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Indoor Herb Garden: Questions That Must Be Answered

July 6th, 2011

So you really love gardening but you don’t have a space to plant or you live in a flat with just a little space for an outdoor herb garden. Then worry no more because to you an indoor herb garden is the answer you’ve been looking for.

The question most beginners ask is if the plants can thrive in an indoor herb garden. And the answer is a resounding yes. Actually, growing herbs indoors is easier that you think and what’s better is that the herbs that you grow, especially if they are culinary herbs, are just so near, right when you need them. You don’t have to go out to pick the basil you need for your pesto recipe!

Although herbs can be grown indoors, it must not be forgotten that they are still not indoor plants; that is they need air, sunshine and water during the day. Sunlight helps the herbs produce the essential oils that you will love when it comes to their flavor and fragrance.

Placement

The first step to consider is the placement of your indoor garden and it should be on the sunniest spot of the house- it could be on a windowsill, sun room, porch or balcony. However, if it’s not possible for them to get at least 5 hours of good sunshine every day, you can use fluorescent lamps to supplement their lighting needs.

What You’ll Need:

1. Container
For you to start growing your indoor herb garden, you need a trough or any long narrow container, or it could be individual pots which are at least 6 inches deep that can be mounted on your windowsill. There is a prescribed depth to the containers in order to give the herbs enough room to stretch out their roots and don’t forget to fill the bottom of the containers with peat or vermiculite for good drainage.

2. Soil
The soil to be placed on the pots should be rich but clean and light. You should avoid letting the herbs in pots dry out as well as making them very wet. Plant pills can be placed on them occasionally.

3. Type
Have you decided what herbs to plant on your indoor herb garden? There are plenty of them that can grow well even on indoors and the list includes parsley, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, sweet marjoram, chives, chervil, basil and mint will do well.

You can also buy indoor herb garden kits online to help you take the first step in growing your plants. An exciting new style of indoor herb gardening is called hydroponics – the roots are growing in aerated water, not soil. Consider joining the new hydroponics garden club now! Along with this, you should strive to learn all you can about growing herbs indoors to ensure that your garden grows healthy and productive.

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Posted in agronomy, design, farming, Garden, home, new, Perfect, Planning, tips

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Creating Your Own Wildlife Garden

July 5th, 2011

Often gardens are completely shut out from the rest of nature and are not the best for attracting local wildlife. Obviously, for some this is perfect but for others who may want to open their gardens up to the surrounding landscape and possibly attract birds amongst other wildlife, designing your garden in a particular way can help make this happen. One of the first things to do to achieve this is to map out the surrounding area and see how this can fit in terms of wildlife, look out for ponds and streams for example and see how these can complement your garden landscape.

In order to attract birds you will need to provide food, water and a suitable nesting area that has enough shelter. Providing for different species is necessary and planting a range of berry-producing vegetation can attract more varieties of bird. Plants that grow around the local area can also help in attracting indigenous species of birds, so this can also prove useful. Food will also need to be varied to match the seasons your garden goes through. In spring, for example berry-producing shrubs are the best while during the summer hanging several containers full of seed can prove more useful for attracting wildlife. Always make sure these feeders are full however, as often birds may become dependent on this method and having a fully stocked container can help keep the birds visiting.

Plants on the other hand offer a great source of shelter for birds. Evergreens and other shrubbery can provide good nesting areas as well as protection from the weather during the colder months. By planting several more dense shrubs, you can make your garden a much more hospitable place for wildlife, thus attracting many more birds. Finally, water is also a great way to attract birds and if there is a lack of a natural source around a birdbath can generally be very beneficial by offering something to drink from and bathe within. Be sure to keep it stocked regularly and if it freezes over during winter make sure to break the ice so it becomes accessible.

Always remember that gardens promote life and that can only be a good thing in today’s society. We need to find new and sustainable ways of promoting life and nature and not harm what is given to us. Beginning from our home, in our very back yard is exactly what needs to be done.

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Posted in conservation agriculture, farming, Furniture, Garden, home, Planning, tips, Wildlife

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