Herb

Question: What are the best herb plants to pot together to start a herb garden? Tried to grow a herb garden with a mixture of herb plants, but some plants needed more water or sunshine then others and eventually they all died. I need advice on what plants are best potted together. Thanks to anyone who can help me out.

Answer: Hi: There are so many different types of herb plants. Most herbs will flower and require a good amount of sunshine. You can plant a wide variety in one defined landscape garden. I grew over 5,000 seedlings in a greenhouse and then incorporated them throughout several beds. Your goal is to find out which ones are annuals and which are perennials. If you are doing one bed, group the annuals in one part and the perennials in another. On my website in Landscape Articles I have about six pages on herbs. I also have a full herb design in my Examples of Landscape designs as well as the eight basic culinary herbs in my gallery of plants section. I will take you to my site map as well as the landscape articles and gallery of plant section. Browse through and I am sure you will be able to get some useful information. I hope this will help and if you need any other questions resolved, please feel free to contact me. Have a great day! Kimberly http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Site.html http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/landscape.html http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.com/Gallery.html

Question: Has anyone tried the herb lavender in a a favorite dish and what is the recipe? Looking for real good recipes that use the herb lavender. Have found it to be very good and would like to try other dishes with this herb. There are a lot of postings in the internet, but looking for what you may have tried and liked. Can you give any reasons why you like the herb lavender? Thank you.

Answer: Lavender Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes 1 Recipe Lavender Pizza Dough (see below) Flour 2 Tb Fine Olive Oil 1 c Coarsely grated Mozzarella cheese (approximately 4 oz) 2 - 4 oz Sliced Aged Asiago cheese 1 ½ c Cherry Tomatoes cut in half (Use Yellow tomatoes or mix colors) ½ c Thinly Sliced Yellow Bell Peppers Make the pizza dough and let rise. Thirty minutes before baking, place a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of the oven and set oven to 500 degrees. On a floured surface, divide the dough into 2 pieces and form into round balls. (Put one dough ball aside.) On the floured surface with your hands pat out and stretch dough evenly into a 9-inch round, keeping hands flat. (Do not handle dough more than necessary. If dough is sticky, dust it lightly with flour.) Dust baker's peel with flour and carefully transfer inch round. Jerk peel once or twice and, if dough is sticking, lift dough and sprinkle flour underneath it, reshaping dough if necessary. Brush olive oil over dough leaving a 1-inch border and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Arrange tomato halves and pepper strips over Mozzarella, then add slices of Asiago on top. Line up far edge of peel with far edge of stone and tilt peel, jerking it gently to start pizza moving. Once edge of pizza touches stone, quickly pull back peel to completely transfer pizza to stone. Bake pizza until dough is crisp and brown, about 8 to 12 minutes, and transfer with peel to a cutting board. Cut pizza into slices and serve immediately. Make a second pizza with the remaining ingredients. Makes 2 9-inch pizzas. Lavender Pizza Dough Equipment needed: 2 mixing bowls 2 tsp Active Dry Yeast ¾ c plus 2 Tb Lukewarm water (110 degrees) 2 c Unbleached bread flour 2 Tb Olive oil ½ tsp Sea salt 1-2 tsp dried Lavender (be sure to experiment and find out if you like a lot or a little of the dried Lavender in your crust) In a bowl, combine the yeast, ¼ cup warm water, and ¼ cup flour. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1 ¾ cup flour, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water, olive oil, salt, and lavender. Mix the dough thoroughly and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic, and a bit tacky to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to cover with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. (This is very important to get the true taste of lavender in the dough.) The next day, let it come to room temperature and proceed with the recipe. Lavender Biscotti A home-made lavender treat! Equipment needed: Cookie sheets, 1 small and 1 large mixing bowl, whisk or hand beater 2 c All-purpose flour 2 tsp Baking powder ¼ tsp Salt ½ c Coarsely chopped macadamia nuts 2 Lg Eggs ½ C Granulated sugar 3 tsp Dried lavender flowers ¼ c Melted butter 2 Tb Honey 1 Tb Lemon rind Juice of 1 lemon 3 Tb Milk ½ tsp Vanilla or lemon extract Optional: melted chocolate for dipping Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl combine all dry ingredients, lavender and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, honey, lemon, lemon rind, milk, and vanilla (may use beater on slow instead of the whisk). Add to flour mixture. Stir well. Dough will be soft and sticky. Spoon onto cookie sheet into 2 "log" shapes: approximately 2 " wide. Bake 35 minutes until golden. Remove from oven. Cool 10 minutes. Place on board, cut into 1" wide slices. Place on sides on cookie sheets. Return to oven cook 20 minutes longer, turning once. Cool on rack. Optional to dip or decorate with melted chocolate.

