A week long of little blessings

I can’t help myself this week. My kids are inevitably growing up.. and I want to treasure every last moment of it. It is in these very small moments that I thank God for my family. For, it is these moments that I want to keep reliving.

Two kids learning the ups and downs of being brother and sister…

A simple and mundane task, made special by a silly outfit and a special little personality…

Fun summer days in my swim suit….

Small hands helping out around the house….

Beloved pets…

And.. watching the simplicity of the garden grow, and blossom…

Making an herb garden

If you are like me.. you will want to start your own herb garden. You can grow a wide variety of your own herbs which will cut down on the expense of buying bulk herbs online. Most of the herbs that I grow are more for cooking though many of them are perfect for teas, tinctures, and adding an amazing smell to just about anything.

How do you get started growing your own herbs? First you determine what sort of space you will be using to garden. If you have a yard, you can do it outside in the ground. Another great option is a raised flower bed. This can be done outdoors on top of the ground or on a porch or screened in porch. If you don’t have a yard.. or a porch.. you can do an herb container garden.

I havn’t ventured into the realm of raised beds though I hope to do so one of these days. I do however have an in ground herb garden as well as container gardens up on my porch. The process is fairly simple. First you figure out what herbs you would like to grow.. then you look them up and see if you can grow them in your area. Here, in Statesboro,GA.. we are zone 8b. Some herbs that are easy to grow.. and grow very well are sage, oregano, thyme, basil, lavender, rosemary, st johns wort, chamomile, tarragon, lemon verbena, etc…

My suggestion would be to start with plants. I have never had very good luck with starting anything other than wildflowers from seeds. Strange since I can grow a number of rare and unusual supposed “hard to grow” plants but I cannot start herbs from seeds. I tried it this year and produced one measly dill sprout, spearmint, some oregano which seems to finally be taking off, sage that looks less that wonderful and one basil plant. Some of my lovely from seed plants :

If you do start from seeds however the process is simple:

• Pick out your seeds.. I suggest buying organic seeds but that’s just me
• Either invest in the little  peat seed starter that you add water to or take an old cardboard egg carton and poke one little hole in each egg compartment
• Then, make a mix of soil and peat moss.. and add it to your egg carton slots (If you are using seed starters skip this step)
• Moisten the soil before sowing your seeds. (I recommend no more than 3-5 seeds per compartment.)
• Now .. you are ready to go. Let it sit in full morning sun .. misting it daily until you see sprouts. ( Some folks cover their seeds to help retain moisture)
• Once your sprouts have 4 leaves, you are ready to transplant
• Now, pick out a window box or pot.. and transplant your babies. They should start growing like crazy!!
• I recommend a good water once a day during the summer.

If you are starting with plants.. you go straight to the planting.. and watering once a day during the summer. Don’t put more than 3 plants per window box as to give your plants plenty of room to grow.

 Once your babies are growing well.. you can start harvesting for fresh seasonings.. and you can harvest to dry them as well for teas, spice mixes , and salves etc. I air dry all my herbs since I don’t have a dehydrator. Just wash them tie the ends together with a string and hang them up for a week or two.. with a newspaper or wax paper under them to catch anything that falls off.

To harvest:  It really does depend on what you are harvesting. If it’s a root, you want to wait until the season for harvest (this can vary) .. then dig it up and clean it.. and either use grate it and use it raw.. or dry the bits.. I don’t do much root harvest so I am afraid I am little help in that category. Other plants when harvesting leaves or stems.. cut down at the middle of the plant towards the bottom and cut the entire stem. Then clean, and let dry or pick off the leaves and use fresh. I also typically cut entire stems for most flowers as well.. think lavender. For things like calendula you can just snip off the flower heads.

Vendors for organic plants:

* http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/

*http://www.linglesherbs.com/

* http://www.burpee.com/herbs/ (make sure you click the organic tab)

** Note that some plants do attract more pests than others. Cilantro being the biggest aphid attractor in my experience. You can limit the bests by planting marigolds in the pot with it.. or your stronger smelling herbs like rosemary.

 Happy gardening!!