Weather The Storm

No matter where you live, you can have your own herb garden and reap the many benefits of being an herb gardener.  In my first apartment, I started slowly with a couple of herbs in pots mixed in with a few flowers on my front stoop—just your basic kitchen necessities like basil, oregano and parsley.

I also added some herbs inside my apartment. Huddled around the only southern facing window in the location were a number of other little herbs like lemongrass and lavender, which smelled fabulous together, and to those I added my outdoor herb plants when winter came..

In a later apartment in the city I had almost no sun because what little I could have had was blocked by an iron grate that covered the entire opening. I built my own flower bed to hang on outside the grating, using chicken wire and a host of materials that allowed the right amount of drainage. Next I added a mixture of herb plants and hanging vines. Although it was an inventive solution to the problem, it needed gallons of water every day because of the heat and window reflection.

You can have the same successes that I have had if you take a few of basic rules of thumb to herb gardening and apply them to your apartment or living space.

Evaluate your space to determine where you could cultivate your herbs—do you have a stoop, front porch, balcony, deck, window or anywhere else that you could put your herb plants? Don’t believe that you need some big elaborate location either. Some herbs, like chives, only require a container about the size of a coffee cup to persist and do well.

Check out your lighting to see what can work. The correct amount of lighting is essential to your plants’ growth. Not enough light or the wrong type and you will have some pretty pathetic plants. I lived in a cramped little apartment in the city where I only had 2 windows. Because one of them faced east (not enough sun) I started my herb garden in the bathroom. This worked because the window got a lot of southern sun and humidity from the bathroom helped the plants.

Once you determine where you can create your herb garden and the quality, type and amount of natural light that your chosen area has, you are ready to decide which herbs you want to grow. There are a lot of herbs to choose from. Do not get overwhelmed. What you get can depend on how you plan to use your herb plants. Are you looking to cultivate culinary herbs, florals, first-aid or healing herbs? Maybe you are looking for the right ingredients for your lotions or shampoos. No matter what your interest, you’ll have plenty of herbs to choose from. Start checking them out, matching the needs you have with the space you have available and the amount, quality and type of light your space allows and you’ll soon be on your way!

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Windowsill Herb Garden. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

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Many novice indoor gardeners get disappointed when they plant something that doesn’t thrive. The good news is that it’s not that hard to have a successful indoor garden; you just need to follow a few basic tips for healthy plants. Cleaning your indoor house plants, having the best lighting, choosing the right container sizes and selecting the right plants for your home are just some of the things you should keep in mind. Here are a few tips that should get you started.

Most of the time, an herb garden is recommended for indoor gardener novices. Not only is this simple to begin but it’s also affordable and can grow quickly. You can start as small as possible with a few planters or pots on your windowsill. There are so many shops today that sell an already made herb kit. You set the planter on the windowsill and all you need to do is to remember to water it every few days. Aside from the need to fertilize them, growing herbs is the easiest way to start your hand at indoor gardening. Not only will you start your own herb garden but imagine the fresh taste of homegrown herbs in your dishes! Even if it’s winter, growing herbs is still possible with some direct light.

In the summer, indoor house plants need a stronger dose of light because of the humidity. The plants should be placed in the window sill and requires at least six to eight hours of light. In the winter, you can give the plants four hours of light but make sure the plants are not right up against the cold windows. There are many specific lighting requirements for plants so make sure that you select plants that work well with your home’s natural light. If you choose to supplement with artificial light, make sure to research the light bulbs you are using to verify that they go hand in hand with what you are growing. There are many lights that can easily kill what you are trying to grow indoors. Always ask the shop you’re buying your equipment from regarding what they recommend for your indoor lighting needs.

If you are planting something like orchids, then meters are a must have. This is a tester for temperature, moisture, light and nutrient content. There are also meters for regular soil gardening outdoors as well. If anything plant related needs to be measured, chances are you will always be able to find a device for it. This will ensure that your indoor plants are balanced with everything that they need.

