Basic Herb Garden - Herbs - Herbs Tips and Herb Benefits

Small Plot Gardening

When it comes to gardening people always think about large plots to grow their favorite plants, flowers and herbs. The truth is you can fulfill your dreams by using your own small plot and make it as high-yield organic produce garden. You don’t have to be good or experienced farmer to grow herbs and flowers. Small plot gardening is new concept and is gaining popularity in western world.

Growing more agriculture produce and in quality comes from smart farming. Countries with a large land mass are not the one who produce more agriculture products per acre. The list complied by the United Nations shows “Republic of China (Taiwan)”, “Egypt”, “Netherland”, and “Belgium” as the top four nations. What ever happened to America, Canada and Russia, the countries which have bigger land mass and still don’t produce more agriculture produce per acre. It all boils down to innovative techniques used in smart farming.

In today’s market growing your own vegetables and herbs can save you a lot. Not to mention eating organic produce and the benefits you get from eating fresh vegetables and herbs grown in your backyard. You can use your front yard or backyard to grow flowers, vegetables and herbs. Even if you live in a apartment still this shouldn’t curtail your dream of growing herbs and flowers. Today you have a option of growing herbs in hanging baskets or in a small containers, which can be placed in a lighted area where they can get enough air and sunshine.

Look at the population growth in the world. We are about to touch the 7 billion mark and according to the latest population statistic by 2040 our population will be around 8 or 9 billion people. Imagine in next 20-30 years, how much pressure will it puts on the farming community?

The recent survey about small farms shows that there is a growing trend of small farms in urban areas and there also is a growing interest in commercial farming. With the help of technology and better efficient farming methods commercial farmers will be growing vegetables, herbs and flowers in city. The space is not an issue with modern farming. A 12 story building spread across 5 acre area can produce enough vegetables for small city of population less then 200,000. This concept is called vertical farming and it is gaining popularity in cities across world. I guess this will be part of solution to the growing population.

TIP: Growing onions around your vegetable gardens will save your garden from bugs and insects.

Thyme Herb Garden

What is Thyme:
Thyme herb is one of many other herbs which belong to mint family. Since this herb comes from mint family the use of Thyme in culinary dishes is widely used. This herb comes in several varieties such as common thyme and lemon thyme. The most popular is common thyme. The common thyme grows up to 4-8 inches tall has stiff stem and leaves in gray and green colors. Thyme has antiseptic properties and because of this ancient Egyptians used it as spice to mummies to keep them fresh. That is the reason many restaurant owners and individuals go for Thyme Herb garden.
Growing Thyme Herb:
Thyme herbs requires open ground for full sun shine and does well in well drained soil. The stem of herb over the period becomes woody and needs to replace after every four or five years.
Thyme Herb Harvesting:
The process of harvesting thyme herb is simple. First cut stem with leaves and let them dry in open area. Once leaves are dry completely remove the stem from leaves. The separated dry leaves are stored in air tight container. Now herb is ready for use.
Thyme Herb Properties:
The known properties of thyme herb are antiseptic and uniqueness of digesting fats. Ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians used it in culinary dishes for flavor and taste. In modern world all restaurants use this herb in meat dishes for flavor and health properties. Another use of herb is to power dry leaves and then spray it on biscuits, breads, pizza and other traditional bread. Regardless of herb use it taste better and brings flavor in cooked dish.

Thyme Side Effect:
Although this herb is safe as it is widely used in cooking dishes. Still the known symptoms of side effect are rash, itching, swelling and dizziness. Contact your doctor for any side effect for using thyme herb.

Making your own Thyme herb garden is easy just plan for open space and plant seeds in well drained soil. Best part about thyme herb is that it can be harvested few times in a year.

Herb Garden Indoor

If you are looking information on Herb container Gardening, I would assume by now you have already decided on growing Herb in your home. You must be debating where to grow herbs in pots, containers or in your backyard. What place to use backyard, balcony, patio or use hanging herb baskets to grow herbs? All these questions are valid and useful to think in advance before drafting plan for Herb Garden Indoor.

The first point is to set your garden size, regardless you are growing indoor or outdoor. In case you are using indoor space such as close to kitchen or in your balcony etc. Note down dimensions of your area to be used for growing herbs. Divide marked area into manageable containers size. The popular containers used in indoor herb garden are 5-10 inches deep containers or 6” cup for individual herb plant. In case you want to differentiate between herbs grow them in cluster in separate containers such as mint in one container and parsley in another container. You can also label your individual plant cups for easy identification.

