Raising herbs from cuttings
A cutting is a part of a stem or a leave or root that when planted in a properly made compost, develops roots. Some cuttings require warm temperature and an enclosed atmosphere, which is provided well by the indoor environment of a nursery whereas some develop roots when outdoors. For outdoor developing of cuttings, they require well drained soil and a sheltered soil bed.
Benefits of raising plants from cuttings
Usually raising a plant from a cutting has better chances of survival and it grows up similar to the parent plant. For plants grown from seeds, they do not carry as much properties of the parent plant as is in the case of a cutting. On the other hand, if the parent plant had been infected with some pest or disease, the cutting is prone to carry forward that also.
List of herbs suitable for raising from cuttings:
Applemint, Bay, Hyssop, Lemon Verbena, Pineapple Mint, Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Southernwood, Spearmint, Tarragon, Thyme
Procedure of creating cuttings include:
Softwood cuttings and Half-ripe cuttings
Softwood cuttings
1. Water the parent plant a day before taking the cutting. This helps the cutting taken from a soft stem to develop roots quicker. Use a sharp scissor or knife the next day and sever a shoot just above a leaf joint.
2. Use a sharp knife and this time sever the stem from the bottom fractionally below a leaf-joint so that you should have a cutting of the size 2.5 to 3 inches tall.
3. Fill a pot with moist peat and sharp sand in equal quantities. Fill the pot and press the compost to down it 1/2 inches from the top of the pot. Use a pencil to make a hole deep enough to stand the cutting in it (about 1/2 inch), insert the cutting in the hole and firm the soil around it. Gently water the pot dropping water away from the implanted cutting.
Half-ripe cuttings
These cuttings are taken in mid summer or late summer when the plant is not fully ripe yet. Sometimes this cutting also carries a heel from the plant which is along with the shoot, a piece of stem also attached.
Raising herbs from herb seeds
Seeds require adequate conditions to germinate. When the seeds are given the conditions they require, the seedcoat ruptures and leaves from the seeds start growing up in the direction of light. At the same time, it starts developing roots. Most seeds require moisture, warmthness and darkness to germinate. A few require light to germinate.
Economical way to raise plants
Raising herbs from herb seeds is the most economical way to sow and raise herb plants. This way we get all the plants with similar characteristics, same size. Just ensure that the seeds you are sowing should be fresh. If some seeds are left with you, you may store them for next year also as most seeds can survive that time. To store the seeds seal them in polybag and store in a cool dark place. They shouldn’t get any moisture. However, the cloves of garlic or the seeds of onions sometimes are not good for storing as they may not germinate the next season.
Procedure for germinating seeds
Many herbs are preferably raised from seeds grown outside. You may sow the seeds in the position in which the final plants are to sprout or you may create saplings from seeds by sowing them in a seedbed and later transfer them to the field.
It requires precision for the seeds to germinate. The process has to be followed precisely.
1. Dig the soil and free it of any perennial weeds. Water the area of plot where the seeds are to be sown and leave it for about a week. When the soil becomes a little dry, shuffle the soil and make it levelled with rake.
2. Create a drill with the help of a hoe. The drill has to be only that deep that the seeds fall not more than 3-4 times their thickness in the drill. For creating more than one drills, make sure that they are made at similar distances. You have to drop seeds in the drill.
3. Now drop the seeds evenly in the drill in such a way that all the seeds are at a little distance from one another in the drill.
4. Now cover the drill and sprinkle water on it to make the soil moist.
Creating seedlings in greenhouses
Greenhouse provide controlled conditions of moisture and warmthness and shade which makes growing seeds very successful. You have to follow a slightly different procedure for that:
1. Fill a seed tray with compost and firm the soil in such a way that the compost settles 1/2 inch below the top of the tray. You can use a wooden compressor also to settle the compost and level it properly.
2. Take a few seeds in a paper and tap on the paper holding it over the seed tray so that the seeds should sprinkle on the compost each one at a distance from another. Avoid dropping seeds in the corners.
