Major Classifications and Several Subtypes of Herbs Gardens
are classified specifically varied. Their usage and purpose are how they are classified. They could also be categorized according to their strength of flavors. And lastly, they could be grouped according to their timeframe of growth.
Gardens according to Herb Usage and Purpose
Culinary herbs are mainly used as seasonings or garnish for a lot of cuisines. The intrinsic reason why they are used in cooking, is because most of these herbs usually have strong taste. Samples of this type are basil, sage, parsley, thyme, marjoram and mint.
Medicinal herbs, as the name itself suggest how these herbs are used. Samples of this type are basil – when crushed could be applied to warts; cannabis – used moderately by chemotherapy patients; turmeric - Hindi Ayuverdic traditional medicine; others that could aid digestive and circulatory problems are lemon grass, ginseng, dill and dandelion. Do take note that most herbs when not properly pruned, boiled or dried could be poisonous during successive huge consumption quantities.
Aromatic/Therapeutic/Repellants herbs are those with strong smells which usually cause relaxing the mind through the process aromatherapy. A lot of culinary herbs have strong smells, so they can easily fall unto this type. However, there are some herbs that are solely used for their smells and oil essences. A few examples are lavender, chamomile, lime flowers and malvorosa, they are popular deodorizer and mosquito repellant.
Ornamental herbs are not merely for decoration. However, their flowers and leaf color are visually stimulating; hence they could serve multiple purposes. Mint, lavender, chicory and valerian are just some of these.
Cosmetics/Dye herbs. Some medicinal herbs are used for addressing skin problems. Plus these herbs have strong pigments that are processed to get dye. For example, pokeweed and plaintain could treat acne through topical application. Their oils are also used in some astringents as an ingredient. Pot/scotch marigold, Holy Basil and mint are the other type of this herb.
Sacred/Spiritual herbs. Some herbs are revered in some religions. The Holy Basil, Tulsi, is worshipped due to its healing effects for some Hindis. The myrrh, frankincense and ague root are the Three Magis’ gifts to Jesus Christ for the Christians. potency, virility, guidance, good luck and other spiritual gifts,are offered by herbs like mint, basil, rosemary, parsley, mistletoe and verbena.
Gardens according to Herb Flavors
These herbs are all the same as the culinary herbs garden. It would also be advisable to separate herbs with strong smell and taste so as the herbs could have optimized flavors.
Strong herbs are those with very intense flavors. Samples of this are rosemary, sage, fennel and perilla.
Accent herbs are those that have strong flavors but do not overpower the other ingredients. Anise, basil, caraway, catnip, leeks and dill are some of this herb type.
Blending herbs usually complement the strong taste of other ingredients or herbs they were put with. They also make great palate cleansers. Some of these are borage, parsley, chervil, and coriander.
Gardens according to Herb Growth
Perennials are those that grow at all times of the year. They also bloom regularly. Samples of these are catnip, fennel, chives, comfrey, horehound and lavender.
Annuals have a life span of one year. During that year, they grow, bloom flowers and after that die right away. Some varieties of basil, coriander, anise, chervil and borage are some of the annuals.
Biennials have two years to reach its fullest form. The strengthening of its roots, stretching its stems and growing leaves are done mainly during the first year. Most of these need cold temperatures, like parsley, bristly ox-tongue, clary sage and caraway. Biennials are very limited.
Evergreens are very rich in foliage. They have leaves all year round and some species could survive even several decades. Samples of these are bay leaves, ombu, and the genus of bouvardia.
Note that some herbs would have characteristics that would fall on several of the categories given above. Case in point, the popular King of Herbs Basil: general varieties are annuals but some are annuals; it is mainly used for culinary purposes but also has medicinal and aromatic wonders; it has strong accent when included in dishes. Due to the many uses a basil has, it may be grown in a bed separated from other herbs in the garden, so you can designate a bigger space for them.
So if you want to create your own herbs gardens, and just need an herb garden how to, well you can choose and mix-match the abovementioned classifications. Just be sure to take note of how the roots of the herbs have respective needed spacing.
