the Garden Rake

Here are my top three herb garden plants. That is, if you’re primarily gardening for culinary herbs. With this list in hand on your first trip to the nursery, you’re bound to have success in finding what not only works in your yard but choices that will mesh well with your taste buds.

1. Basil

Basil is the best herb for pesto, hands down. Its leaves have a warm and spicy flavor. You need to only add a small amount of this delightful herb in such dishes as soups, salads and sauces. Basil is also particular suited, by the way, to season anything dish with tomato flavoring. Don’t hesitate to use basil to enhance the flavor of your meat, poultry or fish. You can even add it to your morning breakfast omelet.

You’ll want to start your basil plants early in the spring, preferably in a greenhouse or a sun-drenched windowsill. Early in the summer transplant this herb to your garden. Or, if you have the courage, sow basil seeds directly into her garden early in the spring. Or you may want to try your hand at both methods, just in case those seeds don’t catch.

2. Chives

Who doesn’t love some fresh chives on a hot, newly baked potato? If you’re as mad about this herb as me, then you’ve already noticed that chives have a mildly onion taste. This makes them an excellent addition to salads, any egg and cheese dish, cream cheese, sandwich spreads and sauces. And, oh, by the way, don’t restrict chives to just the baked potato. Taste how in adds a little zing to your mashed potatoes as well.

If you plan on growing chives from starter plants, then you’ll want to get these into your garden in the early spring. And you’ll want to give these plants plenty of room.
My recommendation is to plant them a good 9 to 12 inches from each other.

If you plan to plant the chives seeds, then plant them in the fall or the spring, digging down a good half inch and setting the seeds in rows that are spaced about 12 inches apart.

3. Coriander

Now here’s a versatile herb. Its versatility is so great that different parts of this plant are known as different herbs. Grinding the dried seeds to use them in your meats, like veal, ham or pork? You’re using coriander. Using the leaves to add to some Indian or Asian dishes? You’re actually using cilantro.

And of course you can use the roots of coriander as well. If you can’t use them right away, don’t worry you can freeze these. They can be used to flavor soups. Or chop the roots and serve with avocados. You’ll find this deliciously delightful!

Even a novice herbalist should have no problem growing coriander from seeds (I know I did it my first time around and there was no novice who was more naive and at a loss than I!).

Sow these seeds in the early spring. Dig a hole about ¼ inch in depth. Plant them in rows that are just about a foot apart. Once the seedlings appear, you’ll want to thin them down some, making sure they’re at least 6 inches from the other.

Linda S. Peterson has 1 articles online

Linda Peterson is an herb expert. For more information on herb garden plants, visit http://www.herbgardenhelper.com

Whether you want to grow a vegetable garden for the cost savings or the health benefits, gardening can be very rewarding. The easiest type of garden bed to start with is a raised bed. It can be made of many different things. My personal favorite are railroad beams. They are a nice height, very workable, and look nice too, but you can make your raised bed out of other things as well as long as they can hold the dirt.

After you’ve chosen your desired building material, you must decide how large your bed will be. Things to keep in mind include how much time will you have to take care of it, are you going to can it or share with friends, and how many varieties you want in your garden. If you are low on gardening time or new to vegetable gardening, start with a small bed.

After you’ve decided the size of your vegetable garden, you have to decide where to place it. Plants need up to eight or nine hours of sunlight everyday, so a Northern or Southern exposure is best. Another key element in plant growth is water. Since it doesn’t rain everyday, you will have to find a way to get your vegetable garden water. Unless you love carrying buckets of water around, it is best to build your garden within reach of a water hose.

Once you have your materials, size, and location down, all that’s left is soil and plants. Soil is extremely important. You must make sure that the soil you use to fill your raised bed is good top soil. Getting plant food and mixing it in will go a long way towards having a productive garden too. As far as plants go, do a plot plan before you plant. Decide what plants will go where based on the directions on the back of the packaging. Doing a plot plan with this information will make sure that you maximize your vegetable garden’s potential and minimize headaches during the process.

Tim Kaelin has 1 articles online

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The use of thriving green plants such as bamboo plants, are ideal and common cures for use in feng shui.

Not only are they great living things that don’t require a lot of maintenance, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen and help to clear the air of toxins and pollution as all common houseplants do, but these particular plants also bring luck to their owners or anyone who is around them often enough.

These peaceful plants are hardy, flourishing and highly flexible; a great candidate for representing wealth and prosperity.

To make them even luckier in feng shui,we like to incorporate the five different elements to achieve a great balance of energies for maximum fortune effectiveness.

You then need to decide which area of your house to place it in, according to the bagua map and what type of luck you wish to enhance. Placing them in the wrong area can be disastrous to your feng shui efforts.

Above all else, bamboo plants, although hardy, need to stay in good condition. When they are in good condition, they attract good energy. When they are in poor health, they in turn attract poor energy.

If your plant at all gets sick or dies, then this will only bring you bad luck and bad fortune. If this happens, remove it straight away. The longer it is left in this state, the worse your luck can become.

Look after them well. Indirect sunlight is enough for these lush plants so they are great for keeping indoors and send them good vibes every day. Keep your bamboo plants happy. When they thrive, you thrive.

Ensure they always have fresh water up to an inch from the end of the stalks.
As soon as it starts to get stale, change it. Sometimes tap water can harm these plants so mineral water is best, if possible. If this is unavailable, then tap water will do. Just keep an eye on how it goes.

Bamboo plants make great gifts for anyone and can be placed in the home, but also the office as they have the ability to relieve mental tension and attract wealth.

They will make a great addition to any office desk. But even on a desk, then need to be positioned optimally. Consult your bagua for the best positions.

Take care of your bamboo plants and they will in turn take care of you, financially.

Lin Mai has 1 articles online

Lin Mai is a feng shui author and enthusiast. Visit her site Way to Feng Shui to find out how to make your bamboo plants luckier using the five elements of feng shui and where to place them for greater effect.