Springtime Gardening

Spring has definitely sprung. The weather is going crazy, from cool and windy to hot and muggy in almost a matter of hours at times. The world is suddenly green, and those of us with allergies are even more aware of it.

This is the perfect time to begin your gardens. Too many people are 'frightened' to start a garden, thinking they lack either the skill or the space to do so. But that just isn't so; with a little desire and effort, anyone can have a garden!

There are two points most important to think about when considering a garden:

Where will you put it? If you have a yard, the best place is a spot that gets direct sunlight for at least half of the day; morning sunlight is better than evening if you have to pick. If you don't have a yard, or you can't put in a garden in it (such as rental homes), you can still have a container-garden. You can get various pots or planters, many of them very cheap. Some people even use old buckets of various sorts, which are perfectly functional, though not the most attractive in appearance. If you don't even have room for that (such as an apartment with no balcony), you can still have at least some plants; you just have to make an indoor garden. You can get lightbulbs from many stores that give full-spectrum lighting for plants, or you can even get something like the AeroGarden, a complete garden that fits on a countertop, and takes up even less space than most microwaves.

What plants will you put in it? The most obvious choice to start with is culinary herbs. There is little that will improve anyone's cooking more than using fresh herbs, both in terms of taste and health benefits. Thyme, parsley, oregano, basil, and garlic are among the most healthful herbs you can use, and also some of the tastiest. If you want to move beyond herbs, there are a variety of vegetables that generally produce a good yield for even inexperienced gardeners, such as tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and many types of lettuce.

Whatever choices you make, get out there and start a garden. There is little to equal the sense of accomplishment when you serve something you have grown yourself; nor can you find anything more healthy to eat!




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Starting your Garden - Plants vs. Seeds

Perhaps the most crucial step in any garden, is obtaining the plants you will put in it. This does not necessarily have to be a difficult process, but with no plants there is no garden.

There are two main options available: you can buy seeds and start them yourself, or you can buy young plants at your local nursery or through the mail. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach.

Some plants may only be available as either young plants or as seeds; if you want one of these plants, of course, you will have to take the method available.



Starting your herbs from seeds can require a bit more of a green thumb, as the plants are obviously very delicate in the early stages of growth. However, if you can manage it, it can be much more rewarding, to know you have nurtured the plants through their entire life. It can also be considerably cheaper than buying already-started plants, since the time and attention they required from the nursery is of course taken into account in the price.

Perhaps the simplest way to grow herbs starting from seeds is to buy a 'starter kit', which includes small soil 'pellets' in a greenhouse-type tray. Replacement pellets are generally available so that you can use your tray in subsequent seasons and years. If you choose this method, follow the directions that come with your kit and seeds; generally, you place 2-3 seeds on a pellet, water them, cover, and place the tray in a sunny location until the seedlings are large enough to be planted in a pot or garden. You can make a similar makeshift tray by taking a used egg carton, putting small holes for drainage in each section, and filling the sections with soil. This method does not have the benefit of the 'greenhouse' effect, so it needs to be kept in a warm location and kept well-watered. This will not work with all seed types - eucalyptus, parsley, dill, and others grow too deep for these shallow cells - but most herbs, particularly the popular culinary herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, savory, and sage will do well.


The main benefits of using plants from a nursery or through mail-order are that they are significantly easier for a beginner or 'brown thumb' gardener, and that many herbs do not grow large enough or mature enough in a single season to be harvestable, whereas already started plants are generally a year or sometimes even more when you buy them. Of course, as I mentioned already, this means that the herbs you buy this way are more expensive; where a pack of seeds may cost anywhere from thirty-five cents to about three dollars for many seeds (usually at least 25, most often many more than that), started plants start around a dollar and a half for a single plant.

There is little to consider when buying already-started plants like this beyond what you would consider with any sort of gardening: which herbs will work best in your growing conditions (such as soil quality or indoor/outdoor), and which will be of the most use to you. Be sure, of course, to pick the plants that look the healthiest; keep in mind this does not necessarily mean the largest. Look for the ideal foliage color for the given plant type, new-growth buds or shoots, and avoid any signs of sickness. Do not take a scrawny or sickly looking plant just because it is 'the best there'. A sickly plant in the nursery will probably be at best a sickly plant in your garden, if not die completely, or even infect the rest of your garden in some cases.


And above all, enjoy yourself. Herb gardening can be hugely rewarding, and there is mounting evidence that just the act of gardening herbs in and of itself can be of huge benefit to your health and well-being.

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Plants, Seeds, More!


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