CHOOSING
A SITE
Herbs flourish under the same conditions that
you provide for your flower or vegetable garden.
Although most herbs will grow in partial shade,
it is better if the herb garden receives at least
4 to 6 hours of sunlight a day. A majority of
herbs will grow well under a wide range of soil
conditions, with the exception of extremely wet,
poorly drained soils. Note, however, that sage,
rosemary, and thyme require a well-drained but
moderately moist soil. If the garden soil is poorly
drained, you can improve the situation by modifying
or amending it. Even more effective would be the
use of raised beds. To improve soil fertility
and tilth, add several bushels of compost per
100 square feet of soil before planting. Spade
or till it into the soil thoroughly.
In
general, herbs do better in soils of low to medium
fertility, so additional fertilizer applications
are not needed. Soils with high fertility tend
to produce lots of foliage that is low in flavor.
Prepare your garden site in the same manner that
you would a vegetable garden, spading or tilling
it to a depth of 6 to 12 inches. Then level and
rake the site to remove any large clods and debris.
DETERMINING THE SIZE OF YOUR HERB GARDEN
The size of your garden will depend largely upon
the quantity of herbs that you need and want to
grow. A dozen annuals and/or perennials will provide
you with a good variety.
FITTING
HERBS INTO YOUR LANDSCAPE
Decide on a type of garden. An herb garden can
take any form. They can be planted in a formal
garden; informally with flowers, trees, and shrubs;
or in theme gardens. Most herbs prefer lots of
sunshine so pick a sunny spot.
A formal herb garden generally is composed of
a series of beds that are not identical but appear
balanced. The herbs are arranged by height, foliage
color, and/or use, often in rows. Wide walkways
are used to separate the beds and give the garden
a sense of spaciousness. Formal gardens of the
16th century were designed as knot gardens. This
style used plants to create intricate, geometric
designs within a square or rectangle. The designs
were often edged with low-growing hedges of lavender
or boxwood that showed off the subtle characteristics
of the herbs. When choosing plants for a knot
garden, select those that are compact, low-growing,
and are manageable. Some suggested herbs are thyme,
germander, rue, hyssop, rosemary, and santolina.
Avoid invasive herbs such as the mints. In addition
to the herbs, statuary, topiaries, and container-grown
plants are important features to include in a
formal garden.
Herbs
are typically planted in a garden by themselves.
Unfortunately, most herbs look great in May and
June, and then get scraggy and unattractive the
rest of the season. For this reason, they are
often informally combined with annual and perennial
flowers, trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vegetables,
or other plant material. This allows you to take
advantage of the various colors, textures, sizes,
and shapes that other plants have to offer. For
a lising of herbs that perform well in Zone 8
Click Here.
Some
gardeners prefer to select a specific theme for
their herb garden and choose the herbs accordingly.
Some examples are a kitchen garden (including
thyme, sage, basil, tarragon, dill); a single
color garden such as gray-green (including horehound,
lavender, artemesia, and wormwood); a scented
garden (including mint, scented geranium, lemon
balm, silver thyme, and rosemary); or a garden
with different varieties of a specific herb (common
sage, Tricolor sage, golden sage, purple sage,
clary sage, pineapple sage). The possibilities
are limited only by your imagination.
Don't
limit your use of herbs to specific situations.
You can use them to enhance most any garden. Of
course, some grow better as groundcovers, others
as edging plants; still others are best when intermingled
with different plants in a mixed border. Most,
however, are best used where their fragrance and
beauty can be appreciated upclose.
Put
your ideas on paper. Once you have decided on
the type of garden you want, make a rough sketch
or drawing on paper. This helps to visualize what
the garden will look like and will help in figuring
the number of plants needed. Think about the staging
(shorter plants in front, taller towards the back)
as well as succession of flowering. It is much
easier having it on paper than trying to remember
it.Consider color schemes and combinations. Use
specific plant characteristics when deciding where
to locate the plants. Color is one of the most
noticeable features of a plant. By choosing a
single color scheme, you can create a garden that
gives a sense of space, openness, adn brightness.
For greatest effect, vary the height, shape, texture,
and size of the flowers and tones of the color.
Colors can also be used in combination; some colors
blend together better than others. For example,
a silver-foliaged plant such as horehound is enhances
a red or pastel foliage or flowers. Yellow and
blue is always a good combination. Orange and
blue, yellow and violet, and red and green are
complementary colors and create a strong effect.
Contrast
is another technique to use to make your garden
more interesting. By definition, contrast is using
opposing elements close together to produce an
intense or intriguing effect. You can contrast
textures, darks, lights, colors, shapes, lines,
flower form, flower height....any design element.
For example, rounded plant forms look best next
to those that are upright; a plant with round
flowers is complemented by a plant with spiky
flowers.
Keep
the plants together.It is very important to define
the garden. The plant will look better if kept
together rather than scattered through the lawn.
Edging the herb garden defines the planting area
and makes the garden look as though it belongs
in the landscape. If the plants are located next
to a wall, a sidewalk or path can provide the
boundary. If they are located in a lawn area,
a permanent edging of brick or wood can be useful.
