Important Factors to Assess

Every form of garden is artificial and success depends on how well we can match or duplicate the natural environment of the plant in nature. Factors such as type of plant, the soil requirements, the sun exposure and the local temperature range all need to be considered. This may sound overwhelming but just check out the local nurseries in your area and you’ll surely be able to grow healthy herbs, with a little bit of advice from them.

Image via Wikipedia

Try to identify the warmest sheltered parts of your garden, the areas with the best drainage or dappled shade, corners where frost lingers or the sun arrives first in the morning and allocate herbs according to their preference.

Planning a Small Herb Border

Herbs for the back – 3 feet tall

Perennials: – angelica, artemisia, bergamot, elecampane, fennel, liquorice. lovage, meadowsweet, rosemary, sea holly, shrub roses

Annuals: – alexanders, foxglove, mullein

Herbs for the middle – 1.5 to 3 feet tall

Perennials: – agrimony, balm, chicory, comfrey, costmary, curry plant, lavender, rampion, rue, sage, dantolina, southernwood, St John’s wort, tansy, tarragon, valerian, white horehound

Annuals: – borage, bugloss, caraway, dill

Herbs for the front – up to 1.5 feet tall

Perennials: – bistort, calamint, catmint, chamomile, chives, herb bennet, hyssop, lady’s smock, marjoram, mint, sedum, sorrel, thyme, mint, winter savory, wormwood, yarrow

Annuals: – anise, basil, chervil, clary, coriander, cumin, marigold, parsley, summer savory

If you prefer a circular bed then simply place the larger plants in the center of the bed and keep surrounding them with the lower growing herbs. You really can’t go wrong, whatever you do will be satisfying. One word of advice, if you are a beginning gardener be aware that  plants spread and multiply rapidly. When I first began gardening I never allowed enough space for my plants.

Image via Wikipedia

Related articles by Zemanta

• Visiting an herb fair down the road from my farm (themarthablog.com)
• A history of healing herbs (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Autumn is a Great Time for Your Herb Garden (hbb2obm.com)
• Tea, fresh from the garden (blogs1.marthastewart.com)