Fresh Herb Gardening Benefits

You probably buy your herbs and spices preserved and dried at the store. While the flavors and health benefits of herbs can be found this way, consuming fresh herbs is even better. Fresh herb gardening brings the consumption of fresh herbs to a whole new level. You can help your bank account, enjoy flavorful, convenient, healthy herbs, and learn about the variety of herbs available to garden.

Possibly the most expensive way to spice a dish is to use fresh herbs purchased from a specialty market or grocer. Save money by growing your own herbs. All you need to invest is time and effort, after the initial cost of the plants and necessary growth items like fertilizer. Tend your fresh herb garden carefully and the garden will pay for itself many times over.

You will get the strongest flavor from fresh herbs straight from your garden. Dried herbs certainly lend flavor to a dish, but the older they get the less potent their flavor. Use your fresh-harvested herbs immediately. Or, just like a bouquet of flowers, they will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Place the cut stems in a glass of water and top the bundle of herbs with a loose plastic bag for humidity. Use sharp scissors to cut what you need.

Whether you grow your herbs in an outdoor garden or choose one of many ways to grow herbs indoors, your herbs will be available for you to use any time you want. All herbs need to thrive is light, well-drained soil, a minimum of five hours of direct sunlight-or 10 hours of fluorescent grow-lighting-and proper watering. Some herb kits are designed with hydroponic growing equipment and techniques, meaning you never get dirt under your nails.

Fresh herb gardening offers the opportunity to explore subtle differences found between different cultivators of the same spice. Oregano, for example, has over forty species and eight common varieties grown in gardens. You'll not find this option on the spice rack at the grocery market.

Teas and medicinal tinctures are more potent when made from fresh herbs. Actively respiring plant tissues hold healthy compounds in more potent forms. Your herbs' health-giving properties such as antioxidants are more readily available when fresh. Drying herbs removes the water, concentrating the flavor and properties in a smaller space. When using herbs fresh, use three times the amount you measure of dried. For example, if the recipe calls for one teaspoon of dried sage, use one tablespoon of fresh sage.

Branch out to find multiple uses for your fresh herbs: aside from trimming leaves for cooking or adding to salads, you can integrate herbs into massage oil, use them to fragrance linens or a room. Some herbs work well as a natural, organic insect repellent.

Beyond the usefulness off herbs, gardening itself is a healthy pursuit. You can burn 120 calories with only 30 minutes of gardening activity. Raking, pruning, digging and other garden chores constitute moderate exercise. Working in the fresh air and sunshine caring for living plants is not only healthy but also relaxing and a great way to release stress.