Herb gardening is something I’ve always wanted to try. I blame it on all of those cooking shows, tempting me with their delicious and mouthwatering recipes and always mentioning how the use of rosemary, thyme, basil and all of those herbs adds to the flavor of the food. So can you really blame me for wanting to try my hand at it?

Initially, I thought, “How hard could it be to keep a small herb garden?” Herbs are known to be hardy plants. The purportedly don’t need a lot to thrive – just provide them with sufficient sun and water. They can be grown in farms as comfortably as in apartments.

So imagine my chagrin when I walked into a garden supply shop and found 1,001 choices and not knowing exactly what I need! From soil selection, herb selection, choosing whether to get seeds or seedlings, fertilizer types, container types and so much more – I wasn’t prepared to make so many decisions all at once. The fight or flight reflex kicked in and I decided to take flight and do some more research.

That’s when I came across Jeannie Woods’ book called “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs And Herb Gardening”. I was pleased to find that the book was easy to follow, even for someone like me who have zero gardening background. Not only that, it extensively covered all the relevant points that I need to understand to be able to make competent choices – from seed selection, to soil preparation, to harvesting and much more. It even covers composting and ways to care for your plants organically and economically at the same time.

I’ve been following the book’s advice for over a month now. While it’s still early to say if my plants are going to make it, I have a pretty good feeling that they will. What the book couldn’t prepare me for though was how much joy I’m getting out of caring for my small patch of garden (box is more like it, actually), which I totally did not expect.

Another great thing from buying this book – the freebie which I am absolutely enjoying. When I bought this book, it came with a bonus cookbook, which is all about cooking with herbs! The recipes are great. And it made it easy for me to choose exactly what kind of herbs I want to grow.

So, if you’re thinking of cultivating your own herb garden, be sure to check out Jeannie Woods’ “Healthy Happy Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide To Herbs And Herb Gardening”. It’s available exclusively at her book’s website at Happy Healthy Herbs. You’ll be glad that you did.




Photo attribution thebittenword.com