Our gardens

Gardening is a way to connect with nature and, as an added bonus, also provides healthful exercise. Horticulturalists are not afraid to get their hands dirty, nor do they object to getting on their knees to dig, seed or weed. They love the feel of being one with the earth and are proud of their accomplishments, especially, when after plenty of dedicated care, their flowers are gorgeously blooming and their bountiful vegetable crop is ready for harvest.

Learning the names of flowers, trees and plants helps, but gardening is more than that. It also relates to activities such as watering, digging, weeding, being out in the fresh air and knowing your soil, plant diseases, pests and pesticides, fertilizers, landscaping designs, or locating helpful growing tips. Indeed, planting and seeding is only the beginning. Once your plants are growing you have to keep them happy and healthy. This means you have to know about quantity and quality of food, how often to water and what tools to use.

Becoming a gardener means joining an already thriving community and gaining many excited fellow horticulturalists ready to assist you with plant profiles and their specific cultural requirements, organic resources, and what to look for in nurseries. They will also offer advice on how to grow the richest fruits and vegetables, and they can help you in your quest to design the perfect tea garden, or any landscape project for that matter.

Container Gardening: Container Herb Garden

Container gardening is a great way to grow plants, vegetables and herbs without needing a lot of space.

Popular Herbal Gardens

For gardeners who love to cook, or vice versa, it makes a lot of sense to cultivate your own herbs, and not just because of the culinary benefits these plants represent. Herb gardens can also be quite beautiful and even add panache to your entire landscape design.

Herbal gardens can come in many sizes, and for those gardeners with limited space, some herb bearing plants can grow between rows in regular vegetable patches, or even be placed in pots indoors on a window sill. This last method may actually be quite practical for the inexperienced gardener who is still learning and experimenting.

Some of the popular and easy growing herbal species, such as chives, sweet basil, dill, parsley, catnip, fennel, thyme, scented mints, sage, chamomile and lemon verbena can grow in the same climatic and soil conditions as other garden plants. However, and as strange as it may seem, herbs incline to be more flavorful when sprouted in substandard soil, which actually promotes the growth of the distinct foliage responsible for the herbs' characteristic aromas and flavors. This tolerance for sandy and even rocky soil makes a variety of herbs ideal specimens to be used as rock garden fillers, for sprucing up empty spaces in existing gardens, or as fragrant border plants, adding a touch of country charm.

For those gastronomes fond of specialty teas and foreign cuisine, growing your own exotic and rare herbs may come in handy when preparing those specialty dishes. 'Siam Queen' basil and kaffir lime are used in Tai food, while Astragalus, licorice or Huang Qi are Chinese herbs used for medicinal purposes. The difference with Chinese herbs is that they require a richer soil.

Growing a variety of herbs is a delightful and practical horticultural way that can add flavor, not only to your garden, but also to your annual backyard buffet and daily kitchen.