3. Now put some fresh compost in a sieve an shake it over the seed tray so that the finer compost should fall from the sieve on the seeds and cover them 3-4 times their thickness.
4. Now we have to provide moisture. Don’t pour water directly on the seeds tray. Place the seeds tray in a bigger tub. Pour water in the tub and pour till it reaches a level that some water seeps into the seed tray from corners. Then pull the seed tray outside and cover it with a newspaper sheet so at to provide damp and dark conditions to the seeds to germinate.
Buying and planting herbs
Most of the success in growing up a healthy plant depend upon buying a healthy, correctly labelled plant which is also pests and diseases free. Most of the herbs that are bought from market are grown in containers. Mostly these are sold by Garden centers, nurseries, high-street shops, specialist nurseries and mail order purchasing.
Plants or seeds?
When you have to start the garden, you can have four choices:
1. You can buy established saplings
2. You can start with seeds
3. You can divide the herbaceous types and use them to develop more plants
4. You can use cuttings
Buying established plants provide quick results as the plants are established and healthy and the chances of their survival are also very high. Plants like Bay (Laurus nobilis) and Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) are very good for this type of planting. This method is especially useful if your requirements for the number of plants is not much otherwise if you want to raise a lot of similar plants, they should better be grown from seeds, it is easier and economical this way.
Caution: Whenever you are buying plants, do always see that the plants are healthy, their roots are not coming out of the drainage hole of the pot and the compost in the pot is only moist and not waterlogged.
Bringing plants home?
When you are bring the plants home, it is better if you make a special trip to the nursery so that the plants should reach the house before being getting overheated in the car.
Keep it where it stays out of the reach of children and dog in the car.
If possible, put the pot or pots in a box so that they should remain straight while bringing in the car.
Do not leave the plants exposed to sunlight for too long and plant them as soon as possible.
Planting herbs
As soon as you bring plants home, you should prepare the soil properly for them and plant them. Following are some of the steps for carefully planting them:
1. First of all, water the plant while it is still in the pot. That is done to do away with any dryness in the pot and also it makes the compost in the pot to loosen up so that it can be pulled out from the pot along with the soil without breaking a single root.
2. Now we have to take out the plant, soil and the root-ball as a single unit. Tap the pot’s bottom, invert it with your fingers on the top of the soil, tap again and make it slide out slowly out of the pot.
3. Now that the plant is taken out of the pot, put it into a hole which has been dug out earlier so that the top of the compost which came along with the plant is slightly below the soil where you are planting now. Fill up the hole, firm the soil around the plant with your fingers.
Initial aftercare
After you have planted several plants like this, use a trowel to level the surface around all plants so that puddles of water should not be made. Now water the soil around each plant planted recently. Water it gently near the plant and around the plant. When the weather is dry, you may need watering again.
Self watering pots
A self-watering container or pot is that which has an inbuilt reservoir of water. The plant gets water from this reservoir and can fulfill it’s water needs for days depending upon the type and size of plant and depending upon whether it is kept in the open or in shade.
Self-watering pots can be made in many ways depending upon this principle: Some models of self-watering pots are as follows:
Model 1:
Step 1: Take a big plastic container. Separate it’s lid and cut it in such a way that the lid can be inserted inside the container and it can serve a separator sheet and the container can be separated into 2 equal parts. Separate the container into half using the separator screen.
Step 2: To support the sheet so it can sustain the load of the soil that will be put over it, place 4 pieces of PVC pipe (proper size, 4″ approx.) below the 4 corners of the screen.
Step 3: Place an additional 1″ pvc pipe piece at the center, below the screen to give further support
Step 4: Drill holes in the screen and the PVC pipe supports and tie the supports with the screen.
Now the screen fits properly in the container and it can sustain the load of the soil to be put on it
We are creating the bottom part to be a water reservoir and the top part for the soil
Now we want to create 2 wicks so that the water from the reservoir should reach the soil by capillary action.
