Popular Herbal Gardens
For gardeners who love to cook, or vice versa, it makes a lot of sense to cultivate your own herbs, and not just because of the culinary benefits these plants represent. Herb gardens can also be quite beautiful and even add panache to your entire landscape design.
Herbal gardens can come in many sizes, and for those gardeners with limited space, some herb bearing plants can grow between rows in regular vegetable patches, or even be placed in pots indoors on a window sill. This last method may actually be quite practical for the inexperienced gardener who is still learning and experimenting.
Some of the popular and easy growing herbal species, such as chives, sweet basil, dill, parsley, catnip, fennel, thyme, scented mints, sage, chamomile and lemon verbena can grow in the same climatic and soil conditions as other garden plants. However, and as strange as it may seem, herbs incline to be more flavorful when sprouted in substandard soil, which actually promotes the growth of the distinct foliage responsible for the herbs' characteristic aromas and flavors. This tolerance for sandy and even rocky soil makes a variety of herbs ideal specimens to be used as rock garden fillers, for sprucing up empty spaces in existing gardens, or as fragrant border plants, adding a touch of country charm.
For those gastronomes fond of specialty teas and foreign cuisine, growing your own exotic and rare herbs may come in handy when preparing those specialty dishes. 'Siam Queen' basil and kaffir lime are used in Tai food, while Astragalus, licorice or Huang Qi are Chinese herbs used for medicinal purposes. The difference with Chinese herbs is that they require a richer soil.
Growing a variety of herbs is a delightful and practical horticultural way that can add flavor, not only to your garden, but also to your annual backyard buffet and daily kitchen.