The 10 or 12” can accommodate up to 4 herbs. You can grow 4 herbs of same type or variety in one container. Depending upon the size of the area you are using for herb garden you can add more containers. Ensure proper drainage in containers and are placed close to sunshine area. They need few hours of sunshine to survive.

The real result of growing herbs will depend upon how well you design herb garden, what size of containers you use, how well you use potting soil and how well plants are given water and sunshine. Also not all herb plants will can be grown in container, some plants are grow tall such as “Dill”, you don’t want scene fo small tree in your kitchen. All these factors are important in growing herbs in container. One of the reasons why herbs containers are placed close to kitchen is that you will see them when you are cooking. This will ensure their use in your daily cooking.

The best practice is to first seed the herbs in individual plant cups, usually 6” inch long. Wait for few days to week to let baby plant come out. Keep container ready with soil and make right depth for plant transplant from plant cup to container. Peel outer layer of plant cup without disturbing plant root and place it in herb container. Place soil around the plant in container. Ensure right amount of water is given to planted herb. Too much or little water can destroy the plant.

Read more about this subject before putting plan in action. This is all about Herb Garden Indoor.

Rosemary Herb Recipes

 What is Rosemary Herb
Rosemary bushes are among people’s favorite plants. The rosemary herb looks good and it helps you create great meals. Rosemary bushes are sturdy and they can survive dry summers or cold winters. Plus, you can pick the herb all year round and use them for cooking or medicinal purposes. One of my favorite recipes is the rosemary herb bread.

For example, you can do Roast Lamb with rosemary and some garlic. It will give a specific scent and you will love the taste. It is one of those spices that will make cooking seem easy. You can add a glass of wine to that roast lamb and serve it with some salad. You friends will love it! Add some butternut squash if you want to.

Another great rosemary recipe is the Rosemary Cake presented in the Nigella Lawson’s book ‘Feast’. The cake is presented in the Funeral Feat category. She says that rosemary is the remembrance herb. This type of cake works for many occasions because it is not too sweet, and not to spiced. You have to add apples into it and the rosemary herb will transform it into a aromatic treat. While the rosemary is placed on top of the cake, it releases some aromatic oils into the treat. Many people love it.

Also, you can try to make rosemary herb tea. You have to put a cup of hot boiling water over the rosemary leaves and let it stand there for up to 10 minutes. This is one revitalizing tea that will relieve your stress. Also, it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Plus, you can drink this tea for medicinal purposes because it will allow you to absorb calcium. These are a few reasons why you can start planting a rosemary bush in your garden or in a pot. It will take just a few minutes and taking care of it is very easy to do.

Rosemary Herb growing

                                                      What is Rosemary Herb Growing
Rosemary herbs are appreciated for their medicinal, decorative and culinary purposes. Rosemary herb will add a lot of flavor to your dish and it is also a great stimulant. The small blue flowers will appear during spring and because of the beautiful blue color, rosemary herbs are used as colorful hedges for the home. Plus, from the rosemary herb you can extract an oil used in perfumes and liniments. These are a few reasons why you can grow rosemary herbs in your own apartment or home. Rosemary herbs medicinal purposes are another point in the favor of growing these plants.

Also, you should know that the rosemary herbs come from the Mediterranean and they belong to a family of plants called Lamiaceae. The Latin name is Rosmarinus Officinalis which can be translated as “dew of the sea”. Plus, growing them at home is a very easy task.

Tips on growing rosemary herb:

Selecting a good location

Think of a good location before you start growing them. If your home is in a location where frost appears rarely, you can grow them on the ground. But if you experience hard winters, you may want to put the herbs in containers or pots. Use a good, well drained soil and make sure the plant has at least 6 h of sunlight each day.

Planting the right parts

Cutting them is a very common process. You need to cut them 2 inches from the soft grown herb. You can then take the parts and dip them in rotting hormone and place them in a container that is placed in a location away from direct sunlight. When you see roots appearing, then you can transplant them into the garden.
In conclusion, taking care of a rosemary bush in your home or apartment, is an easy task and following these few steps is the best way to achieve this purpose.

What is Aloe Vera

One of the famous herbs used widely in world is Aloe Vera. The use of Aloe Vera differs from place to place. The herb is also known as medicinal Aloe. This plant belongs to succulent plant species and is found in various part of the world.

