There are all types of old wives tales about herbs that cured coughs and colds.  Some people will talk about Grandma's tonic that cured what ailed them.  These are the herbal remedies that many people still use today.  Things like jewel weed to help relieve poison ivy or rose hips to add vitamin C are simple remedies that have been used for years.

There are many herbs which have some powerful healing properties.  These herbs can help with allergies, rashes, and other ailments.  Some of the herbs you find growing in the ditches and even in your own back yard can be useful for treating common problems like coughs, bee stings, and sore muscles.

There is always the possibility of an allergic reaction to any form of medication, whether prescribed, over the counter, or even natural herbs.  This is why it is always important to speak with a medical professional before you decide to try any type of self medication with natural herbs.  Just as some people are allergic to things like milk and strawberries, someone could be just as allergic to valerian or burdock.

In defense of the natural herb remedies, some of them seem to work better than the prescribed medications.  Clove oil can relieve a toothache as well as any gel you can buy.  Chamomile tea works wonders as a sleep aid.  Peppermint can help with heart burn better than some anti-acids.  When you start researching herbal remedies you may be surprised what these little weeds can do for your health.

There are many herbs growing all over the world.  Whether you call them weeds or herbs, the plants are everywhere.  These versatile wonders are used for everything from beautifying the landscape to accenting a meal.  You will find herbs on drugstore shelves, listed as herbal remedies.  There is no end to their use.

When you are in the garden, the anxiety and stress of the day seem to melt away.  There is no time for phone calls or car pools.  It is a time to relax and enjoy nature.  The smell of the natural herbs floating in the air is enough to make your mind wander to faraway lands.  You can create an entire paradise with the herbs you plant in the garden.

Herbs do not need to be contained in one section of the garden, either.  You can plant such herbs as echinacea and calendula right in the flower beds.  Black cohosh makes a fantastic backdrop to some of the other flowering herbs.

It is a joy to be able to walk outside and pull off a sprig of mint to chew on, or clip fresh basil for a truly awesome pesto sauce.  Knowing you have an entire spice shelf at your disposal can make you become a more creative chef.  You may find certain herbs are just naturally able to blend together, such as cloves and cinnamon or rosemary and oregano.

As you become more familiar with the herbs and the flavors they can add to your dishes, you will become inclined to use them.  You will also want to add some new varieties to the garden.  Knowing there is an herb for every dish, even cakes and cookies, can make you want more of the aromatic plants.

You will find yourself being willing to try new recipes just to experiment with the herbs.  The freshness in taste will show in every dish you create.  You will be complimented on the blend of seasonings you have added.

Whether you decide to plant an herb garden for the simple joy of it or because you want to have the spices on hand, the effort will pay off.  You can even pick the fresh herbs and dry them for gifts.  There is no end to the creative ways herbs will influence your lifestyle.

Just Max

Whether you live in a city apartment or you have snow in the ground, it is not reason enough not to enjoy having an herb garden of your own. Growing herbs indoors is just as easy as growing them outside in a garden. Indoor herb plants have the same needs as those grown outside. They need proper sunlight and a well-drained soil mix.

Choose a south or west bay window. You don’t need extensive home renovations to do this. Even though herbs have different light requirements, most herbs would need the most sunlight they can get. Herbs would need about 5-6 hours of exposure to the sun. If light is limited, make sure you rotate your plants so everyone gets a fair stab at growth. You don’t want to have stunted plants at the end of the year. During the winter, you can get fluorescent lamps or “grow lamps” to substitute for the lack of sunlight. Remember to place your herbs in a spot where there is no experience in extreme temperatures – don’t put below your heater or near a stove.

When planting your herbs, make sure the soil is not too rich by mixing two parts of potting soil and one part coarse sand or perlite. Add a cut of ground limestone for every bushel of soil. An allowance of an inch of gravel should be given at the bottom of each clay or ceramic pot to ensure proper drainage.

Watering your herbs is just as important as providing them with enough sunlight. Each herb has different watering needs but it is important to always keep the soil damp. You can use a little plate or container that matches the pot to absorb any excess water, so don’t be afraid to put a little water in everyday especially when you live in an over-heated apartment. Make sure you just damp the soil – soaking the soil can cause the roots to rot especially when the sprouts appear.

There are different sort of herbs. Annual herbs can be kept indoors for the whole year. However, it is much better for perennial herbs to be placed outdoors during the summer. To do this, fill your pot with soil up to its rim. You may want to keep it in a protected location like a porch or patio.

