BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Herbs What would you like to see?

I can certainly think of plenty of article ideas for the main page, but I am here to write for you, my readers. If it weren't for you, there would *be* no site.

If there is something that you would particularly like to see an article on, please let me know!

Speak up!


(If you don't feel comfortable writing any suggestions here, please feel free to contact me through the main page.)

I know NOTHING about gardening or planting herbs Jennie! One thing I would be interested in is planting little wee herbs and keeping them in my kitchen. I have several house plants that I've had for going on 5 years and they seem to be doing alright :whew: Eventually I'd like to move them into an official garden outside, but for now our garden is non-do-able. So any hints on keeping simple, yet useful, herbs in my house would be MUCH appreciated!

I'm already working up towards that, Deanna. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I'm writing in a rotation on various subjects (gardening, herb profiles, common problems that can be treated with herbs, etc.) Kitchen-window gardens was already planned to be my next gardening article... first I had to get through how to choose which herbs to use, then whether to get plants or seeds. Now comes what to *do* with those plants or seeds that you have chosen from the available herbs. :-D

Thanks for the great suggestion, though!

Awesome! I've read through some of your articles and decided I will start with already grown plants. I'm in southern california and want something that can go from my kitchen to the outside garden in a year or so.

I would really like to grow at least lavender and rosemary. Are they hard to take care of?? I would like to start with some easy plants. Oooh, I would also like to grow mint!

What do you think?

I've got your article up. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> You can find it at Growing an Indoor Herb Garden.

Lavender and Rosemary are both wonderful starter plants. They are very easy to take care of, and generally quite hardy. And if your forget to water them now and then, they're only happier, unless it goes for a long time. Mint is also quite good, but keep in mind if you put it outside in a garden, have some way to keep it from taking over. It can be slightly temperamental, but once you figure out what it wants, it flourishes to ridiculous lengths.

Another I would recommend from personal taste is Thyme. It is also hardy and easy to grow like Lavender and Rosemary, and I use it in almost everything I cook, lol.

Jennie,

I LOVED the article! You make it sound SOOOOO easy <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Geranium is an herb????

I definately want to go with the mint, rosemary, lavender and thyme. I may even try chamomile.

My girlfriend gave me some thyme once. Just driving home with it in my car was heavenly, and the aroma lingered for a couple of days.

Thanks so much!

It really isn't hard. Make sure they get the right amount of light(too much is better than too little), and the right amount of water(for most too little is better than too much <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> ), and make sure your cats don't eat them (this is my biggest problem, lol!) and that's all there is to it. Just remember to 'feed' them with fertilizer now and then, since there are only so many nutrients available in a little pot of soil.

And if you haven't discovered the wonders of Thyme as a cooking herb, I *highly* recommend getting at *least* one plant and trying it. I have three nice bushy plants, and they aren't even enough to keep up with my use; I still have to get dried Thyme from the store. One nice long mainbranch is just enough for one pot of spaghetti for me! lol

Rosemary and Thyme you want to snip off flower buds as they form, as flowering detracts from the flavor of the rest of the plant and severely slows growth. Mint it doesn't really matter... and of course, Lavender (and Chamomile if you choose to try it too) you want to encourage flowering, since that's the usable part of the plant.

Although Chamomile is not very difficult to grow, it can be very frustrating for the small-time gardener, simply because of how much is needed to make even one cup of tea. If your plant is *very* prolific, you may get two or three cups of tea from each plant's crop of flowers. But, it is a lovely plant in its own right, so certainly don't leave it out if you want it. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />



Anyone else have a particular article they'd like to see?

I'd love to know how exactly to make tea out of fresh herbs. I've tried to make it with mint several times, after drying the mint in the oven, but it never really seems to work as well as store-bought mint tea.

Megan, for every teaspoonful of dried herbs you use, you need as much fresh as will fit into your loose fist... a semi-tight ball the size of a satsuma or mandarin...and don't dry them in the oven....use them fresh.
To begin with, this will be a bit hit-and-miss, but just experiment a bit....
Most herbs sold commercially are now freeze-dried, which preserves the flavour much better. A process impossible to use at home.

Hope this helps.

WARNING:
THis is not the same geranium beloved of flower enthusiasts, that you see on the balcony of swiss chalets and hanging plant holders everywhere... More precisely, these are pelargoniums... The 'proper' herb Geranium (and there are many!) is a different plant, though they are related. use pelargoniums for decorative purposes only, but Geraniums are both decorative and functional....

A good plantsman, at your local friendly garden centre will advise you.