Step 5: Cut the screen above 2 supports so that the soil goes through the PVC support.
Now out of the 5 supports, 2 supports are performing the function of support as well as wick
Step 6: Drill holes in the screen so that oxygen should reach the soil. This makes it the aeration screen.
Step 7: Just below where the screen fits in the container, about 1″ below that drill a small hole in the wall of the container so that any extra water should overflow through it.
Step 8: Drill another hole in the screen for 1″ PVC pipe, pass a 1″ pvc pipe through it. It should be high enough to remain protruding from the soil into the open. It is for filling in water in the reservoir.
Now the self-watering pot is ready. Fill in water in the reservoir till it starts overflowing through the hole in the wall. Fill in compost and soil in the upper part. Soil reach bottom through 2 support pvc pipes makes a wick. The holes in the support pipes keeps the soil in contact with water. It reaches up through these wicks.
For a container you can use a platic garbage pail, laundry pail etc.
Step 9: You can also use an aeration tube in addition to the aeration screen. Drill a hole in the aeration screen for 1″ pvc pipe. Drill holes in the pvc pipe and cover the pipe with breathable landscape fabric. The pipe keeps standing on the bottom of the container passing through the aeration screen and the soil protruding up from the soil. Oxygen entering the pipe is supplied to the soil through the holes in the pipe. Soil does not block it as it is covered with breathable landscape fabric.
Model 2:
In this model the water reservoir is made from a plastic container. It should be bigger in size than the pot which is to carry the plant. Cut a round hole in the plastic container such that the pot can be hung through it into the plastic container and it stays up from the water level.
Pass a wick from the drain hole in the pot and float it into the water reservoir below. The plant will keep getting water through the wick.
Model 3:
In this model the pot in not hung into the plastic container, rather it is placed above it. The wick through the drain hole in the pot is passed into the reservoir through a small hole on which the pot is placed. For filling in water, drill another hole in the plastic container.
Precaution: To avoid algal growth in the plastic container, put 3 tablespoons of Hydrogen peroxide into the water which has a concentration of 6%. It can be bought from local pharmacy
Planning for herbs gardening
Herbs gardening in broad-spectrum is based upon three important aspects: Choice of the right plants, Preparation of the right kind of soil suitable for the plants and the after care of the plants, which is also the most critical of the three factors.
If we have to select which herbs we want to implant and produce, we should understand the types of herbs on hand. Herbs can be classified based upon their usage, based upon the aroma and based upon their lifespan.
Culinary herb gardening is one of the most widespread types of gardening, which can be established in the kitchen windowsill as a chia herb garden. In spite of this most common use, herbs have many other classifications as well.
Some of the most important classifications are as follows, following which you can very well complete the first aspect of herb gardening namely selection of the right plant.
Classification based upon usage:
Culinary herbs: Basil, Sage, Parsley, Thyme, Marjoram, Mint, Garlic and Dill
Remedial herbs: Basil, Cannabis, Turmeric, Lemon grass, Ginseng, Dill and Dandelion
Fragrant and therapeutic herbs: Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme and Chamomile
Decorative herbs: Mint, Lavender, Chicory and Valerian
Cosmetics or color herbs: Pokeweed, Plantain, Marigold, Basil and Mint
Traditional herbs: Basil, Myrrh root, Mistletoe and Verbena
Classification based upon flavor:
Strong flavor herbs: Rosemary, Sage, Fennel and Perilla
Accent flavor herbs: Anise, Basil, Caraway, Catnip and Dill
Blended flavor herbs: Borage, Parsley, Chervil and Coriander
Classification based upon the lifespan of herbs:
Annual: Basil, Coriander, Anise, Chervil and Borage
Biennial: Parsley, Bristly , Sage and Caraway
Perennial: Catnip, Fennel, Chives, Comfrey, Horehound and Lavender
Evergreen: Bay leaves
Landscape for the herb garden:
You can plan a layout depending upon the space, the type of soil you have and the type of herbs you are going to sow. Your herb garden plan in addition to specifying the selection of plants must also see the soil situation and the homework required for them. If your soil remain damp most of the time, or if you can’t bend for long times for gardening, you can decide on for raised bed gardening. If you have space limits, you can go for the cartwheel design or ladder design in which the herbs are planted in layouts of the shape of ladder or cartwheel. You can use any things to create such shapes.