If you bring your plants outside your window for a time, make sure you bring them indoors before the chill comes to avoid loss of foliage and plant damage. Some herbs benefit from a light frost – on mint, chives and tarragon. Chilling them sort of puts them to sleep making them renewed and fresh.

It is easy to maintain an indoor herb garden if you plan it out carefully. Make sure you give your plants periodic light feeding. It is best if you can change pots annually. Seasonal moves for perennial plants are recommended. Consider each plant’s watering needs but still keep them damp for a general rule.

Herbs and herb gardens have recently caught the fancy of the people worldwide.  And more so, herbs are not restricted to be grown and enjoyed by a privileged few with large outdoor gardens or sprawling terraces.   Herbs can be grown indoors in your balcony or on the window shelf in pots.

Generally speaking growing herbs is nothing short of an adventure.   Right from the time you sow the seeds to watering them into saplings, herbs have caught the imagination of people where you can enjoy growing a plant and enjoy its produces in the form of leaves, barks, fruits or roots. Herbs are known since time immemorial for their culinary, medicinal and spiritual values amongst many.

It is not at all difficult to grow herbs by yourself.   All you need are a few tips and general guidelines as to how to grow own herb garden; and you will find nothing can be more satisfying than sowing, harvesting and using herb plants from your own herb garden.   All you must keep in mind is the conditions favorable for each particular herb.

While many herbs are most suitable when grown in an outdoor herb garden, there are also many herbs which can be grown in pots indoors. But make sure that they receive appropriate sir and sunlight. Just as it been seen in herb plants like parsley, basil and chervil which finds shade for one part of the day favorable for its growth; unlike, woody herbs such as rosemary thyme and sage which prefer a sunny location.

Growing herbs is a passion as well as an art. There were times when monks and nuns planted herbs in an attempt to induce spiritual and medicinal power of the herbs.   Then there were the monastic herb gardens since Renaissance Europe, which later converted to botanical gardens with the advent of renaissance in medical and botanical sciences.

However, when we speak of modern herb gardens, we are referring to herb gardening which may be exclusively functional or may be ornamental.   The impending trust of people in of alternative medicine is also encouraging people to grow and use fresh herbs – as the best sensitive medicine with the least side effect.

But before you start off growing herbs, make your priorities clear on why, which and how you wish to develop your own herb garden.   Do you want to grow culinary herbs to indulge on its aromatic flavors in your recipes; or explore a business opportunity by growing medicinal herbs?   But, all in all cultivating an herb garden is a great idea and an adventurous one too.

Herb gardens have caught the imagination of all who loves gardening, yet could not give much time to nurture their plants. Herbs are comparatively easy to maintain; be it outdoor herb gardening or indoor herb gardening.

In the present times when independent houses with sprawling lawns have made way to apartments with balconies or terraces, indoor herb gardening has become the most innovative methods of growing herbs. From window sills in your kitchen to your bedroom balconies, herbs can be one of the freshest entities in your living space.

Growing herbs for indoor herb gardening is easy, requiring little care but of course good sunlight. Many of you must be worried each year before the onset of winter, about the delicate herbs in your garden. Will they be able to withstand the chill and the frost of the winter? Stop worrying and pave way for indoor herb gardening. And do not need to make drastic changes in your house to indulge in your passion for growing herbs.

So, how to grow own herb garden is the obvious question. All that you need is a south or west facing open space (maybe a window sill or balcony); which receives sunlight for at least five hours a day. If you are confused as to how to start off with your indoor herb gardening, here’s a tip: Thyme, rosemary and mint are good options as starters for your indoor herb garden. You can either buy them from a florist or grow them from cuttings.

If you intend to start your indoor herb gardening with cuttings or through transplant, allow the soil to dry out slightly. You can start off initially by growing herbs in a soil-less mix of perlite, peat and vermiculite. Also, make sure that your indoor herb garden should get plenty of light, without being exposed to extreme heat.

On the other hand, if you wish to grow herbs for your indoor herb garden with seeds, you can start off with filling terracotta or a clay pot (preferably) with potting soil that is available from any florist or greenhouse. Then, all you need to do is to place the seeds in soil to a certain depth as specified on the packet and sprinkle them with water. Now, keep these pots on the window shelf facing the south or west so that they can get sufficient sunlight.

To give the extra glamour to your indoor herb gardening, pots of same material shape and size to add symmetry. Also, make sure that you buy herb seeds marked as ‘compact’ meant to be grown in pots, instead of the regular ones.

