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Herb Planters
Paul P
Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hi All. New to the forum but keen to interact. I'm looking to install a herb planter on my patio with at least 4 separate compartments. Tallest I've found appear to be 30 - 40cm high (eg Forest Garden Bamburgh Wooden Raised Herb Planter). That seems small to me. Is there anything bigger and better on the market?
0
Posts
Welcome to the forum. I hope you'll enjoy meeting us and exchanging info and ideas.
I can't help with sourcing a plnater but I do find growing herbs in pots makes for flexibility and means I can give them the different feeding and watering they need as well as moving them into shelter for winter.
I grow rosemary, sage and thyme together in one big 60cm pot and they get on fine because they all enjoys good drainage and I can shift the pot to a sheltered position for winter. I have a bay in its own pot which goes in the greenhouse for winter. I grow several kinds of mint in their own pots to keep them under control and because they need more water than Mediterranean herbs.
Parsley, basil and chives grow in window boxes which I perch on the veg plot retaining wall for easy access. Marjoram has escaped from a former pot and is in the garden. Tarragon is in a smaller pot currently on my kitchen window sill along with basil and dill so I have supplies in winter.
I've looked at herb planters several times, I feel sort of attracted to them! I've yet to find one that really looked up to the job, usually a lot of pot but not much space to grow anything, so I use individual pots too.
Paul I am with Obelixx and grow in pots though I do have a separate plot outside the door in which I grow Sage and Rosemary plus some chives which have escaped and are gradually overtaking it all. Herbs need differing composts with lots of drainage so individual pots are a better bet. Mints need the roots containing or they will wander so pots are ideal. The money you would pay for a planter would buy you some decorative pots and they do need sun so mine get moved about through the season, the Bay is in a pot so I can put it up against a wall in winter or if it is too cold into the greenhouse.
So welcome to the board where you will find we are all slightly different in how we grow though it all works for each of us and good luck.
Frank.
Hi Paul, I'm also one who grows herbs in terracotta pots.
I did have a herb wheel it took up a fair bit of space on the patio but did not have much depth for planting. In winter had to be separated so that herbs that needed to go into the GH could and the rest stayed outside in pie shaped pieces and looked odd. Also because it was terracotta coloured plastic each section aged differently and when put back together it looked unsightly.
Take a look at ;
www.northdevonpicnicbenches.co.uk
there are some really great planters on there!
I have successfully used a large stone-effect alpine sink which was deep enough to add some bigger stones for good drainage for mediterranean herbs. I had a mix of thyme, sage, rosemary and hyssop (for the flowers) and added a rock and some gravel mulch. It looked very attractive for several years until the plants outgrew their spaces and were moved on elsewhere.
If a sink seems too expensive you could experiment with hypertufa and either cover an old ceramic sink or other suitable container or make your own. Google for recipe and more info and ideas. It's not hard - my first attempt was to cover an old army ammunition box that I found in my garden (we lived near an army base at the time). Once it had weathered it looked like a real stone trough and lasted 25 years. It's going to get redone this year!
The mediterranean herbs are well behaved and offer a variety of different foliage colours. Marjoram/oregano likes the same conditions but runs a bit and.also self seeds, though not madly. Mine has formed a little hedge along the top of a wall. It is very pretty and butterflies love it, so it is worth finding it a space or giving it its own pot. Mint as already said is a bit of a thug and runs so needs controlling, but also has several different forms with varying leaf colours and scents. Basil can be tricky - it doesn't like cold, needs careful watering and is a favourite with all kinds of pests, but it also has different varieties and you feel really pleased with yourself if you manage to grow it well, plus then you can use it as much as you want to!
Thanks so much for your help, everybody. Really appreciate the warm welcome and the generous advice.
Much as I love the look of a large planter, it seems the overwhelming opinion is to use individual terracotta pots (or indeed ceramic sinks). The North Devon planters are definitely imaginative, Tree Man - love the quirkiness. On the plus side, it's much more convenient to drive to my garden centre for pots than ordering something online
I'm still mourning the loss of my glorious rosemary and sage plants which were casualties of building work (garden beds sacrificed to the aforementioned patio) so keen to replenish my stocks. All too familiar with the spread of mint, Palaisglide and Buttercupdays, so will be keeping the roots carefully confined. Quite fancy trying chives and thyme too.
Guess the next question is when to plant....
I grow the rosemary Miss Jessops Upright. It grows more like an upright conifer and if staked adequately can reach 6ft. It is exactly like the spreading varieties but does not take up so much room. I tie mine in at intervals to keep it neat and tidy. It flowers and the bees love it.
I thought mine had died last year so I cut out all of the dead wood, pulled the branches around a bit to cover the gaps and it has taken off again, it is now 9 years old so may be reaching the end of its life expectancy. I have a couple of replacement rooted cuttings growing on just in case.