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Herbs
good morning everyone .
Ihave order some herbs. A variety of sage fennel and mint.
in the past I have messed up with them.i intend to plant them in a large trough.. should I use just new compost or a mixture of garden and bought compost. Also where to put them --sun shade etc. and care . I have been told they are easy to grow .
not so far for me! I have gardened for many years with some success. But not with herbs ????
Occasional flights into reality. 
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I think fennel needs a lot of space, mine are already up to 2metres. Perhaps a trough might be a bit on the small side. Also, I think sage needs poor soil although I don't know what good compost will do. Someone else will be along in a minute to tell you!
Sage is a Mediterranean plant so needs poor soil and sun, mint needs moistish soil and is happy in shade. It will run if happy, so best kept confined - in a pot or bottomless bucket part sunk in the ground. Fenne, las said, is a large plant (grows to 4 or 5 ft!) so needs room and some decent soil. It may need staking. If you want a trough full of herbs, then thyme and rosemary are better companions for the sage, but be aware that they can all get quite bushy , so it needs to be a large trough!
Most garden centres have a selection of small herb plants at this time of year.
Thank you grannybee and buttercupdays.
Info very useful.small problem my soil is very rich. We have a smallish garden that has been enriched over many years. What could I use to make it poor in the area I will be planting sage . Would sand do and if so what ratio to soil ?
If you're growing Med herbs, as said above they are used to growing on rough hillsides in baking sun, barely any rain an very low nutrients.
As they're going in a trough, I'd suggest a bag of John Innes no1 (for seedlings so low in fertilisers) and mix it with a bag of horticultural grit. Save some of the grit to use as a topping to cover the top when you're done. Give them a good water and watch them grow
Here's one I prepared earlier
Last edited: 13 June 2017 15:56:58
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Fennel mixes well with other perennial plants in the border and makes a good background plant. It has lovely frothy leaves and interesting flowerheads. They make good winter interest if left, and it will probably give you some more seedlings, or you can use the dried seeds in the kitchen. The fennel you eat is a different variety.(Florence fennel)
Thank you. Pete and Buttercup.
very useful Iam now wondering which is best perlite or horticultural grit?
Perlite is for short-term use. You can crush it between your fingers, it'll break down after a while.
It's nice and light, but grit would do a better job and it'll last longer than any of us
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.