Especially in today's tough times, investing intelligently is indeed in order. And the good news is, good investments don't necessarily translate to sums of money in your bank of trust. In fact, it can start with something very small and somewhere a whole lot closer to heart.

Herb gardening is an easy, relaxing activity which you and your family can enjoy together. Herbs can be grown in pots or pocket gardens, and you don't have to be an experienced gardener to do so. But just to help you ensure your investment, here are a few tips on how you can have herbs at your home and enjoy all the benefits of the fruits, rather, leaves of your labor later.

Choose to Use

Since herbs can be grown in pots (plastic or terra cotta, whichever you like) you can a have a whole variety of herbs, and there are certainly a lot to choose from. So just in case you'll have trouble deciding, just remember to "choose to use". Do you cook? Then plant herbs which are appetizingly apt like Italian parsley, sweet basil, and oregano. Are there a lot of insects at your home? Then plant herbs which are natural insect repellants like, lavender, lemongrass, chamomile, and cinnamon.

Sunlight, oh Sunlight

This might very well be an herb song. When planting herbs, choose a sunny location because that's what they need (about six to eight hours a day). Do this and you will surely sing come harvest day.

Note: Many herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary and even ginger can be grown inside if need be, but they just won't be as good as those with ample sunlight.

A Satisfying Soil

Any good ol' garden soil will do for herbs. This is the reason why they're very easy to plant and grow. A very fertile soil will result to very large leaves which reduces their power to pack a punch in gastronomical goodies (In English, this simply means they taste less.)

Drain Away

Aside from being sunny, the location must also have good drainage. Only a few herbs can tolerate fairly moist soils like mint. The great others don't like wet soils.

Starting with Seeds

There are a lot of herbs which can be grown from seeds like the ones normally used in cooking. Just follow the tips above like the one about getting a lot of sunlight, but take note that seeds also need a cool temperature (about 60oF). Also, remember that the smaller or finer the seeds, the shallower they should be in the soil.

Are herbs at home a good investment? Not if you don't plant them. So what are you waiting for? Get those gardening tools and see that good investment grow.