The most common practice and easiest way to get cooking herbs of course is to go to the grocery store and purchase them there. If you don't have the time or space to grow your own then this is the next best solution. But if you are interested in trying your hand at gardening then I am sure you will find it very rewarding and will not want to go back to buying them again. Here are some of the benefits of growing your own herbs.
1. Being able to walk outside into your herb garden and pick them fresh is probably the most common benefit. On occasion where you run out of a particular herb it can be more convenient to have it fresh at hand then having to take a drive to the store.
2. Another thing that you will enjoy more is the flavour. Fresh picked herbs are always much more flavourful then ones that are bought at the store. For obvious reasons, they are fresh, the prepackaged ones may have been sitting on the shelf for quite a bit of time.
3. Another reason for growing your own is financial, if you live on a budget it can be expensive to buy herbs, when you grow your own the cost of having them is very minimal. The only real cost will be in your seeds, soil or pots and in your time and effort of taking care of them.
4. Other benefits of growing them vs buying them are you know where they come from, and if they are grown without the use of pesticides or harsh chemicals. As a home grower you can make the choice as to whether you want to grow them completely organic or using chemicals. It gives you the control in what you are putting in your body.
5. Not only will you know what you are putting into your body but fresh home grown herbs have a lot more nutrient content. The longer a herb sits the less vitamin and mineral content there will be in them.
6. You also may choose to grow your own just because you feel a sense of pride and joy in watching them grow and in the ritual of harvesting them, storing them and using them in your favorite recipes. Just that alone is why a lot of people choose to grow.
7. As a home grower you can have more of a variety of herbs at your fingertips. It allows you to experiment more with your recipes and try new and interesting things. For instance you may not be able to find a certain herb at your grocery store but you can find the seeds to grow them.
8. Herbs also can be used for other purposes as well to making gifts for friends or loved ones or even to sell at a roadside stand if you have a lot of extra. If you want to be extra courteous you can always give some away as well.
9. Another important reason that I must mention to growing your own is to help out the environment. Having your own garden is healthy for the Eco-system, plants are mother natures way of cleaning the air around us as well as attracting pollinating insects. Not only do you give back to the earth by growing but you also cut back on buying from the store. Every herb bought in the store is packaged in a plastic, etc type packaging, as well as shipped by truck. Anytime we can reduce our consumption of transported and packaged goods is a great way to give back to the planet.
If you do not have the space, time or interest to grow your own then the grocery store products can be used effectively and can serve the same purpose. Either way the choice is yours. Only you can decide which option is best for you. As long as you are enjoying the process of using herbs in your recipes then that is all that will matter.
