When you are planning your first herb garden, there are so many options and you should decide what you want to accomplish. Your concerns may be: indoor or outdoor or culinary cooking or medicinal or pest control or any combination.
at this point, you need to understand how to search for the herbs that work with you. To cover all aspects of this would require an entire e-Book; so, What I am trying to squeeze in here is categorizing herbs.
TYPES OF HERB GARDEN PLANTS
Botanists classify all plants, including herb garden plants, into three categories: Annuals, Biennials, and Perennials.
Annuals germinate, blossom, produce seed, and die in one growing season. Annual herbs examples would be sunflowers, petunias, and zinnias.
Biennials need two growing seasons to complete their life cycle. The first growing season is usually as a rosette and the second should produce some kind of flower or fruit and then the plant will die. Biennial herb garden plants include caraway and parsley.
Perennials are the majority of herb garden plants. Their life cycle lasts through many growing seasons. Herb examples are: aloe, angelica, chicory, catnip, fennel, feverfew and lavender.
Now for the good part.
CLASS OF HERBS
When planning or designing a new herb plant garden; consider how certain herbs benefit you and the maintenance to provide success. For example, Perennials will grow better when protected from frost but they are the only type that have mechanisms to survive some frost. Biennials are weak in this area and annuals just die. Be sure to research each plant you consider for your herb garden.
There are four classes of herbs are: CULINARY, MEDICINAL, AROMATIC, and ORNAMENTAl.
CULINARY HERBS are used to provide flavor and/or spice food. Some herbs provide both a flavor and a spice. For example coriander seeds (spice) and coriander leaves (flavor). Examples of flavor herbs are: basil, chives, marjoram, sage, savory and thyme.
MEDICINAL HERBS have been effectively used for thousands of years. Now referred to as alternative medicine. Here are some herbs with clinically proven benefits.
Ephedrine is an herb that has been used for bronchitis and asthma for thousands of years. It became so popular in modern times that the herb became scarce. It is mostly produced synthetically and you will often see it on your drug store shelf as Pseudoephedrine. Yarrow can be eaten to counter poisoning; but it must be eaten quickly. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. Dill or Dill oil has bee proven to soothe the stomach after meals. Konjac positively works on Atopic Dermatitis and high cholesterol. Bergamot Orange works on malaria. Hawthorn works on nervous tension. Horehound is an expectorant. Peppermint works on irritable bowel syndrome. Ginger can help ease nausea from chemotherapy.
And there are many more herbs that have clinically proven health benefits.
AROMATIC HERBS usually fit into more than one herb class. Many will benefit you in the culinary or medical areas as well. Here we will discuss their fragrance.
The most notable herb fragrance is lavender. The essential oils of lavender have long been used in sachets, perfumes, and aromatherapy. Sweet marjoram is a mint used in perfumed soaps and potpourri. Examples of the many, many wonderful herbal fragrances available.
ORNAMENTAL HERBS is another class where most of the herbs also fall into other classes; including aromatic herbs. The main focus here is that they are beautiful. Most gardeners use ornamental herbs at entryways or displays or to fill in the cracks and crevices of their herb garden design. A few examples are: ornamental oregano, roman chamomile, catmint, salem rosemary, borage, chicory, and anise hyssop.
I have more information than can be confined to one article. I hope this gives you a foundation to work with. Until we meet again.
ENJOY!
Roger Allan Roger Allan is an herb expert. For more information on herb garden plants, visithttp://www.herbgardening123.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Roger_Allan |
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