Texas Permaculture Garden | Herb Harvesting | Chickens In The Garden
The More Natural Raised Bed
The word hugelkultur translates into “mound culture,” which is an apt name for this process because hugelkultur gardens are essentially raised beds that are made of a mound of logs and branches topped with compost, soil, and other natural materials. Like lasagna gardening, hugelkultur repurposes yard waste to create a rich garden soil that drains exceptionally well and can provide nutrients for vegetables and flowers for many seasons to come.
You don't need to be a master gardener or have a huge area to get the benefits of growing fresh herbs. Herbs are great for adding flavor to foods, and great to pick, wash, and preserve for natural remedies that benefit personal health and beauty, like tinctures, salves, lotions, teas and so on. Growing an herbal garden helps in so many different ways. It’s a great way to enjoy the sights, smells and tastes of a wide variety of plants. Fresh herbs are pretty simple to grow in a small garden as long as you give them what they need.
Herbs have so much value, aromatherapy, medicines, seasonings, flavorings in foods, and even supplemental animal feed.
There are so many herbs packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants, valuable nutrients, and fat-free flavor.
Many herbs, like basil, are fragrant when brushed against. Consider planting them near a path or doorway. Match the herb’s sunlight requirements with sites that meet those needs.
Many herbs attract beneficial insects such as bees and ladybugs. Examples are anise hyssop, borage, comfrey, fennel, and yarrow. Pineapple sage attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Herbs also repel less-desirable visitors: Rosemary (cabbage moths, carrot flies, and bean beetles), chives (aphids, mites), sage (flea beetles), and mint (aphids, cabbage moths, flea beetles). The aromatic properties of some herbs (rosemary, Russian sage, bee balm) are even reported to fend off hungry deer.
Plant Basil near tomatoes, deters flies and mosquitoes. Catnip deters ants, flea beetles, and weevils. Hyssop planted near cabbage, cauliflower, or broccoli deters cabbage moths.
Marigolds/Calendula are also an awesome herb to attract pesky pests, but also not hard to rinse off, dry and infuse in your favorite natural skin care!
