Learning to Garden, Essay by M Girl

Learning to Garden

To start off, I wanted to learn about herb gardening. Next, I would like to learn about vegetable gardening. I am going to give you the basic in planting. Including herbs and then describe the basics for planting them. Some herbs I will be telling you about are rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Mint, Parsley, Tarragon, oregano, coriander and chives.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to plant from the seeds or from an established plant. Some herb seeds are harder to get started, then some are easier. Herbs are usually easy to maintain. No matter what your gardening experience might be, herbs usually is a good place to start. Once you decide which to start with, you will need to gather your supplies. Deciding where you will plant them. You can plant them in pots for inside or actually plant a herb garden outside. Most of these herbs require sunshine for up to 6 hours. But, they can survive in the shade, as well. That is one of the reasons they are easy to take care of. You will need to take in consideration that these plants will spread to a certain degree. Mint, for example, will spread a lot and can take of an area. So, you may want to plant it separate from the other herbs. Measuring the area to make sure the pots will fit or the garden area is in the sun for a longer period of time. Some will thrive in the shade, but you can not guarantee this.

Now, to give you the height, planting distance, and conditions for survival on each plant.

Rosemary: this is a perennial plant that will grow each year with the right conditions. The height of the plant can be up to 6 ft. You will need approximately 18 inches in between each plant. Remember, you will need that space for the plant to spread.

Basil: Basil can grow up to around 2 feet. Spacing between each plant needs to be 9 to 12 inches. The plant needs full sunlight for up to 6 hours and survives in dry soil.

Thyme: Most varieties will stay low toward the ground and other varieties can grow up to 12 inches. There are over 300 varieties. You need to leave 18 to 24 inches between each plant and they survive with dry soil.

Mint: Remember mint spreads quickly, so you should grow mint of by itself. Mint can grow to up to 18 inches. The soil needs to moist and well drained. Mint does not like to have it's roots soaked.

Parsley: This herb will grow up to 18 inches. You need to leave at least 12 inches in between each plant. Parsley likes several hours of sunlight and higher nitrogen level soil.

Tarragon: It can grow up to 36 inches, but most plants will only grow around 12 inches. Leav