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Having
access to a small herb garden can be as simple
as having a nice large squatty pot just outside
your kitchen door containing a few of your favorite
herbs like the one at the left containing sweet
basil, purple leaf basil, chives and flat leaf
parsley.
Your
food preference tastes should dictate what you
would like to grow. Two favorites that almost
everyone would agree upon are parsley and chives.
Their mild flavors are very versatile and can
be used in any variety of cuisine.
Perhaps
you want your mini garden within arms reach of
your cooking area. All you have to do is design
a window box or group of planters for your kitchen.
When creating this mini herb garden, decide where
your box will be located. |
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The amount of sun that you get in the chosen window
will dictate which herbs to select. Both southern
and western exposures are generally sunny and
hot. Good choices are are thyme, coriander, French
lavender, bay laurel, basil, lemon verbena, dill,
parsley, chives, sage and rosemary. A nice combination
of both upright and trailing herbs is attractive,
so consider adding creeping thymes or oregano
or to you mini garden for a little eye appeal.
Northern and eastern exposures will provide more
shade and are not as warm. Shade loving plants
that will work nice here include parsley, spearmint,
peppermint, lemon balm, chives, borage, and Cuban
oregano. |
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Fill your container(s) half full of potting soil
mix with equal parts of potting soil, peat moss
and vermiculite. Move
and place plants until you are pleased with how
the design looks. Remember to keep in mind the
mature sizes of the plants and what their growth
habits are. Do not place a |
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that will mature at 12 inches in front of a plant that
will mature no taller than 2 inches. Don't fear mixing
plants together - it will not hurt anything. Once
you have settled on the placement of the plants, add
potting soil to about 1 inch below the rim of the container.
Tamp the soil down firmly and liberally water. Pinch
back any large growth to promote thick growth.
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When
planning an herb garden outside, you can start modestly
with a few pots on the patio or located on a bakers
rack. Some herbs like sage, thyme and mint are available
in different colors, so that you can make an attractive
bed in various shades.
Construct the bed as close as possible to the house,
so you do not neglect to gather the herbs for cooking
during wet weather. Whenever possible, grow each type
of herb in a separate pocket. You can actually divide
the bed into distinct pockets with dwarf hedges of lavender
or you can use concrete or stone pavers or stones to
add a landscaped design. This way, herbs may easily
be reached by footpaths and easily replaced without
disturbing other plants that are nearby. Keeping plants
harvested insures thick and hearty growth. |
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| Since
most herbs grow well in full sun to part shade, choose
a spot for your garden that gets at least 6 hours of
sunlight per day. Make sure there is good drainage and
easy accessibility. When planning your garden, take
into consideration the height and sizes of herbs; shown
below.
Herb
Heights and Sizes:
Small: 1- 1 1/2 feet or less in diameter and less than
1 foot tall
Parsley, Chives, Cilantro, Fernleaf Dill (other dills
grow to 3' tall), Cuban Basil, Thyme
Medium: 2 feet to 4 feet wide, less than 2 feet tall
Marjoram, Basils (except African Blue), Tarragon, Savory,
Thyme, Chocolate Mint and Peppermint
Short but Large: 4-6 feet wide, less than 1 foot tall
Oregano, Spearmint, Orange Mint
Large: 4-6 feet wide and tall
African Blue Basil, Rosemary, Lavenders, Sages, Lemon
Verbena, Pineapple Sage
Sweet
Bay Laurel (This is actually a tree but it makes a great
central point of interest to your herb garden (whether
potted or planted in the ground). It grows very slowly
but will eventually reach 15-20 feet tall.)
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