The description of plant can be summarized in three sections, first plant has short stem and usually grows in the range of 50-100 cm. Because of being short stem, it is thick at bottom. The color of stem is green and a variation in grey-green. Secondly plant blossoms flowers in summer with yellow corolla at top. Third this plant has ability to access minerals from ground. This plant is good at accessing mineral nutrients from soil.

As in the case of other herbs here too are many contradictions in respect to the use and benefits of aloe Vera. Overall, it is considered useful in the treatment of diabetes and also in the cases of high blood lipids. It is considered great source of providing minerals, amino acids and vitamins necessary for strengthening immune system and building body blocks. Many compounds are found in herb because of which it carries these benefits. The known compounds found in aloe Vera are Mannans, Lectins and Polysaccharides etc.

Aloe Vera Benefits

1. Aloe Vera cleans gums and keeps mouth and teeth clean.
2. Aloe Vera can be used for cuts and burn.
3. Aloe juice is taken for digestive conditions. It has ability to suppress heart burns.
4. Good source to boost energy level in body.
5. Highly used for skin care to maintain skin beauty.
6. People get surprised to read label of Aloe Vera drinks with long range of minerals it possess (Copper, zinc, potassium, iron and calcium are some from long list).

Aloe Vera is great source of vitamins. The common vitamins found in Aloe Vera are B1, B2, B6, B12, vitamin C & E.

A daily dose of Aloe Vera will ensure you have right amount of minerals, vitamins available to your body. As in the case of all herbs, please check with your doctor what amount of Aloe Vera you should take.

Herb Container Gardening

Herb Container Gardening

If you are looking information on Herb container Gardening, I would assume by now you have already decided on growing herbs in your home. You must be debating where to grow herbs in pots, containers or in your backyard. What place to use backyard, balcony, patio or use hanging herb baskets to grow herbs? All these questions are valid and useful to think in advance before drafting a plan for herb container gardening.

The first point is to set your garden size, regardless if you are growing indoor or outdoor. In case you are using indoor space such as close to kitchen or in your balcony etc. Note down dimensions of your area to be used for growing herbs. Divide marked area into manageable containers size. The popular containers used in indoor herb garden are 5-10 inches deep containers or 6” cup for individual herb plant. In case you want to differentiate between herbs grow them in cluster in separate containers such as mint in one container and parsley in another container. You can also label your individual plant cups for easy identification.

The 10 or 12” can accommodate up to 4 herbs. You can grow 4 herbs of same type or variety in one container. Depending upon the size of the area you are using for herb garden you can add more containers. Ensure proper drainage is there in containers and are placed close to sunshine area. They need few hours of sunshine to survive.

The real result of growing herbs will depend upon how well you design herb garden, what size of containers you use, how well you use potting soil and how well plants are given water and sunshine. Also not all herb plants can be grown in container, some plants are grow tall such as “Dill”, you don’t want small trees in your kitchen. All these factors are important in growing herbs in container. One of the reasons why herbs containers are placed close to kitchen is that you will see them when you are cooking. This will ensure their use in your daily cooking.

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The best practice is to first seed the herbs in individual plant cups, usually 6” inch long. Wait for few days to week to let baby plant come out. Keep container ready with soil and make right depth for plant transplant from plant cup to container. Peel outer layer of plant cup without disturbing plant root and place it in herb container. Place soil around the plant in container. Ensure right amount of water is given to planted herb. Too much or little water can destroy the plant. Once all plant precautions are taken results will be in front of you in form of healthy herb plants.

Basic Herb Garden

Basic Herb Garden

Recently I was with my wife shopping grocery at local grocery store close to our home. This grocery store belongs to leading super market grocery chain. At the checking counter I was surprised to see the price for herbs I bought at this store. The herbs I bought were parsley, mint, basil and cilantro. The combined bill for these four herbs was $7. I looked at my wife and said you know, we can grow these herbs in our backyard year around and save some money and same time spend some quality time with nature.

Months have passed and I was back in my backyard looking proudly at my small basic herb garden. Tracing back to my steps, which were essential in achieving fresh herb garden. First I cleaned the land from any weed, grass and other derbies to make way for clean soil to be used for herb growing. I chose to start herb garden outside as I had previous experience of growing plants from seed. One has option of getting baby herb plants from garden stores and growing them directly in clay pots. After cleaning area I took disposable plant cups for planting herb seeds. These disposable cups one can get from gardening store or gardening shop. The seeds are planted in these cups and when baby plant is out, you can peel the outer layer of cup and plant herb in soil bed. Once herbs are planted in soil all they need is right amount of water and good sunlight.

