An herb garden is one of the easiest to begin. Herbs grow quickly and often need little care. After awhile they may become a bit ungainly in habit, when it will be time to clip and divide, but that might be one of the most pleasurable tasks you undertake in any garden- the fragrance of cut herbs is a delight to the senses.
Let’s get started with our new herb garden!
- Pick a sunny spot
- Make a geometric planting bed for simple good looks- a circle or rectangle
- Dig in amendments to improve the soil
- Purchase thrifty plants early in the season
- Remove from pots,tease out the roots slightly, and plant.
- Firm the herb plants in and water, keeping moist until established
That is the easiest possible herb garden. It will provide fragrance, delicious additions to your cooking, and a pretty sight whether in bloom or out.
The Most Popular Herb Gardens
There are so many types of herb gardens, because people of the past had many uses for plants aside from cooking, which is the most popular sort of herbal choices for today. Here are a sampling:
- Culinary
- Fabric dyes
- Medicinal
- Aromatherapy
- Pest repellent
Culinary
Choose the type of herbs that appeal to you, which often are culinary herbs if you are like many people. Parsley, Basil, Savory, Marjoram, Chives, Garlic are just a few in that category. I like Sage, and you could try Tarragon, Rosemary, Oregano, or something unusual but pretty for an herb garden like Borage or Calendula. (Borage gives a cucumber coolness to cold drinks and Calendula petals were once a favored stew addition).
central focal point in herb garden
I have lots of herb options for several types of herbal gardens listed in the Herb Plant Lists page; and if you want something more designed and complex, take yourself over to the much more detailed page on herb gardens.
Plant Thuggery
A word on Mints
I love mints, and I grow them, but they can be vigorous to the point of being invasive.
It might be a good idea to give them a spot all their own if you love mint.
Think about separating the flavors of mint (and there are many) with other plants that can compete, such as annual plantings of marigolds or calendulas. Perhaps rim the mints with a divider deep enough to contain the running roots.
A favorite way of controlling them was to grow near the house, mowing up to where they should be contained.
Great Project for Kids
Think about making an easy herb garden as your child’s first garden. I read somewhere that a “Pizza” themed garden is an ideal project because the herbs are easy to grow and most children love the foods associated with them- whether it is spaghetti or pizza. Parsley, oregano, and basil can be grown and harvested by children, and the aromatic smell delights the senses while the strong growth means little weeding. I would use plants, since parsley can be a bit slow to germinate. Add a few marigolds to make things interesting early on (although they wouldn’t be good to eat!).
Medicinal Herbs, or Simples
Gaining favor once again, teas, tisanes, and adding spice to foods can have health properties. They might even be good for what ails you! Treat them like the medicine they are and tell you doctor if you are taking herbal supplements.
- Get a good, reliable guide, and then grow the plants for curiosity or for use. The Herbal Apothecary: 100 Medicinal Herbs and How to Use Them
- Get started with the articles written about this type of herb garden for your yard.
- While there are very complicated plans, most of these gardens for herbs are quite straightforward.The Herb Garden Design and History
