Italian cuisine is enjoyed all over the world. The distinctive array of herbs that tradition has mixed for flavoring has gendered the unique blend that Italian meals are always a pleasure to the pallet.
Adding Italian herbs plants in the vicinity of an already existing vegetable garden adds flavor to them, especially tomatoes and peppers. You will also enjoy the unmistakable scent of the Mediterranean anytime you stroll by that area.
To achieve this authentic Mediterranean taste to your meals, you first need to know which herbs to add when cooking Italian. Although the necessary herbs can be bought at your local store, they can be grown in your very own Italian herb garden, preferably near your kitchen area or directly in the kitchen itself in a small interior garden.
Better known herbs such as basil, fennel, rosemary, oregano, and parsley are commonly found in kitchens all over the world. Some might even be already growing in your garden.
The use of these herbs in Italian cooking is due specifically to the abundance of them growing naturally in this specific weather condition so that the transition easily found its way in Italian kitchens. Pasta, pizza, bruschetta, salad, soups, veal and chicken are among the meals that comes to life with the addition of these herbs.
Growing these herbs in your garden to accompany your cooking will ask for a bit of planning. Plants need to be planted with some specific care and some accommodations must be taken into consideration.
An important point to consider is to make these plants accessible. Remember, when you are cooking or preparing a meal, you will certainly prefer being able to collect the needed leaves at arms reach, or at least a easily accessible area of your garden at near proximity of the kitchen.
Also, the nearer the plant are for you to gather from to flavor your food, the more likely you are to take care of their growing needs. The more tendering to give to your plants, the healthier they will grow. Having them at a nearby location also surrounds you with their distinct aromas.
Another factor that will deeply influence the quality of growth of your Italian herb garden is the soil that is to be used. A loose soil which is low in nutrients and lime is ideal and you should definitively avoid hard packed soil. It is equally important that the soil retains a proper amount of water after it has rained or after watering your garden. Water must nor log into this soil under any circumstance. This can be accomplished with a proper balance of soil, gravel and sand. This will result in healthier, happier plants.
The best surface to grow the herbs is on level ground. In a depression, water will collect in a pool and drown the plant or rot the roots. On a slope will cause the protective topsoil to eventually wash away. To assure the right amount of water, a leveled ground is the way to go, it will also contribute to the height of the growing plants.
Italian herbs are attracted to hot and dry climates. Of course, not watering the plants is not an option to achieve this type of weather. It might be a good idea to plant these herbs near other plants that tends to absorb moisture or use box hedges can also contribute at reducing moisture out of the air and can also provide shade when needed. The rule of thumb is to carefully read the instructions on the seeds envelope.
At the same time, verify the height that each plant can achieve during growth to properly plan your planting arrangement. The amount of sun and root structure of the different herbs you will be growing are other factors to keep in mind Hedges might cause partial shade during the latter part of the sunlit hours and shorter plants, that required maximum sunlight, might suffer if not placed accordingly. Also, avoid planting too many shrubs to closely for they will be competing for the water in the ground which might starve other herbs of that same water and the nutrients that they need to grow strong.
If you take into consideration the sunlight, the watering and wind conditions along with these tips, you can give your plants everything they need to grow well and healthy without sacrificing other plants.
If you found this information useful, you may wish to visit my website and continue learning how to start a great Italian herb garden.
