Growing herbs is a great way to add flavor to your meals. Herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, chives, and cilantro can enhance a variety of dishes.
In addition to being tasty and fresh, herbs also offer a host of health benefits. They can help reduce inflammation, fight off colds, and boost your immune system.
1. Freshness
Fresh herbs are great for putting a twist on your favorite recipes and making them more interesting. They’re also a healthy addition to your diet and keep your taste buds from getting too boring!
Spices are another option for your garden. Unlike herbs, which are mainly the leaves of a plant, spices are also made from seeds, roots, and bark.
Whether you grow them in your kitchen or on your window sill, growing your own spices ensures that they’re as fresh and flavorful as possible.
You can also take advantage of the fact that many plants grow in one season and are ready to be harvested before frost sets in. Some, like ginger, can even be grown indoors in containers.
But before you can start planting your spices, it’s important to understand what they need for a successful grow. For instance, some spices are more suited to tropical and subtropical climates than others. For this reason, it’s essential to make sure you have the proper humidity levels for these types of plants.
2. Health Benefits
Adding fresh herbs to a dish is a great way to add flavour without added fat, salt or sugars. They are a great source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being packed with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron.
A lot of gardeners tend small herb gardens on their window sills or in the backyard but fewer take the next step and grow their own spices. Spice-grower and author Tasha Greer wants to change that.
Growing your own spices is a great way to learn about the full cycle of a plant. This includes learning to make your own potting soil mixes, improve native soil with aged compost and other aerators and maintain soil fertility using liquid fertilizers like homemade compost tea. The skills you develop can be applied to your annual vegetable garden and perennial food plots, too. Ultimately, you’ll end up with better tasting, healthier plants for your home.
3. Attracts Pollinators
Growing your own spices in your garden is an excellent way to attract beneficial pollinators to your area. These insects are responsible for a third of the world’s crop production and contribute to a healthy, lively landscape.
Planting flowering herbs like basil, thyme, lavender, oregano, and fennel is one of the most effective ways to attract bees and other pollinators. These flowers provide bees with food, nectar or pollen that is essential to their survival.
Herbs can be grown in a wide variety of landscape designs, from small containers to large areas. The trick is to choose herbs that are rich in nectar and brightly coloured flowers, which will attract bees to their blossoms.
4. Added Value
One of the main benefits of growing your own herbs is that it can help you stretch your grocery budget. Many store bought herbs can cost several dollars per bunch, and if you don’t use them all, they go bad quickly. By growing your own, you can be sure that the herbs in your garden will last long enough for you to get a good return on your investment.
Herbs are fun to grow, and the process of growing them is an important part of learning how to be a better steward of our environment. Not only are they good for your health, but they can also teach you about the power of plant osmosis and how to improve native soil through judicious amendments and liquid fertilization. In addition, you can get a hefty harvest from many of them by using the right combination of techniques and tools. The best part is that you can learn all of these from the comfort of your own home or garden!