Herbs Essential to Great Food and Simple to Grow - By: Ungari Dodisto, Posted on: 2006-12-16

Human beings have made use of herbs down the centuries. Herbs serve a variety of purposes and we continue to find more and more uses of them in our lives. Most of the herbs are easy to grow and you can choose from 40 to 60 herbs and learn to make use of them.

The reason that herbs can be used in so many different functions is because they come in different varieties. For instance, there are aromatic herbs that are grown purely for the scent they give off. The oils from these herbs can be found in candles, perfumes, and many other cosmetic and skin care products.

Of course the variety of herb that most people are familiar with is the culinary herb. In fact, the culinary herb is the only variety that most people are aware of. Most gardeners grow a few varieties of culinary herbs but they have to be careful not to plant in the same place the following spring as some herbs are annuals and will appear without needing to replant. Some of the more popular of the culinary herbs are basil, dill, and chives.

There is one category of herbs that you will very frequently find in and around flowers in a flower garden. They are used for both dried and fresh arrangements. These are ornamental herbs. They are grown to appease the aesthetic sense.

There are herbs that have medicinal value. They are used to treat a variety of ailments to this very day. Although the Western medical community has not yet accepted or practiced curing diseases with the help of herbs, it has been a popular way of treatment in the Eastern countries. And, scientists are showing an increasing interest in the potential of herbs to cure disorders.

Again, most people are familiar with the culinary herbs and it is a fact that our foods would be quite bland and tasteless without them. Herbs are used to create marinades and to imbue foods with a subtle, yet pronounced, flavor that enhances a great many dishes. Fortunately, even in economic hard times, most people manage to keep culinary herbs on hand even if they are forced to grow them.

Indeed, it’s a good idea to grow herbs in your garden because it is quite easy to grow them and there are no hassles involved. However, you must learn to distinguish between annual, perennial, and biennial herbs. This is important because you will need to keep track of herbs that will be coming up at different times in the year. It’s important to know their growing cycle so that you don’t disturb it and lose some of the herbs due to your ignorance.

Most of the culinary herbs are easy to grow because they do quite well in fairly fertile soil that may have been drained by other crops. Moreover, they do just as well indoors as they do outdoors. However, make sure you don’t plant them too deeply in the soil or they may not have a chance to grow. Also, always harvest your herbs in the mornings to get the best of their precious oils.

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Ungari Dodisto is the webmaster for F herbs, a fantastic resource for information about herbs, For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.herbso.com/articles
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