Storing herbs in oil is also a good way to preserve the flavor.  As long as the oil stays fresh you can keep the herbs.  Make sure the leaves are dry and insert into an oil filled jar.  This will preserve the flavor.  If the oil goes bad, which usually happens in six months or so, the herbs must be disposed of.  One of the benefits of preserving the herbs in the oil is you will wind up with an herbal oil which is excellent in cooking.

Boiling water can be a challenge to the beginning cook.  Add some herbs to that pot of water and you have the basis for a great soup.   Any dish can be enhanced with the use of herbs.  Their natural fragrance and flavor just add that perfect blend to make a meal complete.

Herbs like oregano and basil are the base of many Italian dishes.  Cilantro and Cumin are what make Mexican dishes taste so authentic.  More exotic spices like allspice and ginger can add beauty to the kitchen as well as tasteful treats to the mouth.

There is a difference between using fresh and dried herbs in cooking.  The fresh herbs add a delicate flavor. The essential oil is not as concentrated as it is in the dried herbs.  The general rule of thumb when using dried herbs is 1 teaspoon dried to 1 tablespoon fresh herbs.

You can blend herbs together to make many different fragrances and flavors.  Some of the most popular seem to almost compliment each other as well as the food we put them in.

For some of us, natural is the way to go.  With an endless supply of fresh herbs, which you can dry, there is no end to the mixes you can make for dips and salsas, or spreads and appetizers.

There are many dishes you can make yourself instead of buying the boxed version.  Fresher is better every time.  When you taste the recipe which you have made with your own natural herbs, you may never want to use the boxed stuff again.

When you are storing the herbs you have collected there are many methods to investigate.  Some will work better than others.  It is all a matter of preference.  You can read through and decide what will work for you.

The first method which many people find very simple is freezing.  There are two ways to freeze herbs.  You can collect the fresh leaves and put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer.  When the leaves have been frozen completely, just place them in a storage bag, label the bag with the date and contents, and stick it back in the freezer.  Just do not expect the herbs to act or look like fresh when you thaw them.  They will still be good for cooking.

Another way to freeze the fresh herbs is one of my favorites.  Fill an ice cube tray with the chopped leaves from the herb plant you desire.  Fill the tray with water and freeze.  When the ice cubes have completely frozen, separate them and put them into freezer bags which you have labeled.  You can then take them out of the freezer one cube at a time to add to stews, soups, and other dishes.

I will say that you can store dried herbs in the freezer as well.  This can keep them from becoming rancid from being stored too long.  This is a good precautionary method in case you did not let the herbs dry long enough.  There are times when you think the herbs are dry but you find later they are mildewing in the jars.  This means moisture still existed in the leaves.  When you freeze the dried herbs, if there is any moisture, it will not affect the herbs.

Many times you will find it is easy to store dried herbs in containers.  The best container is one which does not let in light.  You can find many apothecary jars with tight fitting lids or even rubber seals. These are the perfect storage containers.  With a dark colored jar or bottle the light cannot get to the herbs.  Making sure the lid seals properly assures no air can get into the herbs, as well.

The new plants are a little temperamental.  You cannot ignore them and expect them to survive.  Proper lighting and watering are needed to make them grow.  As they get bigger you will want to transplant them into containers so they can grow stronger for the outdoors.

The soil you transplant the new herb seedlings should be light and loose.  You will want the roots to be able to breathe and not drown.  Proper drainage is necessary when you re-pot the plants, as well.  Keep the pots a little on the small side.  You want the plants to develop a good rooting system, but you want to force some growth up top as well.

As the plants mature you will want to weather them.  This is nothing more than taking them outside for a breath of fresh air.  When the weather is warm enough, you can take the new plants outside to soak up the bright sunlight.  This will acclimate the plants to the outdoors.

If you do not include this step, the plants can go into shock.  Just putting them straight into the garden without any gentle acclimation could cause the young plants to die.  They are not used to the colder nights and brighter days.  This tends to put them into a state of shock.  Plants do not like shock.

Once you have weathered the plants for about a week or so, you can start to transplant them into the garden.  Select the spot where you want each herb to grow.  I guarantee this is not where they will stay.  Natural herbs tend to spread and spread they will.  They will spread all over the place if you let them.  The nice thing about herbs is the reason you are growing them is to use them.  To use herbs you must prune the plant.  Pruning and clipping cuts down on the growth and spreading.  There is a way to keep your herb garden under control.

You can always grow them in a container.  This will make sure growth and spreading do not get out of hand.

