subject: Growing A Kitchen Herb Garden -- Some Valuable Tips [print this page] Aside from being an outstanding alternative for salt, homegrown fresh herbs will add healthy zest to any dish. Why not plant a kitchen herb garden today? Herbs are becoming popular day after day, most especially that famous culinary countries like Italy and China introduced their delectable dishes rich with herbs. In fact, expert chefs reveal that the best food preparations in the world today includes food cooked using some very important varieties of herbs. If you wish to have an indoor herb garden, you don't need a huge space.
If you wish to grow herbs for cooking, any spot in your kitchen and windowsill will serve you just fine. Herbs can thrive in any variety of environment and soil. It doesn't need to be huge because herb plants can grow anywhere and on any soil types. setting up a kitchen herb garden can also help reduce the space you need, simply because you can use pots or containers. If you love using herbs as much as I do, then I bet that you would agree that fresh herbs always taste better than the commercially available ones. It would also come in handy if you need a safe alternative for illness. With very minimal maintenance and care, you can grow fresh herbs indoors that will transform your dishes forever. It's very simple to do, and putting up a garden exclusively for herbs will ensure easy harvesting and convenient care!
Herbs normally grow in 2 different ways, perennial and annual.Those that grow during normal season and dies when the temperature hits freezing are called annual herbs. Some good examples of annuals are parsely, cilantro, marjoram, chamomile, chervil, dill and basil.Those that also grow year after are called perennial plants.Every year they only produce new leaves and continues to grow. Some good examples of perennials are chives, lovage, mint, lemon, balm, hyssop, thyme, sage, and lavender.
If you are new to herb planting, it's perfect to begin with plants. The reason behind this is that the commonly used herbs for cooking are difficultto start from seed. Probably the hardest part of growing a kitchen herb garden is deciding on which ones to grow. Here's my suggestion: why not simply go with what you normally add to your cooking? Let's get to know these herbs better.Are you ready to learn?
1. Sage - This herb belongs to the perennial category and is very attractive to herb planters. It has a strong flavor and is famous worldwide as it comes in many varieties.In Germany, the 'Berggarten' is very famous. However, the Sage is traditionally used in bread and also as a dressing for pork.
2. Parsley - is biennial. This type of herb grow grows in two seasons then dies.You would need to replace it after that.In Italy, parsley is an all-time favorite.Parsley has a feathery texture and gives a tangy flavor to salads, soups, dressings and sauces.The Japanese parsley has been creating a name too in the culinary industry.They said this Japanese food is a combination of celery leaves and Italian parsley.They're also used for garnishing and soups.
3. Thyme (perennial) - this variety of plant grows wider because it can easily spread. This is a special herb that has small flowers which can accent rock gardens, pathways and can beautifully carpet any garden.French thyme is by far the most widely used, and is popularly known for the exceptional flavor it lends to meats and vegetables. Its distinctive and spicy scent is what makes this herb interesting for chefs.Lemon thyme is also ideal for its aromatic foliage.
4. Rosemary (perennial) -is part of the mint group of plants and history recorded this grow as the oldest herb of the world.It has been traditionally used to alleviate headaches and boost memory.It is a pungent and potent herb, and provides a distinctive flavor to vegetables, poultry and breads.
Needless to say, selecting herb plants for your kitchen herb garden is both fun and exciting. Just don't get too carried away, or you might end up buying more plants than you can handle!