You can also consider an array of herbs depending upon their life span. You can also plan the layout based upon the sizes of herbs.
Creating ground for herb garden:
You have to take extra care to see that the soil remains moist, gets full sun, has proper alkaline levels, the drainage is appropriate and the conditions of heat and moisture are suitable for the type of plants you are to raise.
While sowing the seeds for an herb, the soil should be pre-dug. The seeds should be sown in shallow but wide holes. In case of plants being sown, the plants and the top soil should be moist. It helps in fertilizing. If you are a novice, you could start growing herbs in pots, as it is easier to carry out that way.
All herbs have the common necessities that they all require full sun and the soil should be moist but not soggy. If you are planting in pots, make the bottom 1 or 2-inch gravel layer so that no water should deposit at the bottom of the soil. Raised bed garden could also be considered for a starter. Most herbs grow better in alkaline soil.
Never sow the seeds too deep. The smaller the seed, shallower it should be sown.
Lavender gardening
Lavender (Lavandula) is a plant principally grown for it’s aromatic qualities. It has lots of uses which are medicinal as well as aromatic. This plant has narrow gray-green leaves. The leaves are usually oblong and attached directly to the base. The flowers bloom on the long, square shaped stalks and the buds can be up to 2 inches long. In lavender gardening the plant thrives best in warm conditions.
Planting instructions: Basically it is a warm weather plant therefore it is better grown outdoors in full sunlight. Some of it’s varieties can be grown indoors also. The popular varieties of lavender are – English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Jean Davis (pink flowered), Hidcote (deep purple flowers), Munstead (blue flowers), French lavender (Lavandula dentata). You have to take extra care that the plant should never have the soil too wet. Even though it has tolerance levels higher than other herbs, still, it requires very little water. If it is grown in a pot indoors, it may need a little more water than the one in the garden. Also, for a pot, make the bottom 1 inch base of gravel so that the water mustn’t deposit there. An alkaline or chalky soil help the lavender plant to grow well.
Pruning: The french lavender grows up to 3 to 4 feet in height and the english lavender grows up to about 2 feet. The fragrance from both types is considered to be different. After about 2 years, this plant starts developing a dry thatch or a collection of dry leaves which requires a proper pruning of the plant. You should use sharp shear and prune the plant about 10 inches and the dry thatch about 3 inches. Make sure that you do the pruning only after harvesting the flowers in summer.
Uses:
The fragrance of this plant is principally romantic and soothing. Also it is widely used as a herbal medicine. It can also be used in salads and as cake decoration. It’s oil is extracted with the process of distillation and it can be used for the cure of lots and lots of ailments some of which are as follows:
Lavender oil contains tannin, volative oils, coumarin, triterpernoids and flavonoids.
Lavender oil has antispasmodic, antidepressant and carminative properties.
To store it you need to dry it. You can create wreaths, tied into bunched or braided into wand and dried.
Italian herb garden
Almost everyone cooks italian dishes at home and even if they don’t, they certainly like the taste and flavour of italian dishes. Who wouldn’t have had the chance to taste the italian pizza or pasta or macaroni. The italian cuisine is enjoyed everywhere in the world. It carries a colorful array of flavors which can be attributed largely to 7 herbs namely Basil, Parsley, Oregano, Sage, Rosemary, Garlic, Fennel.