Question: What plants to put in an herb garden? I'm starting an herb garden and I'm going to buy the seedlings today, but I'm not sure what I should buy. What are some commonly used herbs that are easy to grow? Also, I'd like to put in at least one butterfly-attracting plant, so what are some of those? It doesn't matter if that one is an herb. Thanks.

Answer: Good answers!!! Plant what you will be using. Be careful with invasive plants....mint, onion/garlic chives, cilantro. Either plant them in pots and/or cut the flower heads off before they go to seed...or at least before the seeds fall and spread. Lavender (all varieties), pineapple sage and nasturtiums are always full of butterflies. Oregano and wild marjoram also attract butterflies. Rosemary gets to be a big bush and the bees love it too. So lots depends on your space available. I like salad herbs so I have hyssop and arugula, red amaranth, purple sage, chamomile and salad burnet.

Question: To plant an herb garden is it better to get seeds or the plants already started? I want to do the herbs in containers too. Should I get the plants already started and plant them in the pots, or should I get seeds and plant them in the pots? What about those herb growing kits that come with the seeds that are in these little peat moss pellets? Also, if I want organic herbs does that mean I need to buy organic herb seed or organic herb plant, or will it be organic either way as long as I'm not using chemicals? Thanks! Obviously inexperienced over here...

Answer: That depends upon whether you are good at seed starting. If you enjoy gardening and like to watch the development, seeds are the way to go. If you are rather in a hurry and not too gardening savvy, you will want to go with the starts. I love to plant, and there is only one way to get started: just do it! If you do not want many herbs, however, you may just want to buy a start or two; depending upon the herb. Organic means there were no chemicals used on the seed and that they were harvested and grown naturally. You can buy organic seed; most of the ones in the stores are not. Some are, so read the packet. I would avoid peat pots and peat in general. It is running out and soil and pots are great anyway. We do not want to deplete the earth too quickly! Seeds of Change has great organic seeds. You pay a bit more for them, but of course it is environmentally desirable to use them. http://www.seedsofchange.com/default.asp

Question: What type of herb would grow well in a 1 gallon fish bowl? I have a 1 gallon fish bowl that I'm trying to figure out how to use, other than for goldfish. I'm thinking about growing an herb like chives. Which herb, if any, would be best to grow in a 1 gallon fish bowl?

Answer: The problem with a fish bowl is that there is no drainage hole on the bottom. The plants are likely to get root rot from being too damp.

Question: How can I have a decent herb garden indoors? I live in an apartment and love using fresh herbs for my recipes but my one try at an indoor herb garden failed. Can anyone give me a decent plan to have a sustainable herb garden indoors? I have windows on one side of the apartment that only get morning light.

Answer: Get a high pressure hydrogen and a high pressure sodium bulb, and you will have the best herbs on the block. :)

Question: Where do you buy herb plants and seeds in metro Atlanta? I want to start an herb garden for culinary uses and I would like to find a good source for some unusual herbs. Any ideas? If not Atlanta, are there reputable online sellers? Thanks.

Answer: Try sandmountainherbs.com I have used them 3 or 4 times and have been completely satisfied. They have every culinary herb you can think of and you get growing and care instructions.

Question: What is the best herb to use for making hair more thicker? I have heard that there is herbs that can be used to make hair more thicker. Is this true? Where can this herb be found? Also, Which is the best all natural hair shampoo to use on African American Hair?

Answer: nothing can make your hair thicker if its naturally thin. you can use volumizing products to help out, but they only give your hair the appearance of thicker hair. but if your hair is thin because of chemicals or meds, then take hair and nail vitamins and stay away from as much heat as possible. and whatever shampoo you decide to use, make sure its a moisturizing shampoo because our hair is naturally dry.

Question: How to grow more herb plants by cutting them? Does anyone know how I can grow herb cuttings? I can't grow herbs by seed, and I don't want to buy any more. Can you cut them and replant the cutting? And if so, will they actually grow?

Answer: It probably depends on the herb. Some will grow from cuttings if you stick the cuttings in water first and wait for a few roots to grow, or use rooting powder and stick them in soil or vermiculite. Why not try and see?

