Mint – the weed that just keeps going

A really good “herb” to have in your garden is mint. The only problem is that mint is a weed!

My definition of “weed” is something that grows where you don’t want it, and is really hard (nearly impossible) to get rid of. If you have any weeds in your garden, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
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New Attempt at Growing and Containing Mint

I’ve had 2 previous attempts at growing mint.

My first attempt (which I mention in “Mint – the weed that just keeps going“, I planted it in my herb garden, and very soon discovered that it was a VERY bad idea. So I had to rip it up.

For my second attempt, I planted it in small pots, which you can see here: Planting Mint where you want it.

Planting the mint in pots was definitely a better idea, but the pots were a bit too small. A visitor (June Tate) left this comment:

I’ve tried planting mint in pots, and it gets horribly rootbound–all roots, no dirt. The mint was a gift from a friend, and I’ve passed it on to many people. Maybe I just need a BIG pot to plant it in?

So, I’ve decided to try out the “planting mint in a BIG pot” method.

Continue reading New Attempt at Growing and Containing Mint

Top 5 Herbs in my Herb Garden

Having had my herb garden for over a year now, I can really say it’s something that EVERYBODY should have in their garden. It’s a great looking feature, and their are so many added benefits, like actually having certain herbs readily available for cooking, and having a feature that can get guests at your parties talking about (you’ll see what I mean below).

So, if you’re thinking of creating a herb garden, think about reading my series of articles on the topic, starting off with this one: “Herb Garden in 24 hours

So, what are my favourite herbs in my garden?
Continue reading Top 5 Herbs in my Herb Garden

Planting Sage

The Story

I recently planted Sage in my Herb Garden. Sage is definitely a must-have for everybody who cooks, as it is a great addition to many meals. ESPECIALLY if you enjoy Jamie Oliver’s cooking.

Anyway, after planting any plant, it is key to ensure that the roots get sufficient water to prevent them going into shock. At least, that’s how I see it. So I watered the Sage thoroughly. And I watered it again the next day, and the next. I didn’t DROWN the plant, but I made sure that it had water.

BUT, the Sage started drooping. Admittedly, it was in the middle of a hot spell here in South Africa, so I thought that once the temperature cooled down, things would start to perk up a bit.
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A tip for looking after your Basil Bush

In the post “Herb Garden – Before and After“, the herb/bush on the very right hand-side of the herb garden (excluding the lavender bush next to the wall) is my Basil tree. It is one of the best growing herbs I have in my herb garden, so I thought I would share something with you that I recently learned.
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Herb Garden – Before and After

Ok, if you think creating, designing, planting and caring for a herb garden is hard, PLEASE take a look at the photos below. Assuming you have herbs that are suitable to your environment, you should be fine. Now, by “suitable” I mean, there’s probably a slim chance that you’ll get some Basil herbs growing in Antarctica. 😉

Here is what the herb garden looked like JUST before completion:

Here is what the herb garden looks like after 6 months of growth:

If you’re thinking of creating a herb garden like this, it’s REALLY easy, and you can check out the process I followed here:
Step 1 – Mark out your area
Step 2 – Remove the grass
Step 3 – Laying the stepping stones
Step 4 – Plant the herbs
Step 5 – Look after it

Herbs That Detoxify

by Amy A.May

Once the kidneys are detoxified, a healthy flow of nutrients are free to make their way to the scalp where they promote healthy hair growth.

Here are list of the top 10 most effective herbs for detoxification.

1. Camomile – a great relaxant and good for the stomach, which helps if you’re tense. It reduces inflammation and it’s a tissue healer – inhale the azulenes given off in the steam to soothe the inflamed mucous membranes of the nose, throat and chest.

2. Skullcap – skutellaria – improves functioning of nervous system; calming effect- it’s good if you’re frazzled .
Continue reading Herbs That Detoxify

Herb Garden – Step 5 – Look after it

Well, I finished the herb garden, and it’s been growing for a while. Here are photos that I thought would show you what the herb garden looks like.

Herb Garden

There are a couple of things to note regarding the herb garden:

  • It needs some water at least a couple of times a week in Summer, but it’s winter here, and it seems to survive on water once a week
  • You have to remove the weeds and other unwanted growth – this includes removing the grass that you’ll find growing in the actual herb garden
  • Be careful with what herbs you use – My mint is growing like CRAZY!!! Luckily still in it’s own section

If you have a herb garden and you’d like to share your advice, please do so in the comments section. I could use all the advice I can get…

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