Herb Garden

Posts

• bekkie hughes Posts: 5,294

  February 2015

  Hi James
  
  
  
  Thanks for the link, im a sucker for a freebie!
  
  
  
  The main thing herbs need is sunshine, many of them, dont need much in the way of nutrients or care, thyme, marjoram/oregano, rosemary are happy im a poor soil which really needs to be well drained....a bucket full of rubble and a little soil would do, thyme will not stand any amount of shade, so possibly best grown on its own.
  
  Mint is a thug! Grow this in a pot, or it will run through your garden!
  
  Chives are generally happy anywhere sunny and well drained, mine have done best in the ground, but need very little care.
  
  The more tender herbs like basil can be grown on a windowsill, a few plants at a time sown in succession, like cut and come again salad, just in normal soil.
  
  Parsley likes a richer soil, not claggy or soggy, mine has always grown in a corner of the veg bed.
  
  
  
  All of the above can be grown easily from seed.
  
  
  
  I hope that makes sense, i do tend to ramble a bit!

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• D0rdogne_Damsel Posts: 4,184

  February 2015

  Hi James, 

  I am hoping to start a herb garden soon and am aiming to get one of these herb hexagons, thought they looked nice & sturdy, attractive and good price too. Nice starter kit for me in my first attempt. Good luck with yours, post pics, will be good to compare notes. 

  http://www.northdevonpicnicbenches.co.uk/  Tree man posts on here, think it is his business. 

  • “Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon

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• bekkie hughes Posts: 5,294

  February 2015

  The best way i found to grow thyme is between the paving, it gets lots of reflected heat, its a very free draining site and there is no shade from other plants...an added benefit is that it smells divine if you catch it when you walk down the path

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• JamesC Posts: 3

  February 2015

  Thank you so much I am going to start creating it on the weekend! I will keep you updated.. 

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• Fruitcake Posts: 810

  February 2015

  Hi to a fellow Bristol-ite  

  i inherited mint at my allotment and it is a pain in the backside to keep it in check. It has carried on growing throughout the winter too. 

  I am told that growing mint inside a carrier bag sunk into the soil is a very good way of keeping it in check, so if you wanted it, that could be a good way of integrating it into your herb garden. Sinking a pot into the soil would work similarly but you would need to find a way of stopping the roots finding their way out of the drainage hole.

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• JamesC Posts: 3

  February 2015

  Thank fruitcake!

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• Blue Onion Posts: 2,995

  February 2015

  As Fruitcake mentioned, do keep the mint inside a buried pot (with the bottom cut out for good drainage).  Garden centers will sometime recycle pots, just grab a large one out of their bin.. like the kind they sell trees in.  Large and deep.  Cut the bottom off, dig a hole large enough, and put it down into the hold so that two or tree inches stick above the surface.  Fill the soil in and around.  Plant up a variety of mint and enjoy.  Some varieties are more vigorous than others.  Pineapple mint never grows enough to take over, but normal spearmint or peppermint will dominate your entire herb bed if you don't watch.  

  Some things are best/easiest from seed.. like dill or basil, but others are better purchased/got as plants.. like rosemary or thyme.  

  Utah, USA.

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