Herb gardening can be a very ideal hobby. It is a lot less expensive and easy to manage. You can also make use of herbs for more than aesthetics, and those who are just starting out will find instant satisfaction with growing herbs. Herb gardening can be broken down into several types, each requiring different care and management — culinary, aromatic, ornamental and medicinal.

Culinary Herbs

Many of us are most familiar with culinary herbs, or those that we use to add flavor to our food. Hence planting culinary herbs is not mainly for enjoying the hobby, but more for providing us with satisfying dishes. Some culinary herbs grow very quickly and in successions, so you won’t run out of stock, so to speak. Others grow only once in a year, but nevertheless all types of culinary herbs are easy to take care of. Examples of these include oregano, tarragon, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, among others. Culinary herbs can survive in tiny containers. If you are thinking of growing them in your apartment, you can put them in boxes and set them by the window, and they will flourish. Because you use them for cooking, make sure you plant your herbs near the kitchen. That way you can enjoy them everyday. If possible, plant the herbs under the fun sun or where there is an afternoon shade. It helps make your herbs more flavorful. Culinary herbs are not supposed to be for beautification. You will eventually have to remove a big portion of it, if you need these for your cooking or if you need to prune them (as it is a must). Plant them in a not so noticeable location so that you won’t hesitate to destroy them and leave an obvious spot in your garden.

Aromatic Herbs

Aromatic herbs are more popular these days. In the old days, way before perfumes and sprays existed, the oils in herbs were extracted and generally used as scents or potpourri. They are also known to carry soothing and healing powers. Like many culinary herbs, aromatic herbs pretty much grow even when you don’t nurture it everyday. Aromatic herbs remain more fragrant when they are dried. Examples of these are rosemary, thyme, marjoram, mint and lavender. Some aromatic herbs are also culinary herbs. Plant mint herbs separately, and if possible, off your herb garden as mints are invasive plants. It is best to pick the leaves of aromatic plants as soon as new foliage begins to show, to maintain its steady growth.

Medicinal Herbs

Herbs as a means to cure ailments have long been used in the ancient times. And as people now depend on drugs, pills, capsules, tablets and syrups for this purpose, people have resorted to medicinal herbs less and less. But lately, organic medicine has made its way back into the mainstream. Even in capsule form, many medicines today contain some type of herb. Use medicinal herbs with care as they can also be dangerous. Examples of these include garlic, gingko and hypericum.

Ornamental Herbs

They are traditionally used for aesthetic purposes but they can also be the same aromatic, medicinal or culinary herbs you make use of. Ornamental herbs have colorful flowers that add warmth to a room. Examples of ornamental herbs are valerian, lavender, absinthe, dioscorides and wormwood. Some herbs eventually die during the winter but there are those that require pruning yearly. Pruning is when you trim the branches that have stopped producing properly as this stunts the growth of the whole plant.

If you decide to grow some of these herbs, you should also keep the following tips in mind.

• Plan your garden carefully. Some herbs grow perennially while others biennially. Careful planning will ensure that you do not disturb the other herbs growing in your garden.
• Pests don’t generally have an effect on herbs and some are beneficial to the medicinal variety.
• Herbs do not get diseases.
• Harvesting is best done in the morning because they contain highest concentration of oils at this time. When harvesting, remember to cut just about the section where you should allow for proper re-growth.
• Wash herbs in cold water when you harvest them and then spread them out in a rack for proper ventilation. It will take at least three days for herbs to dry.
• If you have harvested herbs and are not going to use them yet, store them in the chiller to prolong their life.