Some examples of their usage are, basil is used in those italian dishes which use tomato in the recipe. Oregano and sage are used with fried foods and grilled meat. Sage is also used as a stuffing in meat and poultry products.
While harvesting, you should pick the most fresh and healthy leaves as they contain the most flavour.
The herbs which are most widely used in Italian cuisine if grown at home makes it an Italian herb garden. Some of those herbs are as follows:
Basil:
Planting: Basil can be grown from seeds. The best location to plant is where it can have a lot of sunshine. Basil plants grow 12 to 18 inches in height.
Harvesting: Along with flavour, this plant also has medicinal properties. While picking the leaves, pick only the most fresh ones from the top.
Usage: This plant also works as a repellant for mosquitoes and it is very good to locate the basil plant along with tomato plants as it improves their taste also.
Parsley:
Planting: To grow it, it can stand both the full sun and partial shade. It’s sapling can be grown from seeds. This plant also grows 12 to 18 inches in height.
Usage: Parsley leaves have mint flavour and both it’s leaves and stems can be eaten. It’s qualities include it’s ability to absorb the odor of ones breath. It can be used to flavour a recipe and also it can be used as garnish for an italian recipe.
Oregano:
Planting: This plant is grown from the root or stem cutting of another plant. It grows unto 2 ft in height. It can be grown in full sunlight.
Harvesting: Before harvesting, you should wait till small purple flowers begin to sprout. It has oval gray-green leaves.
Usage: Oregano is used mostly in marina ra, spaghetti and pizza sauces. Oregano plant has a very strong and distinctive flavour. It can also be used in the dishes of beef, lamb, stews, salads and soup.
Sage:
Planting: Sage can be grown from seed and from cuttings. Growing it from cuttings is easier. This is the most sensitive of herbs. It shouldn’t be exposed to too much sunlight. Also it’s soil shouldn’t become too dry. Sage plant grows from 24 to 36 inches in height. It should always be kept trimmed as the new shoots have the most flavour in it. It is also constantly trimmed to avoid it from getting woody.
Harvesting: While harvesting, it’s leaves should be picked prior to flowering. The sage plant should be harvested only after it has blossomed.
Usage: It is used in many italian dishes ranging from salads to meat.
Rosemary:
Planting: Rosemary can be grown from seed and from cuttings. Growing it from cuttings is easier. It can grow in shade also but it prefers full sunlight. This plant grows 36 to 48 inches in height. It can grow unto 6 feet also. This is a perennial plant and it sprouts beautiful blue flowers on it’s shrub like spread.
Harvesting: It’s leaves and stems can both be used to flavour the recipes.
Usage: It is used in lamb and chicken dishes and also in bread. This plant also attracts bees in the garden. These bees are useful in the fertility of the herb garden also.
Garlic:
Planting:It is so important that if there isn’t garlic grown in a herb garden, it cannot be an italian herb garden. This herb requires very little attention after it is planted
Harvesting: It has to be taken out from the soil and it’s bulb part is to be used in the dishes. It can also be pickled or frozen.
Usage: This is almost a necessary ingredient of italian dishes.
Fennel:
Planting: This is a perennial plant and it must be divided and replanted every 2 -3 years. It loses it’s flavour in that time.
Harvesting: It’s seeds are used in sauces in italian dishes
Usage: Fennel is used in sauces along with the italian dishes. It’s seeds are used to provide taste to sauces. It provides a very distinctive flavour to the dishes.
In general, all the herbs of an italian herb garden require full sunlight and the soil should be neither too wet and nor too dry. Regularly trim the dead leaves. Oregano gets more flavour with more sunlight. Parsley requires to be replanted every year to always have a good flavour from it.
Indoor Planter
Growing herbs indoors need a little care about providing controlled conditions of temperature, light and moisture. Herbs grow indoors as good as they can grow outside, only the indoor planter has to keep in mind some of the following:
1. Six inch pots are very good for planting herbs. More than one seeds can also be planted in the pots keeping a distance of 1 inch or more.
