Different varieties of plants for your herb garden
For a general understanding of the different varieties of herb garden plants, this article is a great place to start. As there are many different herbs, I recommend doing your own specific research on herbs that interest you. Like all other plants, herbs come as perennials, biennials and annuals. Let’s take a look -
Annuals – as the name suggests, last for only one growing season. You will have to plant them again, as seeds or small plants, the following year. These herbs, including basil and cilantro, are rather sensitive and will not survive a winter frost.
Biennials – will produce foliage (leaves) during their first growing season and their flowers during the next. After this second season they will die. herbs in this category include angelica, caraway and parsley. For best results, you should sow them directly in the soil during late spring.
Perennials – such as sage and winter savory are hardy plants which will survive year after year, even under frost conditions.
To prepare your soil for planting, it is a good idea to work it into a fine texture and moisten it slightly with water. The seeds should be planted in shallow rows, about an inch or so into the soil, then lightly covered and pressed down. A method to distribute finer seeds, is to mix them with sand. If conditions are somewhat dry, you can keep the soil moist during the germination process by covering with wet paper or towel.
Herbs are further categorized by the way in which they are used. These include culinary, aromatic, medicinal, and ornamental uses. Let’s take a brief look at each one -
Culinary Herbs – include all of the herbs you would use for cooking. They have many and varied uses, but due to their strong flavors are mostly used in small quantities to add flavor to foods (such as roasts!). A popular example of a culinary herb is parsley, which you see used as a garnish on the side of dishes. Other herbs in this category include chives, basil, thyme, sage, savory and marjoram.
Aromatic Herbs – as the name implies, emit a pleasant fragrance from their foliage or flowers. These herbs can be used in a number of ways in your home to enhance your environment, such as potpourri, which is, essentially, dried aromatic herbs. Lavender is great for this, and will keep for long periods dried. Some perfumes are made from aromatic herbs too, such as mint, rosemary and loyage.
Medicinal Herbs – certain herbs have a long standing reputation for curing ailments of the body and mind, promoting health. Recent medical studies show that certain herbs contain beneficial properties for health, but you must make sure to do your research first because some herbs can be harmful if incorrectly ingested.
Ornamental Herbs – these herbs are grown for their stunning flowers and foliage, which are often brightly colored and most pleasing to look at. Such herbs include chicory and borage, which have beautiful blue flowers.
Bear in mind that herbs are multi-purpose. Mint, for example, is used for brewing tea, for cooking and for use as a pest control. But whatever your reasons for growing herbs, an understanding of them will allow you to choose the herbs best suited to your desires.