Watering of a new planting system can be hard.  This is why I recommend a self watering system.  The soil does not dry out nor does it get too moist.  The moisture stays just right for the seeds to germinate.

Some people put the seed trays on heat pads to keep the soil warm. This is not necessary for germination.  You should cover the trays with some sort of lid.  Many of the trays come with lids.  If your tray does not have one you can make one out of plastic wrap. Just make sure to remove the plastic once the plants start appearing.

It can take up to two weeks for some of the herb seeds to start germinating.  When they do you will see the little sprouts everywhere. Do not try to thin them at this point.  You should, however remove the plastic.  One tip you may want to take advantage of is this.  The plants were in a warm place while the lid or plastic was on.  You may want to remove the lid for a few hours each day for a couple of day to allow the young plants to acclimate.

This will allow the seedlings to get used to the colder air of the house.  It will also keep in some of the extra moisture needed by the plants as they grow.

There is no need to fertilize the young plants at this point.   That will come soon enough.  You will want the plants to get stronger and a little bigger.  When the first true leaves have formed, not as they are forming but when they have formed, you can start to weed out the excess plants.  Thin the plants to about two inches or more apart.  You must remember that natural herbs are actually weeds.  The strongest will survive.

The plants you start in the garden must not be planted until after the last frost is over.  The ground must be warm and ready for growing.  If you plant too soon the seeds will only rot and not germinate.  The most successful way is to start the seeds indoors.  This way there is no chance of the weather turning and having the seeds die.

To start the seeds indoors, it is best to use gardening trays.  You can mark each tray with the seed variety you have planted in them.  This makes it easy to know which is which.  At an early stage they will all look the same.  The trays can be purchased in either a self watering variety or you can maintain a constant watering source for them.  The herbs are not really hard to grow at all.  You just have to have patience.

You will want to use a sterile medium for starting seeds.  This can be as simple as a good potting soil.  One that is full of sticks and other debris may still hold contaminates.  This is not a good potting soil to start the seeds in.

You can use this soil for later use when potting the plants, but do not use it to start your seeds.  Some people have had success with it, and some have had major disappointments.  It is always safer to just buy a good potting soil with no contaminates.

The soil can be put into the trays for the seeds at about two inches deep.  This will allow the new plants to generate a good rooting system.  The plant's life is in its roots.  You need to make sure the roots will be able to expand.

Herb gardening is becoming more and more popular every day, and for a good reason.  Herbs have practical value, serve a purpose, and with herb gardening you can actually use your plants.  When most people think of herb gardening they automatically think of cooking, but herbs are also grown for their pleasant aroma and their beauty.

One important part of herb gardening is drying the herbs for use during the winter months, especially if you plan on cooking with them.  First the tops of leafy herbs have to be cut, washed, and hung up for the water to evaporate.  Then, tie stems together and hang up in a paper bag to dry.  After two to three weeks they must be removed; crumble the leaves, dry them out in the oven, and store in a glass jar.

One of the most common herbs gown in herb gardening is basil.  “Dark Opal” and regular green basil are beautiful additions to any garden and often used as decoration.  Dark Opal has light pink flowers and dark red leaves.  Basil isn’t just used for its looks; it is used for extra flavor in tomato juices and pastes.

Chives are very petite looking and resemble a blade of grass.  They are much stronger than they look, however, and will grow well through a drought and a drought.  Their toughness and sturdiness makes Chives a perfect plant for herb gardening, especially if the gardener doesn’t want plants that require a lot of hassle.  Chives are good used in salads, egg dishes, and many different sauces.

Mint is also very simple to grow and is good to use in mint jelly, mint juleps, lemonade, and any other kind of fruity drink.  Mint is also good in herb gardening for its unique minty smell.  Two herbs that appear in nearly everyone’s herb garden are thyme and sage.  Both of these herb gardening favorites are used for flavoring soups, chicken, turkey, pork, and other sausages.  Sage is also grown sometimes for its beautiful blue spiked flowers.

Lavender is probably the best smelling herb in all of herb gardening and is often used in candles, as a perfume scent, and to improve the smell in linen chests.  The light purple flowers smell absolutely lovely.

Other types of herbs often grown in herb gardening include borage (used in salads), chervil (used in egg dishes), sweet marjoram (flavors lamb, fish, salad, and soup), sesame (flavors crackers, cookies, and bread), and dill (flavors meats and used in pickles).  Herb gardening allows gardeners to use herbs from their own garden for cooking, looks, and smell.  Herb gardening will produce much fresher herbs with more flavor than store-bought herbs, and are a lot cheaper.