2. The bottom of the pot should be filled with pebbles, small river stones so as to provide good drainage.
3. Herbs can be grown from seeds and bulbs.
4. Herbs require 8 – 10 hours daily sunlight to flourish properly. If the light conditions are not proper, you can supplement this with growlights kept at a distance of 4 inch from the plant.
or you can place the plant outside for some time to give it the required boost of light.
5. If you have kept your plants in a window or windowsill, they will tend to bend towards the sunlight, keep rotating the pot after every 2 – 3 days so that the plant should grow upright.
6. If you are going to reuse a pot for a new plant, you must clean the pot to clean it off all the pests of plant diseases that may have been left by the previous plant.
7. You can use a humidifier in winters when you also use heater for your indoors.
Symptoms of deteriorating health of plants
Herbs most suitable for growing indoors are:
1. Chives: This is a member of the onions family. The plant will take 10 – 12 weeks to grow up to edible level
2. Parsley: These should be planted one plant in a six inch pot. These plants also take 10 – 12 weeks to grow. Widely used in italian cooking
3. Cilantro: It’s leaves have a spicy flavour. One seed per 6 inch pot should be planted.
4. Basil
5. Mint
6. Lavender
7. Thyme
Problems related with the indoor herbs are:
1. Pests: Pests find the temperature conditions most suitable especially in winters to grow on the indoor plantations. They lay their eggs especially at the bottom side of the leaves. To clean the herbs of pests, spray some soap water all over the plants.
2. Temperature and moisture conditions: If the moisture conditions are not good enough, fill a tray with pebbles and some water and place the pot into it. The water while drying will give the required moisture to the plant and bring it out of dry conditions.
Building raised beds
A raised bed is a wooden structure, about 3 feet in height, filled will soil and compost for gardening. The major benefits of making such a structure are:
People having back problem won’t have to bend to work for their hobby. If the soil in your garden is soggy or it is so hard that you have difficulty making a garden there, you can create an alternative platform in the form of a raised bed. It is like creating an alternative to the ground conditions that you may be having. Also, it could be created as a part of the landscape design to create different levels in the garden, that can add up to the symmetry and beauty of the landscape of your garden.
Example model: We are making a 3 ft by 3 ft model with the net height of 2 ft from ground.
Other alternatives could be 4 * 4 feet or 4 * 12 feet. The 4 feet width in particular makes it possible to access the middle of the raised bed from every side.
Material to be used:
12 wooden planks 2″ thickness, 3 feet length
8 posts 4″ * 4″, 4 feet tall
Power saw
Carpenter’s square
Carpenter’s level
Drill, Drill bit
4″ screws
1″ screws
Metal braces
Landscape fabric
Tape measure
Linseed oil
Hammer and Screwdrive
Process of making the raised bed:
Step 1: We arrange “two” 3 ft planks between 2 posts which are 4 feet tall. Drill the planks at the both ends and screw them to the posts. ( the two planks are from a set of 12 planks of 3 ft. length and 2″ thickness, the two post are from a set of 8 posts, 4 feet tall, 4″ * 4″ thickness”)
Step 2: Similarly make 4 sets. These become the 4 walls of the raised bed.
Step 3: Dig 2 holes 2 feet deep and 2 posts of one of the walls made above (out of the 4ft length of the posts, 2 ft will be buried in the ground)
Step 4: Make a mark at 90 degrees of the wall already placed to dig a hole. Dig a 2 feet hole so that the second wall could be placed at 90 degree of the first wall. This wall has also 2 posts at both ends.
Step 5: The point at which the two wall touch, on the inside, fix two sets of braces to hold the 2 planks of each wall.
