by Susan Honeywell
Organic herbal gardening is a topic that had been gaining prominence, especially on the context of growing your own plant-based and natural medicines. A growing number of people are considering alternatives to a health system that is completely based on chemically derived pharmaceuticals.
Herbalism, as it is usually called, involves collecting or growing your own plants and herbs for medicinal purposes, which has a century-old tradition in many parts of the world. Nowadays, organic gardening is the way to go if you want to grow your own, as it’s better to avoid raising therapeutic plants on pesticides and fertilizers.
Herbal medicine and organic herbal gardening are not complete substitutes for modern medicine, and there are many cases where you will be better served with industrially synthesized medicines. But there are a great number of common ailments that can be cured and even prevented through less harsh plant-based recipes.
Overall, while herbal remedies have their critics, they provide a valuable complement to modern medicine for many ailments and its emphasis on prevention and balancing is liked with many who are striving for a more harmonic way of life.
There are other things that the types of persons attracted to herbal medicine often value highly. Top of the list is the kind and quality of their food intake. A lot of this is because of scares about the damaging side effects that chemicals used in food making may have, but it is also widely accepted that organic food is better quality.
Many people now choose to grow part of the food that they consume through organic herbal gardening. Organic herbal remedies are in fact a natural progression from deciding to emphasize organic food for one’s own wellbeing.
It’s true that you can buy ready-made organic herbal medicines, but the option of growing your own is recommended, as you can get just what you need and have more control on the results. Plus, organic herbal gardening can be fun!
As for the ways to consume medicines stemming from organic herbal gardening, there are many curative plants that can be simply eaten. Many, such as ginger root, are common in the kitchen, but dosages and intake usually differ.
Another way to use organically grown herbs is by applying them to rough or inflamed skin, as there are several plants that are great anti-irritants or natural antiseptics. You can even make lotions at home and keep the plants’ active substances for a long time. Another common way to use plants is as herbal teas.
To start organic herbal gardening for the purpose of improving your health, you can either start from seeds or buy seedlings from specialist shops, either by going there in person or by buying over the internet.
About the Author:
For newbie gardener and experienced Green Thumb alike, no site but
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August 14 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »
by Susan Honeywell
Working on organic herbal gardening inside a building is a great way to provide your family with fresh produce and also with beautiful greenery. In fact the sweet-smelling herbs not only look and smell good; they are also great for adding flavor to your cooking.
By growing organic herbs indoors, you will be able to enjoy out-of-season delicacies and not worry about a sudden spell of cold ruining your crop. Another great advantage is that you won’t need a huge amount of space; just a few pots will allow you to improve your cooking with fresh and free produce.
As for the plants that you can grow, most herbs that will grow in a garden will also do well indoors. Don’t worry about having to exclude your favorite flavors, but focus instead on the combination of herbs that you would prefer to grow.
If you like Italian herbs, go for rosemary, chives, capers, oregano, fennel and basil. Burnished earthen pots will make your garden look authentically Italian. If on the other hand you are a fan of French and Provencal aromas plant lots of parsley, sage, lemon basil, marjoram.
As for the pots, you need to make sure that the ones you get are right for the herbs you want. Not all herbs are suitable to all kinds of containers. Specifically, for some plants you need a pot with a minimum size.
It is generally better to choose slightly larger pots, since as a result you will end up with more of the same herb and will thus be able to use it more often. Forget about any tiny pots you may find in a supermarket, and start on the right footing with dome decent containers acquired from a specialist gardening shop.
Also, don’t leave the plants for long in the pots you bought them in, or it will stunt their growth. It is important to re-pot any herbs that you buy, if you are not growing from seed. Don’t forget to water the plants well before repotting, to diminish the shock.
Concerning extra soil and fertilizer, you should make sure that only organic earth and additives are used for your herbs. This will ensure better quality, flavor and health benefits, with little effect on the cost of growing your herbal garden.
The next crucial step is to think about the lighting. You should put the plants next to a good source of natural light, possibly a southwards-facing window. Don’t automatically put the plants in full sunlight, as some grow better in a shadier spot. You may want to experiment with electric grow lights if there isn’t a lot of light where you live, but this isn’t usually necessary.
If you give it a start, you will quickly find that organic herbal gardening is a pleasant and engrossing hobby, as well as a very handy one. It’s not hard, and with a minimum of effort your cooking will end up being much more flavorsome.
About the Author:
OrganicHerbalGardening.com has the answers to all the questions that you were afraid to ask about
organic gardening! Check out the site to make sure that you are in the know about
herbal gardening.
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July 10 2009 | Gardening | No Comments »