As a longtime gardener, I’ve been challenged by finicky roses and delphiniums, blighted tomatoes and peppers, and strawberries that produce lush growth but no berries. My herb gardens, however, remain consistently problem-free.
Gardener-friendly herbs are easy to grow and naturally resistant to pests and diseases. Herbs such as lavender, thyme and rosemary add wonderful fragrances to the garden. And many herbs are decorative as well as useful, with attractive shapes, textures and flowers.
One of the greatest rewards of an herb garden is being able to use plants you’ve grown to add zest to your cooking, make medicines or brew up a pot of tea. With only a few hours of work, you can plant a garden now that will provide you with herbs ready for picking this summer.
Location, Location, Location
Choosing an appropriate site for your herb garden is the first step in making your garden a reality. Most herbs grow best in full sun — that means four to six hours a day of direct sunlight during the growing season (from spring through early fall). However, if you live where the sun is intensely hot in the summer — such as in the desert Southwest or in the South — likely you’ll find your herbs grateful for partial shade in the afternoon.
In cooler climates, many herbs will tolerate partial shade, but they may not be as vigorous or flavorful as those grown in full sun. (Some herbs, including sweet woodruff, cilantro and angelica, prefer partial shade no matter the climate.)
The key to a successful garden is to choose plants that will thrive in the conditions you provide for them. If you’re uncertain about the needs of a specific plant, check with your local nursery for advice.
In general, herbs need well-drained, moderately moist soil. But few people are lucky enough to have optimal soil conditions. In most cases, soil contains either too much clay (which retains excessive water and can rot plant roots) or too much sand (which drains too quickly and leaves plants thirsting for nutrients). The answer to both problems is to add compost. Use homemade compost if you have it, or buy bagged compost at a garden supply center.
To prepare the garden bed, loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches with a shovel. Spread 2 inches of compost over the bed and dig it into the top 8 inches of soil. Alternatively, you can garden in raised beds, which should be filled with a mixture of topsoil and compost.
Herb Garden
Many of the herbs we commonly use in cooking contain aromatic essential oils that promote healthy digestion. Plant this garden close to your kitchen to make harvesting easy.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). There are at least two dozen varieties of rosemary; if you like deep-blue flowers, plant ‘Tuscan Blue’. (Most others have pale-blue flowers.) Rosemary is hardy to about 15 to 20 degrees; the hardy ‘Arp’ variety can tolerate temperatures of minus 10 degrees. To protect rosemary from winter cold, plant it next to a wall or fence and mulch in the fall. If you live in a colder climate (where temperatures routinely drop below 20 degrees), either treat rosemary as an annual or plant it in a pot and bring it indoors in the winter.
Sage (Salvia officinalis). With its velvety leaves and tall spikes of pink or purple flowers, sage is an attractive addition to the culinary garden. The variety ‘Berggarten’ has large, silvery leaves; other varieties include dwarf, variegated and purple. Replace sage plants every three to four years, when they become woody.
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Dozens of varieties of thyme are grown in herb gardens; the best for culinary use include common thyme, silver thyme and lemon thyme. All grow to approximately 12 inches tall. Clumps tend to become woody after several years; in the spring, dig them up, divide in half or thirds, and replant.
Oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum). Make sure you’re planting Greek oregano and not common oregano (O. vulgare), which looks similar but is flavorless. Greek oregano grows up to 2 feet tall and wide. To encourage bushy growth, begin cutting sprigs when the plant is 6 inches tall.
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum). The showy, lavender flower heads of chives are essential in the culinary herb garden. Both the leaves and flowers are edible; cut back to 1 inch from the ground after flowering to encourage new growth.
The Theme’s the Thing
Many herb gardeners enjoy creating gardens focused around a particular theme, such as the culinary, first-aid and tea gardens described in this article. Most important, though, is to grow herbs that appeal to you. It’s essential to choose plants appropriate for your gardening climate zone, and your local nursery can help you with this selection.
Once you’ve decided on your plants, make a list of them, along with the mature height, spacing requirements, and foliage and flower color for each plant. I find it helpful to make a rough sketch of the garden to decide on plant placement. To determine spacing, add the mature width of two neighboring plants and divide by two. This is how far apart the plants should be placed. Place the tallest plants at the back of the garden, or at the center, if your garden is accessible from all sides.
Resources
Crimson Sage Nursery
(503) 824-4721
www.crimson-sage.com
Goodwin Creek Gardens
(800) 846-7359
www.goodwincreekgardens.com
Horizon Herbs
(541) 846-6704
www.horizonherbs.com
Well-Sweep Herb Farm
(908) 852-5390
www.wellsweep.com
Ready, Set, Plant!
Most of the time, it’s best to purchase herbs as plants, particularly perennial varieties. Some perennials, such as lavender, are difficult to grow from seed. Others, including mints, are highly variable, and the flavor can’t be guaranteed when grown from seed. However, annual herbs, such as German chamomile and calendula, grow best when directly seeded into the garden.
When you’re ready to plant, water your herbs before removing them from their containers. Set them in their pots on top of the soil, using your planting plan as a guide and moving them around until you’re happy with the arrangement. Resist the urge to crowd your plants too closely together — although they may be small now, they’ll fill in quickly.
Dig a hole the depth of the pot and twice as wide. Slide the herb out of its pot, comb the sides of the root ball with your fingers to free tangled roots and place the herb into the hole, making sure it’s at the same soil level as it was in the container. Scoop the soil back into the hole, gently patting down the soil around the base of the plant. Water thoroughly.
