You can have a farm right in your own backyard - an herb farm

Herbs are small plants. They don’t take up much room. So, if you wanted—you could have a complete herb farm by itself or right in your own garden. And grow whatever herbs are your favorite. Although some gardeners grow herbs for use as teas and medicinal purposes-- most herb gardeners farm these delicate plants to be used as food seasoning. And they just happen to be the easiest to grow.

Herb gardening is really simple! Most herbs grow best in full sun, but a few tolerate light shade. They prefer a well-drained soil, but like a mulch in the summer to keep them from drying out. You can start most popular herbs from seeds. And many of the year-round herbs are propagated by stem cutting or layering.

An herb garden has very few pests, which is good because there are only a few pesticides approved for use on these plants. When planting herbs in, or near your vegetable garden, be sure to protect their leaves from any sprays used on the vegetables. The flavors and scents of herbs are due to oils in the leaves. Too much fertilizer, moisture, and shade result in lower oil content and a weaker flavor.

A little herb goes a long way

Because herbs have plenty of flavor in very small amounts, just a few plants of each type in your herb farming area may be enough. If you want a large quantity of a particular herb, such as sweet basil for making pesto in Italian dishes-- plant the herb in your vegetable garden. Otherwise, prepare a small area especially for herbs so you can enjoy them for their appearance as well as fragrance. And later, for their taste!

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