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Starting a container herb garden

JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
in Garden design
Hi all,

Ive been trying to get something going in this part of the garden for a while now.  I’ve settled on a herb garden although not purely.

The goal is:

In Shade

Chives

Parsley

Mint

Thyme

Lemon balm


In Sun

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Basil


In troughs

Tomato

Pepper 

Strawberry alpine

Courgette 

Cucumber

Lettuce

Blueberry



I took some photos to get light levels - The fencers my “sun” position, the opposite wall is shade.  The bottom right is the sun at 8:30 this morning, then at 10:00 above, bottom left at 13:00.  


So the fence mounted stuff will see sun for at least four hours, on the ground only two or three.  The opposite wall get no direct sunlight.


Thoughts? 🙂

Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    Thyme needs full sun - doesn't tolerate any shade at all. It might be best in a little pot on the corner of the building.
    Rosemary is a big plant so you'll need a big pot.
    Tomatoes and peppers need a lot more sunlight than cucumbers. Lettuce seems fine in shade.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Thyme is  a Mediterranean plant and will prefer sun.  Lettuce will prefer some shade.  I doubt if 4 hours are enough for tomatoes and peppers.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Okay so I might need to rearrange things a bit but no one is saying the location sucks so I’ll soldier on.

    troughs by fence; cucumber, blueberry and lettuce...maybe chive and parsley?

    existing fence hangers; oregano, basil, sage?

    Find more sun for the rest?

    I suppose as the seasons change the sun will get higher so there will be more and longer sun as the months pass.

    Is it right to leave herbs in the pits they came in for these hangers, better to size up a pot, or fill the pockets with compost and grit?

    Cheers, TP
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    From the sounds of it, you don't have enough sun for Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano and in my experience, Chives grow best in sun too. I would use that area to grow more shade loving plants.
  • JoeXJoeX Posts: 1,783
    Okay, I’ve moved the oregano and rosemary to full sun positions.

    Ive planted up the blueberries with garlic bulbs, and will add basil later.  I’ve put them in hessian planters but theyre more like sacks.  Majority ericaceous compost with a fair amount of potting grit and a base of garden compost and leaf mould.

    Has anyone had luck making wooden frames for soft planters?

    Can I divide lavender, sage, and chives now?

    I found some herb seeds in the shed today so I’ll be putting them into a seeding tray tomorrow.
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