade. Thyme likes dry, poor soil so an old pot that something else won’t grow in anymore is ideal.
Grow from either cuttings or seeds. I have had success with both although planting in a pot has given a better harvest.
Thyme aids in digestion, and as such, is excellent when combined with fatty meats such as duck, lamb, and pork. It adds a delicious fragrance to the kitchen when cooking. Thyme is a great herb to dry. Pick the sprigs and strip the leaves off and simply put in a container in the freezer. Good for all time.
Recent studies indicate that thyme strengthens the immune system. 


Parsley

A packet of seeds will almost create a hedge. Create a small trench in your garden and put  in seed raising soil first. This gives the seeds a good start. Provided the rest of the garden soil is easy draining soil that maybe has pumice or sand in. They prefer part to full sun, and water daily. If you let a few plants go to seed late in the season, they may produce seedlings for the next year’s crop. 
The two most popular types of parsley are curly parsley and Italian flat leaf parsley. The Italian variety has a more fragrant and less bitter taste than the curly variety.
Parsley is an excellent source of vitamin K, C and A, as well as folate, and iron. Parsley is laden with rich volatile oils and powerful flavonoids.
Use generously in salads. Add to your juicer when juicing vege’s. Perfect for scrambled eggs. All dishes hot and cold need parsley.


Have fun with these, and enjoy your first harvest’s. Most of these herbs will grow on through all seasons. The basil is the only plant I haven’t been able to get to grow until the spring, even when I brought a pot plant inside. Hopefully you can succeed with that and share your secrets.

I look forward to your feedback and additional comments.
by Jocelyn J Murray

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