Spring is only a day away--and now is the perfect time to start your garden!
Don't have a huge yard? No problem! Even the tiniest apartment has room for a little herb garden.
Plus, when you grow fresh herbs, they taste oh-so-much-better than store bought, plus they make your house smell great. Check out my blog for some helpful hints on starting your own.
Herb Gardening 101
An herb garden may be a good option if any of the following apply to you:
♦ You have limited space
♦ You don’t have a lot of time to devote to gardening
♦ You’re unable, for physical reasons, to spend a lot of time on your hands and knees
♦ Your garden conditions are less than ideal: poor soil, bad drainage, too much shade or sun (this would require the use of a container garden)
If you want to start small, a container herb garden is the way to go. The container must have a hole for adequate drainage and be large enough to hold enough soil for mature plants to achieve full growth.
Select a soil mixture that drains well but also keeps plants from drying out between watering. You can mix your own blend of soil with peat moss, vermiculite or perlite, sterile potting soil or composted soil mix, and coarse sand. The pH level for your mixture should be in the 6.0 to 6.8 range, and if it’s not, you will need to add lime to the mix.
Check out these Easy-to-Grow Herbs:
♦ Basil: An annual plant, these will need to be replanted each year in the early spring or fall. Germination usually occurs in 7 to 10 days. Has deep red or green foliage and pink flowers. Basil grows well in the garden or as a potted plant.
♦ Chives: This perennial is easy to grow from seed. Germination occurs in about 10 days. When transplanted they wilt slightly. Mature plants grow to 12, inches; space 6 inches apart.
♦ Dill: The seeds as well as leaves are used for flavoring food. Easily grown annual with feathery foliage and small pale yellow blossoms. Grows to 2 ½ feet and germinates in 7 to 10 days.
♦ Lavender: This hardy perennial has grayish foliage and fragrant lavender flowers. Germinates in about 14 days.
♦ Mint: A hardy perennial, mint is probably the easiest herb to grow in almost any climate. Sown indoors seed germinates in 10 to 15 days. Space 12 inches apart.
♦ Sage: This herb is another hardy perennial with beautiful foliage and blue flowers. Germinates in 14 days. Grows to 2 feet and should be spaced 12 inches apart.
♦ Thyme: Leaves are cut for drying before purple blossoms open, otherwise the flavor is changed.
Dreaming about a bigger garden?
You may need a bigger house with a bigger yard. And if you want to turn that big dream into an even bigger reality, call me.
Let's get this garden party started.
With gratitude,
Miriam
Miriam Odegard
Real Estate Broker/Owner, Odegard Real Estate Group
United Realty Indianapolis
1425 East 82nd Street, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240
text/mobile: (317) 220-5397
email: miriam@miriamodegardhomes.com