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8 Magical Herbs You Can Grow At Home Easily
  

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Have you ever considered a herb window garden? All you need is a bit of window space to park your seedlings  and  you’ll be on your way.
  
Getting in touch with Mother Nature

Growing your own herb window garden will give you immense satisfaction. As a holistic health devotee, getting in touch with Mother Nature should really appeal, and what better way, than nurturing some natural plant life, but plant life with a difference; plants that you can use to spice and flavor your healthy diet.

Growing your own herbs can give you a real kick. The satisfaction that you know you’ve grown them yourself, and the fact that you simply can’t get them any fresher than being home-grown is a great turn on. The best thing of all is it’s not that difficult to do.  Here are a few tips to start you on your way.

Make sure your herb plants get enough light

Sun light is essential for the growth of all plants, including herbs; so you need window space that gets at least eight hours of direct sunlight.

Choosing the right soil

Choosing the right soil will determine how well your herbs grow. You can get bags of soil from DIY supermarkets that sell plants and gardening equipment, and which are specially formulated for growing certain plants from the seeds and seedlings.

Setting up your herb-trays

Any type of plastic trays or window boxes should suffice. To be fit for purpose it’s essential that they have drain holes in the base to allow excess water to drain away. The deeper the better. So you can get a decent amount of soil in each. It’s also a good idea to lay out with coir, which will allow soil to breathe.

Don’t forget to water

Watering is important but equally well, knowing when and how much water to apply is crucial. Over or under watering will damage your herbs’ growth. Keep an eye on the bottom of the tray when you are applying water, and when you can see it collecting through the holes at the bottom, that’s when to stop.

Knowing when to begin feeding your herbs


For the first few days, apply water as needed in order to keep the soil moist. After approximately 10 days you can begin to feed with half strength nutrients, which you should add every two weeks to promote good growth.

Harvest when ready

Don’t forget why you’re growing your herbs in the first place. You can begin to harvest small portions of your herbs some 4 to 6 weeks after you started growing. Harvesting a little at a time is good and will encourage further growth.

Let’s now take a look at eight types of herbs that you can grow in your herb window garden.

Herb # 1 – Thyme

As well as having a lovely smell, and importing great flavor to many roast dishes and casseroles, Thyme also provides some great health benefits.
◾It’s good for digestive support and can be used to treat diarrhea, flatulence, and stomach pain.
◾Thyme is also useful in the treatment of disorders such as bronchitis and whooping cough, as well, as being beneficial for sore throats.
◾Thyme prevents fluid retention building up in the body and is therefore a good cure for bedwetting.
◾Thyme also has certain antimicrobial properties that are helpful in treating skin infections such as acne.
◾Thyme can also be used in preparations to lower hypertension and is also recommended for treating colon and breast cancer.

Herb # 2 – Parsley

Parsley is another great herb you can grow in your window garden, and is rich in vitamins A, B12, C, and K. Its health benefits include:
◾Helps to promote the healthy development of: blood vessels, bones, heart, joints, kidneys, ligaments, nerves and tendons.
◾Oil made from Parsley is a good prevention of alopecia and is an excellent treatment for dry skin, helping to both moisten and soften skin tissue.
◾Parsley is also good for the treatment of diarrhea, and helps to absorb fat.
◾It also facilitates the production of estrogens that are useful in combating post-menopausal symptoms.
◾Because Parsley contains the mineral iron, it is useful for remedying anemia and exhaustion.

Herb # 3 – Mint

  

  
Everyone loves mint. Cooking-wise it’s great for adding to potatoes and many other vegetables, and is also excellent with many fruits as well as ice cream. It has some very useful health benefits too.
◾Its aromatic odor is great for blocking horrible smells. It helps to open up your breathing tubes, bringing relief to things like the common cold, and is also excellent for warding off many insects.
◾In addition to inhaling spearmint as a cold treatment, its leaves can be soaked and massaged into appropriate areas of the body to relieve various aches and pains, including headaches and migraines.

Herb # 4 – Basil

Basil has a unique and distinctive scent. It is a great accompaniment for raw tomatoes and various cooked dishes. It has numerous health benefits.
◾Basil oil slows the development of many microbes and is particularly useful against antibiotic resistant germs.
◾Basil contains a substance known as Eugenol, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and an alternative to drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. It is useful as a natural treatment for IBS, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid-arthritis.
◾Thanks to the vitamin A that Basil contains, it also helps to inhibit the cholesterol build-up in your bloodstream. The mineral magnesium, that Basil contains helps to keep blood vessels and heart muscles flexible to facilitate healthy circulation.
◾Mint also contains a cocktail of various other healthy substances, including ascorbic acid, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Herb # 5 – Coriander

Coriander is an aromatic herb that is great for spiced and curried dishes. Its health benefits include:
◾Antioxidants that help to promote healthy liver, and good digestion.
◾Corianders aromatic qualities make it a useful treatment for headaches and sinusitis.
◾Its aromatic qualities can also be put to good use to remedy colds and flu, and the stinging associated with urinary infections and cystitis.

Herb # 6 – Lemon Grass

Lemon grass is a great herb for adding to Asian cuisine. It also has several other health benefits with, include:
◾Various properties that promotes pain relief. It also has certain anti-malignant features plus, anti-viral and antifungal characteristics.

Herb # 7 – Oregano

Oregano is a great herb that complements Italian cooking. It also has several health properties, including;
◾Oregano oil contains both anti-viral and antioxidant properties.
◾Due to its antifungal properties, oregano can be used to treat athlete’s foot, ringworm, and other fungal infections.
◾Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, oregano can help to reduce the inflammation of arthritis, asthma, hepatitis, IBS, sinusitis, and psoriasis.



Herb # 8 – Garlic

Garlic is legendary, both as a great taste ingredient for many food dishes, and as a well-known vampire repellent. Its health benefits are many, including:

Garlic has antibiotic properties similar to that of penicillin and can combat all sorts of body infestations such as bugs, fleas, lice, and worms.
◾Garlic can also thin your blood and be used to sanitize your gut, as well as being able to detoxify your liver.
◾Its smell is also able to combat feelings of light headedness and vertigo. It can assist with mucous secretion in the respiratory tract and help to combat whooping cough. When added to honey it is a great medicine, and a good cold and flu treatment
◾Garlic also contains iodine, which makes it a good treatment for mild hypothyroidism.
◾Because garlic promotes healthy skin tissue, it is used by many to slow the visible signs of ageing.

Enhance both your diet and your holistic health lifestyle

So there you have it. Eight great herbs that you can grow in your herb window garden that will not only tickle your palate, but will also help to promote your holistic healthy lifestyle.

Acknowledgements:

http://www.curejoy.com/content/8-magical-herbs-you-can-grow-at-home-easily/

  
http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/8-magical-herbs-can-grow-home-easily.html