| Herb gardening Is one of the most rewarding | | | | |
| pastimes you will begin. I say will begin | | | | • Wash them off with cold water. |
| because by the time you finish reading this | | | | |
| you WILL begin! You will need some basic | | | | • Tie them with string, binding them |
| information and knowledge about the herbs you | | | | quite tightly at the end of the stalk. |
| choose to use and grow, but after that the | | | | |
| actual process is easy and fast. The best | | | | • Place them in a paper bag with the |
| thing is that after you work out what you | | | | stem ends at the opening, and then close the |
| need to do, it becomes a passion that lasts | | | | bag with a rubber band. |
| forever and, even better, it's a real money | | | | |
| saving hobby. | | | | • Then you need to use a paper clip as |
| | | | a sort of hook through the band and then |
| What you Need to Know About Herb Gardening | | | | place the other hooked end over your line |
| | | | where you are going to hang the herbs to |
| Basically you need to work out your seasonal | | | | actually dry. |
| needs. Choose the herbs you like or use most | | | | |
| often in your cooking. The easiest way is to | | | | • Wait for a couple of weeks, to ensure |
| go to your kitchen shelf and look at what you | | | | they have dried out completely. |
| have accumulated over the past and decide | | | | |
| which ones you really use. Then, look up the | | | | • Remove them from the paper bags, and |
| growing requirements. You can do this on the | | | | then crumble the leaves and place them on a |
| Internet or go to your local nursery for free | | | | shallow pan and dry them out in the oven - |
| tips. Most plants are easy to grow, but will | | | | just make sure that the oven is not set to be |
| need a little attention and need replanting | | | | too hot, because you can burn them, and you |
| in spring. | | | | certainly do not want to do this. |
| | | | |
| Next you need to learn how to dry your herbs | | | | A lot of herb gardening enthusiasts prefer to |
| for storage and use during those times when | | | | use the open air as their preferred way to |
| fresh plants are unavailable. Here are my | | | | dry herbs. This method however can be messy |
| tips for drying herbs successfully: | | | | as insects can interfere with the drying |
| | | | plans and get caught up and become part of |
| • Cut off tops of the leafy varieties | | | | your larder! If you are careful and pick them |
| in midsummer. | | | | out it may be OK. My view is that open air |
| | | | drying is unnecessary and does not yield |
| • Hang them up just long enough so that | | | | better results at all. |
| the drops of water can evaporate. | | | | |