The other approach is more professional and systematic way of growing herbs. In this approach one can get big containers square or rectangular from gardening shop. Also get soil bag, which will be used to fill these containers for growing herbs. The containers are useful for two reasons. One they are potable and can be moved in or out of house in extreme weather conditions. Second it is easy to organize the herbs by classification in containers for easy identity and differentiating from other herbs.

You may also want to zero on your requirements, such as what kind of herbs you are going to use either for cooking or for medicinal purpose. What will be right amount of herbs you would like to grow in your basic herb garden? In my case I wanted herbs for cooking. That is why I chose four types of herbs of our liking and taste.

Now you don’t have to get disappointed if you live in apartment, which does not have land space available to create basic herb garden. People living in apartments can use hanging baskets for growing herbs. The process of growing herbs is similar just make sure herbs get enough water and are placed close to sunlight area.

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Things to watch while growing basic herbs are extreme weather condition, effective drainage system and right amount of sunlight. Watch for weeds, insets, especially plant eating insects. If you are able to have one basic herb garden for yourself, share your experience on basicherb.com.

Read more on Indian Herbs .. Cure from Indian Herbs

Alfalfa Herb and its Benefits

Alfalfa herb is well known plant in desert areas. Its name originates from the Arabic (al-fac-facah). In Arabic it means father of all food. The plant is also known under different names such as Medicago sativa, holy-hay, lucerne, and trefoil.

The Alfalfa plant is rich in certain vitamins. The vitamins found in herb are “C”, “E”, and vitamin “K”. The eatable part of plants are stem, seed, sprouts,  the herb is used as source of food and also used in tea. It is available in local grocery stores close to areas where it gets cultivated. People eat Alfalfa sprouts as part of salad and part of vegetable dishes. Another use of herb is as medicinal herb. Its leaves, sprouts after processing are stuffed in capsules. The capsules are sold at herbal drug stores.

The dry leaves of Alfalfa herbs are used for making tea. Typically one or two spoons of herbs are mixed in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Regardless of how you are taking Alfalfa, either in the form of tea or in the form of medicinal capsules, read labels on tea packet and on capsule packet for directions. As in the case of all herbs, always take advice from your doctor to see it is safe for you to take herbs.

The known benefits of Alfalfa herbs are high is vitamin K, which helps in forming the clot thus trapping red cells. It also works well with other vitamins notably vitamin D in strengthening bones. The herb is also used as homeopathic medicine for breastfeeding mothers to stimulate milk production.

The known side effects of Alfalfa herb are its interaction with certain medical conditions. Those patients under kidney transplant taking anti rejection drugs should avoid taking herb. In case of any medical condition please check with doctor before taking this herb.

Alfalfa Herb Facts

The Alfalfa herb is found in desert.
The Alfalfa plant is eatable.
The name of Alfalfa herb came from Arabia.
The Alfalfa herb is good source of vitamin C, E and K.
The dry leaves of Alfalfa herb are used in tea.
Avoid use of herb in certain medical condition.
Always read labels on tea packets and capsule boxes.
Take advice from Doctor before using herbs.

Agrimony Herb - Benefits of Agrimony Herb

What is Agrimony Herb?

One of the common herbs found in abundance throughout the England and other countries in Europe. Agrimony herb had great reputation of making power drink in past. At one point this herb was referred as philanthropic because of its medicinal properties. In herb world it is considered as one of the old traditional medicinal herbs used for variety of reasons.

The use of Agrimony herb differs place to place. In Europe it was used to create power drink to purify the blood in body and also used for common elements such as flu, cold etc. The important ingredient in Agrimony herb contains Tannin. In many parts of the world it is used for diarrhea and herb paste for blemishes and pimples. One of the best property in all herbs is that their range of cure. It is also true for Agrimony. It is also known for successfully curing Jaundice and some skin diseases.

Agrimony Plant & Flower: Agrimony Plants is in green color and is covered with soft hairs. Most of the herbs come with some amount of scent so is Agrimony plant. Its flowers emit apricot scent. It’s dry leaves carry scent for long time. The dry leaves can be used for potpourri. The flowers on Agrimony plant come in yellow color with egg shaped like petals.