Step 6: Similary, you have to dig the 4th hole and place the other two wall and fix the braces on their inside also
Step 7: Disinfect the structure thus made with linseed oil
Step 8: Place the landscape fabric on the inside the structure and line it along the 4 walls on the insides
Step 9: Till now we have used 8 posts and 8 planks. We are left with 4 planks. Cut both ends of each plank at 45 degrees so that all the 4 planks could be placed on top of the 4 edges of the raised bed and they should attach with each other at 45 degrees. Drill holes in the 4 planks and screw them to the posts.
Other instructions:
1. After making the first wall to stand temporarily, use some old lumber to give it support which can be removed later on. Check that the wall is plumb and levels
2. Each hole dug in the ground is to adjust 2 posts. The balance space will be refilled back with the mud that has been taken out from the digging.
3. The planks can be drilled inadvance for screwing at the ends
4. The posts have to be on the outer side and the planks will make a smooth square on the inside
5. While filling the raised bed, use crushed rock to make the bottom layer, then, alternatively use soil and compost to make layers
6. Braces are placed on the inside of the walls to link them together
7. The 4 planks placed at the top, also cover the landscape fabric and hold it at the top edges of the raised bed
8. Preservatives should be applied before preparing the walls
9. You can use carpenter’s square to bring the 4 walls at right angles to each other
Herb gardening plan
A herb garden can be planned broadly according to two principal categories:
We are focussing on a culinary herb garden here in particular. To create a herb garden you are going to need some culinary herbs that are most essential for a herb garden. Some of them are: Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Sage, Oregano, Parsley, Mint, Lavender.
Some garden plans could be as follows:
If you live in the northern states, choose that area which gets at least 6-8 hours of sunshine daily. If you live in the southern states, the afternoon sun will be best.
Bell peppers, tomatoes and basil, all have high tolerance for direct sun, they can grow together and they need plenty of water. Mint and lemon balm require some shade, so they can be grown together.
Herb garden with aroma-therapy in mind:
A herb garden planned according to aroma-therapy related benefits of the herbs will be surrounded by different herbs spreading their aroma. To add flavour to it, you could use some statutory or fountains. Fountains themselves provide relief to the senses. You can also plan for the benches, hammock to be put in the garden.
Choice of plants:
The first preference should be given to those plants that you use regularly in your kitchen. They can be like ginger, garlic, basil. Other than that you could also opt for chives, cilantro, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage. Most commonly used herbs are basil, sage and thyme. These three herbs could also be grown in a container, indoors.
Qualities of common herbs of a culinary herb garden:
Sage – aromatic
Parsley – beautiful
Garlic – flowers, has medicinal values
Oregano – makes a nice bushy ground covering
Chives – flowers
Mint – has medicinal values
Basil – has medicinal values
Rosemary – aromatic
Creating a ground cover in and around the herb garden:
Ajuga ‘Chocolate chip’: This is basically looked up as a ground cover. It can grow in difficult shady spots. It’s leaves are dark green tinged with bronze or chocolate brown. The flowers on Ajuga ‘Chocolate chip’ are purple colored and they bloom in spring. Also the flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. This plant has a tendency to sprawl. This plant could be used to fill up the spaces around the pathways and other empty spots in the garden.
Creation of soil: If you pick a handful of soil and scrunch it, it should break apart easily. If it stays clumped, that means you need to amend the top of your soil about a foot or two. If you are to plant in a container, then the readymade potting soil can also be considered. You must create a layer or gravel or rocks at the bottom of the container to help with the drainage of water.
Herbs need very little water. Too much water actually reduce the essential oils in the herbs and diminish their fragrance and flavour. For herbs it is better to plant them on a berm like formation because the less soggy soil they get, the better it is.
Rocks are the best material to use in and around a herb garden. Large rocks could be used as the boundaries for different parts of the garden. Small river rock or pebble is good for making pathways and as a mulch around larger plants.
While creating a herb garden plan, some statutaries and fountains can also be considered to ornament it. Fountains in particular generate a soothing feeling. If you are to use your herb garden for aroma-therapy related purposes also, this option can also be taken into account