Do make sure you are taking the time to nurture your houseplants. With indoor plants, this means there will be dust settling on the leaves which can give the plant an unhealthy look. By cleaning your houseplants and removing the dust off your plants will allow them not only to breath but it will help them grow even faster. Wiping down the leaves of the plants should be part of the chore routine you have in your home. Just cleaning up the leaves will prolong the plant’s life.

Indoor gardening enthusiasts might be interested in hydroponic gardening as a way to grow flowers and veggies all year long. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by using a hydroponic grow room. These structures supply all the right conditions for your plants to flourish.

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There is hardly any home or company untouched by the beauty of flowers and decorative plants. Indoor gardening is not necessarily an art, as it takes little time and effort. There are however people who have pushed the concept of indoor gardening a lot further, coming to actually grow vegetables inside. Since most such gardens use artificial light, they have the major advantage of not having to destroy weeds to often. Plus, the condition of the soil can be supported a lot better without the direct influence of the elements.

Ceramic or plastic containers are essential for indoor gardening. Ceramic materials are preferable because plastic gets too hot to be safe for plants. Most challenges with indoor gardening comes from the preparation of the soil, although opinions are greatly divided. The ingredients should include peat moss, native soil and sharp coarse sand in different proportions.

Another type of soil mix for indoor gardening contains forest mulch, perlite, silica and sand in an equal volume. The conditions change if your vegetables grow in hanging containers because you have to keep them lightweight normally relying on some premixed soils. From this perspective, indoor gardening costs more because the soil mixture influences costs. But, once again, it all depends on the extent you give to indoor gardening.

Besides soil, another issue worth considering is that of containers. They should have proper drainage and aeration. It is important to leave some two inches of space between the margin of the contain and the soil so as to be able to water without problems. As for the gardening cycles, most people will stick to the same routine as with outdoor gardening. The only difference here is that you can grow your plants directly from seeds because there are not weather changes to prevent plant growth.

Indoor gardening makes beautiful use of herbs and cherry tomatoes for decorative purposes. They smell and look great, enhancing a positive atmosphere. Rosemary, chives and mint will delight your senses while you are working on your little indoors garden. The arrangement of shelves, tables and plant stands can further enhance the beauty of the garden.

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Herb Garden

If you are thinking of planting a big outdoor herb garden you should rethink it and consider putting one inside the house and grow an indoor herb garden instead. The most popular. If you are going to need cooking herbs to add to your cooking you will not have to run to your outside garden to pick anymore. You can just simply turn around and grab a few leaves!

Once you get the hang of it you will find that growing an indoor herb garden is a lot easier than you thought. You will not believe how easy it is to get started growing your own herb garden, there are several different kits you can purchase to get you started that will have everything you will need. If you are looking for a way for the kids to get involved in a herb garden they now have the fun chia pets for the kids. There are distinct advantages to growing an indoor herb garden you can enjoy the same benefits.

You can easily monitor your herb garden that is the Advantages Of An Indoor Herb Garden. You will notice quickly if they need any maintenance. If you are looking for something will minimal effort try misting your plants that can be accomplished with very little effort. Growing an indoor herb garden seems to be a lot more attended too, while the outdoor garden frequently gets overlook, out of sight out of mind.

While deciding where to grow your herb garden if you decide to grow your herbs indoors that will eliminate the issue of bugs eating the leaves of your herbs. When growing an indoor her garden one of the benefits of growing plants inside is that you do not have to look for safe chemicals to use on the plants to keep bugs away. When ever you have your own fresh herb garden you get to harvest all of your fresh herbs, you can do it within the comfort of your own home. When g rowing your garden inside you can enjoy the bug free environment, you do not have mosquitoes or other bugs bugging you while you are gardening.

