Essential Survival Gear Catalog

The more obvious reason for cultivating herbs is the benefits you can derive when adding them to food. They simply make any dish special. People have been growing kitchen herbs because they have discovered what a little amount of herb can do to their regular meals.

There are many varieties of herbs to choose from. If you are really interested in growing kitchen herbs, choose the ones that are regularly used. Basil has been a classic in any kitchen. It is the main ingredient for making pesto pasta, and is also used in making soups and sauces. The pungent taste of basil also makes a good combination with any tomato dish. Basil is a tender annual, and will not live in winter, unless transferred indoors. It is a sun-loving herb that can be propagated through seeding.

Another sun-loving herb which loves rich soil is chive. Chive is a hardy perennial that can be planted in the fall or spring. When planting, keep each herb 9-12 inches apart. Add in mulch to ward off weeds. Chive has dark green leaves with a weak onion taste, which makes it a fine addition to baked potatoes and dips.

Dill is a popular flavor enhancer to fish, meat and poultry, with a strong and slightly bitter taste. Both the leaves and seeds can be used for seasoning. Dill can also be added to soups and salads. It prefers a soil with pH level of 5.8 to 6.5, slightly acidic. It prefers full sunlight and inclined to sandy or loamy well-drained soil. Dill can be planted during early spring. Sow the seeds in a 1/4 inch deep soil, with a spacing of 9 inches in between plants.

Fennel is a close relative of dill, but has a sweet flavor. The seeds though, have a little sharp flavor than the leaves. Like dill, it makes a fine seasoning to fish, meat, soups and salads. Planting is also similar to dill, only that spacing between plants should be one and half feet. Place this herb in full sunlight, and add lime once the pH level is below 6. Never interplant with dill, as this may cause cross pollination.

Another herb that must not be missed out is parsley. This has been used for ages in special cuisines and even in ordinary stew. It can also spice up salads and omelets. Though it prefers full sunlight, it can live in partial shade. In planting parsley, it is advisable to buy young seedlings from the nursery. Transfer your tender plants in mid spring or mid summer.

Growing kitchen herbs can give you much pleasure, particularly when you eat what you spent time nurturing for.

Herb gardening is a great way of getting more out of your home space, the kitchen is just one way to start growing herbs.