Question: Anyone ever tried those indoor herb growing kits with lamps? Has anyone ever tried those indoor herb growing kits (as seen on t.v.)), with the grow lights/lamps? Especially that new one? if so, how did it work for you? Did it grow things well? What else besides just herbs did you try growing in them?

Answer: I am a really good gardener, and have at least 50 houseplants, but I had no luck with the herb garden contraption. . . I think the seeds weren't very good, but I took the pots with the holder, and have different cacti growing in them and it looks awesome :) Well worth the money just for the display IMO. . . GL!!!!

Question: How do I start an herb garden? I want to grow fresh herbs. I want to have a small herb garden in my kitchen. Something I would keep by the window. Can anyone tell me how and where to start? I have no clue what to do. I want to start making my own herbal remedies.

Answer: This is awesome for that http://www.officialaerogarden.com/default.aspx?adid=ggl1002.1&gclid=CIOV0Knm4pECFShGEgod025RfQ

Question: Can I grow an indoor herb garden that is not in a kitchen window? I live in an apartment on the 14th floor and don't have a kitchen window or a yard to grow an herb garden. I do have a large sliding glass door to offer light. Is it possible to grow herbs from seed in my place? I do have a balcony, but Virginia gets too cold at times. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Answer: Grow them in a box or some planters on your balcony! My favorite is the long planting box that hangs on the balcony rail. If it gets too cold bring them in and lay a plastic sheet on the rug to protect the floors, or you could put plastic bags over them outside to protect from freezing on a cold winter night. You'll probably end up replanting the whole thing every year anyhow, which is what I do. Ends up being about $15/ year to have fresh herbs to cook with.

Question: What grows best in a herb garden? I am just starting to plant my garden. I decided to do a small herb garden. I would like some examples of herbs that are pretty easy to grow and that taste great. I cook alot with oregano, basil, rosemary, and parsley. Have any tips or any other suggestions for a great garden? Thanks.

Answer: You can't go wrong with an herb garden. The ones you mentioned do very well, and I have them in my garden. You might want to plant a bit of thyme as well. It's good for seasoning meats, and smells wonderful. You may also want to plant some dillweed and mint.

Question: Is there an herb that I can use instead of cumin? I have a recipe for white chicken chili that calls for 2 teaspoons of cumin. I don't have any and was wondering if there was a similar tasting herb I could use. Thanks in advance!

Answer: cumin = comino = cummin = jeera Pronunciation: KUH-min or KYOO-min or KOO-min Equivalents: 1 oz. = 4 tablespoons ground = 4 1/2 tablespoons whole seed. Notes: Cumin is a key ingredient in Southwestern chili recipes, but it's also widely used in Latin America, North Africa, and India. Freshly roasted and ground cumin seeds are far superior to packaged ground cumin. Substitutes: caraway seeds (use half as much) OR black cumin seeds (smaller and sweeter) OR caraway seeds + anise seeds OR chili powder

Question: Can I use a herb grinder to grind ground coffee beans into fine powder? I'm just wondering. By herb grinder, I mean the two round disks that have small pins or blades (sometimes called “teeth”) on each side.

Answer: I think you mean a burr grinder. If so, the conventional wisdom is that that's the best for grinding coffee, so long as you can adjust it to the grind you want. You said fine so I'm thinking you're making espresso. True? If you have been using it to grind herbs, though, it is difficult to get those flavors out of the grinder. You might try grinding some bread crumbs through it, but the best bet is to have a grinder dedicated to your coffee. I recently posted an article on Suite101.com that covers that and more about "How to Make Great Coffee." There's a few more key tips to remember than just using the right grinder.

Question: How can I save my vegetable and herb garden through the winter? I have a fairly large vegetable and herb garden in my backyard. I've been growing tomatoes, carrots, pea, potatoes, and herbs such as chives, thyme, barley, sage, rosemary, and others. It will be getting colder soon and I was wondering what I should do to save my plants over the winter, so they can grow back next summer? I have some bark chip would that help any? What would happen to my plants if I didn't harvest the vegetable left on them?

Answer: The bark chips will help to keep the soil warm. You must harvest all veggies because if they are left on they will only stress the plant which needs to conserve itself during the winter. What you can do is to cut them back a little and cover them with a hesian sack at night to protect from frost. My gran used to do this with some of hers during the winter. Just check, some of the herbs you mentioned may be perennial which means they will come up again. if i were you i would do some research on you particular area and see what plants need what care in the winter. Remember that if they are anuals, they probably will die and will need to be re-planted after the last frost!! happy harvesting!