When dried all herbs lose some of their volatile essential oils. It is these essential oils which give the herbs their unique and aromatic flavor. Herbalists and chefs may decide to start their own herb garden in order to have a ready supply of fresh herbs on hand for use in their own culinary creations.
Herbal Aromatherapy
One of the greatest joys of cultivating herbs is the delightful scent that emanates from the plants when walking past them. For a quick aromatherapy boost, visit the garden and gently rub the stems of the favorite herbs. This will cause the pleasant fragrance of their aromatic essential oils to be released into the surrounding air.
Propagating plants is more cost effective than continually purchasing established plants from garden centers. Here is an easy method which can be used to start cuttings of herbs and other plants.
Stem Cuttings
New plants can be started by taking cuttings of easy to root, soft stem herbs such as mint, basil or lemon balm. Cut a 4 to 6 inch long piece of the herb, remove the bottom leaves, then place the cuttings in a glass of water. Place the glass in a semi-shady location and change the water every day or two. The cuttings should start setting roots in a few days and will be able to be transplanted into the garden within 7-12 days.
For herbs with woody stems, such as rosemary, lemon verbena, sage and scented geraniums, place the cuttings in a small pot filled with a mixture of top soil, peat moss and perlite. Water the soil well then place the pot in a shady location, out of direct sunlight, and cover the cuttings with a homemade cloche.
Homemade Cloches
Homemade cloches can be made out of a 1 gallon plastic milk jug. Cut out the bottom of the jug, rinse it out, then place it over the container full of cuttings forming a mini-greenhouse. Check the cuttings every day or two to see if they need more water and, if it's a very hot and humid day, remove the cloche for an hour or two. Woody stem herbs may take between 2 and 3 weeks to set roots. The only problem with using the milk jugs is that after a year or two the plastic breaks down, gets brittle then starts to disintegrate. Simply throw out the worn out cloches and replace them with new ones.
Further Information
See the articles Indoor Seed Starting at Home and Gardening Seed Starting Choices for instructions on how to start plants directly from seed.
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