A defined area looks more "finished"
and is easier to maintain. Create a unified effect.In
addition to the plant material, other things to
consider are benches, sculptures, and other objects
that serve as focal points or enhance the planting.
GROWING HERBS IN CONTAINERS
Many herbs can be grown successfully in containers
on a patio, balcony or terrace. There are many
reasons why you may want to grow herbs in containers
rather than in the garden. First, many of them
are small and tend to get lost in a landscape;
growing them in containers brings them closer
to the viewer. This is especially true of ornamental
herbs that have unique qualities that should be
viewed upclose. Container growing is especially
recommended for herbs that need good drainage
and tend to rot in overly wet garden soils, or
for tender herbs that need to be overwintered
indoors. Containers are easily transported and
can be arranged in attractive groupings with containers
of flowering plants.
Choosing a container. Any container is suitable
for growing herbs as long as it has a drainage
hole. Clay pots are often preferred because they
are more porous than plastic. Other containers
that work well include window boxes, strawberry
jars, and hanging baskets.
Soil
mix.The soil you use should be loose
and well-drained. A recommeded mix for container
grown plants can be made by mixing equal parts
of potting soil, peat moss, and perlite (or vermiculite).
Choosing
the plants. Small and slow-growing herbs
look best in containers. Some examples are variegated
sage, purple sage, golden sage, parsley, Greek
oregano, rosemary, prostrate rosemary, marjoram,
bush basil, thyme, chives, and summer savory.
Window boxes, strawberry jars, and large pots
can accomodate a combination of several herbs
and flowers.
Care
of herbs in containers. Watering is the
most difficult part of container gardening. Plants
growing in containers dry out faster than in the
ground. On a hot, sunny day, a container may require
water once or twice daily. Of course, the water
requirements vary from plant to plant. When the
top of the soil feels dry, apply enough water
to allow a small amount to come out the drainage
holes in the bottom of the container. Since most
herbs do not require high fertility, you should
not need to fertilize them as much as you would
other container-grown plants such as flowers or
houseplants. During the growing season, pinch
the plants back to keep them bushy and compact
and remove any dead or diseased leaves to keep
them healthy.
Growing
herbs indoors. Herbs growing in containers
can be easily moved indoors for the winter. Before
doing so, the plants should be acclimatized in
early fall. Gradually move them indoors a few
hours at a time over the period of several days
so they get adjusted to the differences in temperature
and light. Herbs growing indoors should be treated
differently than those out-of-doors. One of the
biggest problems is providing sufficient light
to keep the plants from getting spindly. Grow
them in the sunniest location you have or under
fluorescent lights. Since the plants will not
be using as much water as they did outdoors, water
only when the soil is dry; apply enough water
so that some drains out the bottom of the pot.
Avoid overwatering which will cause the roots
to rot. Check the plants frequently for aphids,
spider mites, and whiteflies which are common
pests on herbs grown indoors.
AVAILABILITY OF SEEDS AND PLANTS
Seeds and plants of various herbs can be obtained
from online mail order companies that specialize
in herbs, or you can often find a fairly good
selection at local nurseries firms. The seeds
and plants of the more common herbs, such as dill,
basil, and parsley are usually available from
local nurseries, while the less common ones should
be purchaed from companies specializing in herbs.
.
CLASSIFICATION
OF HERBS
Herbs are classified either as annuals, biennials,
or perennials. Annual herbs are usually grown
from seed; they grow, flower, and produce seed
during one season, and then die. Biennial herbs
grow for two seasons, flowering the second year
only. Perennial herbs, once established, overwinter
and flower each season. Some herbs are tender
perennials; these do not survive severe winters
and are best grown as annuals or over-wintered
indoors.
SUMMER
CARE OF THE HERB GARDEN
Your herb garden will need attention throughout
the growing season. Weed control and provision
for adequate moisture are two important cultural
necessities. When rainfall is less than 1 inch
per week, provide additional moisture. The use
of a mulch is an attractive and effective means
of controlling weeks and maintaining constant
soil moisture and temperature for the root systems
of your herbs. Mulches that you might consider
include bark chips or shredded bark, compost,
ground corncobs, pecan hulls, or dried grass clippings.
To be effective, the mulch should be applied at
least 3 inches deep around the plants.
WINTER
PROTECTION
Most perennial herbs are hardy plants that are
able to survive winter. Sometimes herb plants
succumb to the extreme temperatures but often
they are killed by extreme temperature fluctuations.
Here are some suggestions to ensure plant survival.
First, start out with healthy plants and maintain
vigor throughout the growing season. Though many
herbs tolerate poor or wet soils, the majority
prefer to grow in well-drained soils. Plants in
overly wet soils will grow poorly and are subject
to root rots. Soils that are heavy should be amended
with organic matter to loosen the clay structure.
Another method of improving drainage is to plant
the herbs in raised beds.
Avoid
late fertilizing and pruning. Most herbs
are more flavorful when the fertility is not too
high. Pruning should be done during spring and
summer; avoid excessively cutting the plants back
in the fall. The growth serves to catch leaves
that help insulate the plants.
|