First-Aid Medicinal Garden
With this garden, you can make a variety of simple herbal medicines to treat coughs, colds, digestive upsets, headaches, tension and other everyday maladies.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis). A relative of the common marigold, calendula has brilliant yellow-orange flowers and blooms prolifically. The flowers have antiseptic and skin-soothing properties and make an excellent healing salve. Calendula is annual but easily self-sows if you allow a few flowers to go to seed. Cut plants to the ground after flowering to encourage re-blooming.
Echinacea (Echinacea spp.). With its striking magenta flowers, echinacea is a beautiful addition to the herb garden. All parts of the plant contain immune-stimulating compounds, which help fight colds, flus and other infections. Echinacea can be made into tinctures or dried for teas. Harvest flowers in mid-summer; roots can be harvested in the fall when plants are at least three years old.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). An ancient digestive remedy, fennel seeds contain essential oils that enhance digestion and relieve gas and heartburn. Fennel grows up to 6 feet tall and comes in both green and bronze varieties. Harvest the seeds in late summer when they turn greenish-gray, and use them in teas or tinctures.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). When taken for a couple of months, feverfew has been shown to prevent migraine headaches and may help alleviate arthritis. Make a tincture from the fresh plant, or eat two to four fresh leaves daily. A relative of the chrysanthemum, feverfew has masses of tiny, white daisy-like flowers from early summer to fall. Shear plants after first bloom to stimulate re-blooming.
Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis). A member of the mint family, hyssop contains compounds that help ease coughs and congestion. An attractive plant with deep purple flower spikes, hyssop grows to 2 feet tall. Cut back to 6 inches tall in early spring to stimulate bushy growth. Make teas or tinctures from the leaves and flowers.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Fragrant lavender blossoms calm stress, relieve indigestion, ease headaches and soothe burns. There are at least two dozen kinds of lavender; L. angustifolia, also known as English lavender, is the best for medicinal use; it grows up to 3 feet tall and wide. Lavender can be made into tinctures, teas, baths or sleep pillows.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). The musty-smelling roots of valerian contain powerful sedative compounds that relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia. Valerian grows 2 to 4 feet tall with fernlike leaves and delicate pink or white flowers in early summer. Harvest 2-year-old roots in fall, and make tinctures or dry for teas.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). With antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, yarrow helps heal cuts and wounds, and soothes hemorrhoids and varicose veins when applied topically. As a hot tea or bath, yarrow aids in lowering fevers. Originally white, yarrow cultivars now include a wide variety of pinks, reds, yellows and oranges; all varieties of A. millefolium are medicinal.
Be Good to Your Garden
Although many herbs are drought-tolerant, most grow best when they receive water on a regular basis. In general, annual herbs such as calendula and German chamomile need more frequent watering than perennial herbs.
As with most plants, it’s best to allow the soil to dry out between waterings and then to water thoroughly and deeply. If you live in an area that receives regular rain during the summer, you might not need to water at all. But if you live in a drier climate, plan to water your garden about once a week (less for more drought-tolerant herbs). When in doubt, check the soil moisture content by digging down two to three inches; if the soil is dry, it’s time to water.
One of the best time- and energy-saving practices you can adopt is to mulch your garden. Mulch conserves soil moisture, prevents weed growth and adds nutrients to the soil. Spread a one-inch layer of compost around your plants, and then top it with a one-inch layer of organic mulch, such as shredded bark, chopped leaves or cocoa hulls (use caution, as some studies have found cocoa hulls toxic to dogs). The best time to apply mulch is when the soil has warmed (usually late spring); if you apply mulch while the soil is wet and cold, your plants may rot. Also be sure to keep mulch a couple of inches away from the base of plant stems to prevent rotting.
Pruning your herbs regularly promotes vigorous growth. For leafy, bushy plants, pinch off flower buds from herbs such as basil and mint. To keep flowering herbs such as calendula and yarrow in bloom, remove the spent flower heads when they begin to wilt.
The herbs in the garden plans outlined in this article are all easy to grow and are adaptable to a wide range of climates. Most are perennials, which means they’ll come back year after year.
Laurel Vukovic writes and teaches about herbs and natural healing from her home in southern Oregon. She is the author of 14-Day Herbal Cleansing (Prentice Hall, 1998) and Herbal Healing Secrets for Women (Prentice Hall, 2000).
Relaxing Tea Garden
The herbs in this garden make delicious beverage teas; several of them also contain mild sedative compounds.
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). With its sweet, licorice-like flavor, anise hyssop is a delicious addition to an herbal tea garden. The plant is slow to emerge in spring but quickly grows to 3 feet tall and has attractive lavender flower spikes in summer. A short-lived perennial, anise hyssop readily self-sows if allowed to go to seed.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria). A member of the mint family, catnip has a pleasant flavor and gentle tranquilizing properties. It grows up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). Also known as German chamomile, this annual herb is grown easily from seed; small daisy-like flowers appear in only six weeks. The flowers make a delicious apple-flavored tea that eases anxiety and tension. Plant seeds in fall or early spring; simply press them lightly into the soil and water. Chamomile grows up to 2 feet tall and 12 inches wide.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). True to its name, lemon balm has a distinct lemon scent and a light, citrusy flavor. It has mild sedative properties and helps relieve stress and insomnia. Lemon balm grows to about 2 feet tall; cut plants close to the ground when they begin to bloom to stimulate another round of growth.
Mint (Mentha spp). Mints come in a variety of flavors, including spearmint, peppermint and apple mint. Most varieties grow to about 3 feet tall and spread aggressively. Curb their growth by planting in 10-inch-deep bottomless containers sunk into the garden. To be certain you obtain the variety you want, buy plants, not seeds.