If you decide you plant an indoor herb garden along with the fresh herbs you will also have the wonderful fragrance that a fresh herb garden provides. Now your kitchen will smell delicious like fresh basil or rosemary. When growing an indoor herb garden the fragrance can overtake you and you may even get inspired to start cooking more exotic foods. Just think, when preparing any meals you do cook they will taste even better than they did before because you will be able to add the fresh herbs instead of the dried herbs that could have been sitting in a cabinet for who knows how long.

Plant your indoor garden of flowers right along with your kitchen herbs, it has been known to protect your plants when planted right along with the herbs. Some species of herbs are known to be extremely invasive. When growing an herb garden be careful not to let the herb plants get too large they will start taking over the garden if you let the. In order to control the spreading of plants you should put them in small individual pots inside so you can control its spreading.l.

Indoor herb gardens have a lot of great benefits, they make a home a lot more cozy, they make your home smell really good and they keep your garden bug free which will keep your herbs chemical free. If you want to achieve the same result why not ad a few practical plants to the kitchen area. Try to promote an inviting atmosphere if you are going to grow herbs to use for seasoning in your cooking.

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In my case the kids refers to 2 dogs and 2 cats with a taste for house plants. The cats in particular are fond of anything green trying to survive indoors. But not to be outdone Roxy our precocious 3 year old Blue Heeler mix has a thing for my small grove of citrus trees. I find her munching on the leaves regularly. So when I noticed several of the citrus trees infested with spider mites… well lets just say I thought I was faced with a choice of the trees or the kids. And some times that is a tough choice to make.

I have grown the little trees from seeds. The seeds all came from the old fashioned method of saving seeds from fruit rather than tossing them out. Everyone told me “They will never grow” or “They will never produce fruit”. The common assumption being fruit is irradiated to kill bugs and such, so the seeds would not be viable.

I have withstood much ribbing and teasing by my spouse and friends, regarding their viability. Much to their chagrin, the seeds did sprout. In fact nearly all of the seeds sprouted and several of the little trees have flourished. These I have protected and pruned. they have become more than the little experiment that I started on.  They are still little more than tiny saplings, and consequently none have flowered, yet. Regardless they have become a symbol, of something bigger. That I was right, and they were wrong.

Even more than the validation of my idea, they make me feel anything is possible. Very few citrus plants can grown in my region. So these little guys surviving is a symbol of hope, and survival.

Attributing so much to these 7 little trees, is a bit much, and setting yourself up for heartbreak, I know. But here I am with all this hope, anticipation and everything.

Now imagine my horror when I noticed something attacking one of the little trees. It seemed to be sucking the life out of it. Once I noticed, the infestation was quite advanced. Several of the trees were affected, and one was in dire shape indeed.

I started the way I always do, pruning away the most affected areas. This had a minimal effect.

So now there I was, my hope infected with mites. Could I disregard my deep sense of dislike for chemicals, to save the “orchard”? Or was there another, better way?

I always want to use organic methods. Up until that point, I had no real nasty bugs to eliminate. So it had been easy, and I was clueless.

I didn’t want to make the kids sick. I want to use organic methods, if possible. I want to save the little trees. So, what to do?

The internet is an amazing tool. After a few minutes of research I found a whole host of solutions, and in that search I located a site that has become a lifeline, Arbico Organics.

For the past 30 years Arbico Organics has been producing and marketing natural products for organic homes, businesses, lawns, gardens, farms and pets. They had several products that work for the problem I was faced with.

Since purchasing the  spray for my little trees, I have not noticed any recurrence of spider mites. The trees again look healthy. And none of the kids seems to have had the slightest ill effects. I am hopeful that after 2 or 3 more growing seasons they will finally flower, but if they just survive that long I will be proud. For now they are a nice little edition to our deck in summer, and our guestroom in winter.

About the Author: Christian Hammer is a self proclaimed Serial Entrepreneur, inventor and green advocate. His website, www.mindzle.com is a resource for people who are wanting to live a more sustainable life, but don’t necessarily know how to get started, or are worried about how they can afford it. He tries to lead by example, with a wide variety of projects, ideas and how-to’s.

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