Agrimony Tea: This herb is also used in making Agrimony Tea. The benefit of Agrimony tea are many, it is used for viral, diarrhea, digestion, common element like cough/flu etc. The preparation of tea is very easy. Mix one or two spoons of dry Agrimony herb leaves in one cup of boiling water. Keep herbs in boiling water for 10-15 minutes to infuse herbs in water. In certain medical condition taking Agrimony herb is not good. Those with blood pressure or under any medication condition should ask doctor for recommended doses.

Agrimony side effects: The use of Agrimony should be done through a herbal expert or through a doctor. The higher doses of Agrimony taken for longer period of time can lead to breathing, skin or internal body issues.

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Acerola Cherry - Benefits of Acerola

 

Acai Berry - Highest Antioxidant Fruit in World

During my recent visit to china market, San Francisco, I came across Acai herb. This place is frequently visited by herb lovers and retailers to get fresh and processed herbs at cheaper price. Not long ago I was discussing antioxidant properties with my friend who is a big lover of herbs. During our discussion and subsequent research we found Acai Berry is one of the highest antioxidant fruit in world. No wonder because of its high properties in antioxidant it is considered healthiest plant based food in world. The news about its antioxidant power has made it number one choice for health companies all around the world. Researchers and scientist have done extensive research on this product in lab to verify and authenticate claims made by locals in Amazon area.

Acai Fruit grows on Acai Palm trees found in South America (Brazil Amazon jungles). The fruit is in the shape of round much like grapes. The fruit has less pulp and more seed and the color of fruit is purple. Once it is plucked from trees, its shell life is very little. It doesn’t survive for longer period and neither can it be transported to remote locations unless it has been frozen and packed for long distance. That is the reason you don’t see it in local stores or farmers market in your area. Some local companies take out pulp from Acai Berry and freeze it before shipping it to destination all over the world. The frozen pulp is used in juice or smoothies at juice bar and restaurants.

Acai Berry Diet comes into different variety such as fresh juice, frozen pulp used in juice or smoothies. On the other hand health companies process Acai Berry fruit into high-energy pills and liquids for herb lovers. The fruit helps in maintaining the PH level, which is important to balance immune system in body. Research has shown that Acai berry has qualities of improving strength, antioxidant to human body. Apart from having qualities like disease fighting strength it is also a good source of fiber.

While there is lot to tell good about this herb one should watch for internet scams.  Acai Berry scams are common on Internet many buyers have been duped for large sums in response to cheep deals floated on internet. Because of its popularity and growing demands many con guys are operating to luring genuine buyers either by cheep deals or showing fake results etc. The result is many people have suffered health problems by taking fake products or simply have not received goods against their payments. Best is to buy herb product from a place where it can be returned such as reputed grocery stores or drug stores.

As such there is no side effect from taking Acai Berry. The only known side effect of Acai Berry is decreased appetite. Although this is not a big deal to many people as the advantages over other fruits and benefits by Akai berries are in greater number.

Regardless of your medical condition, it is always good to take advice from your doctor about taking any herb for strength or for curing common diseases such as flu, cold, cough, pain etc.

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Why Chinese Herbs

ABOUT CHINESE HERBS

It may sound funny to use herbs in 21st century, the era of modern age with gadgets and gizmos. This is the world where we live on fast food and fast cars, 24 hour fitness center and work 7/24/365 schedule in a connected world.  With this ever increasing pressure on our body we are loosing energy in our body and our digestion system is taking hard pounding with fast food high in cholesterol and sodium.

Here comes concept of using Chinese herbs in energy drinks, cooking recipes and as herbal medicine to prevent diseases and increases body metabolism.  When we talk about Chinese herbs, we talk about thousands of years experience in dealing with herb plants which are good for human body both as medicine and as energy enhancer.  Today Chinese herbs are used in cooking products, herb medicines, and herbal makeup products and in energy boost drinks. Chinese philosophy is to take good diet, good exercise and suitable herbs either with cooking recipes, energy drinks or as supplemental herb medicines.

There belief is based on their ancient herb medicines and herb knowledge passed on by generation after generation.  In modern world with trade at round the clock and internet has made possible to share information about herbs and their use. People have started finding truth about these herbs which at one point was only known to locals. Today even scientist after lab test have acknowledged their strength and how they can benefit human body. It is no longer a medieval thing, herbs are now used in most of the homes in one or other way. Some use it in drinks, some as spices and widely used as medicine products.