Herb Garden Plans – Where do I Start?As you think about your herb garden plans, one of the most important questions to ask is, “What exactly do I plan to do with these things anyway?”That’s not a hard question for our household. We absolutely LOVE cooking with our fresh herbs. And let’s not forget about the absolutely LOVELY aroma. In fact I sometimes enjoy planting things that spill over onto my pathway a tiny bit so that as I brush by them, I get to experience those invigorating scents. That’s all part of the “gardening experience” you’ll come to love and appreciate year after year. Picking the Right Herbs for Your PlanSome will tell you to pick herbs based on color variation and height. That’s great advice if you’re primary purpose is visual appeal. But my primary purpose for herb gardening is culinary (with aromatic appeal coming in at a close 2nd). If that’s also your reason for starting an herb garden, then my advice is to simply go with what tastes and smells great to you as you think about your herb garden plans. For us that includes: oregano, chives, thyme, sage, rosemary, peppermint, tarragon, parsley, basil, and lavender.But if you're just starting out, you may want to stick with the "5 starters" I mentioned on my
Basic Herb Garden
page.
Herb Garden Layout
Your herbs will love you if you give them full-sun, but many will do well in partial sun. Just don't plant in a completely shaded area. You’ll also want to make sure you're working with well-drained soil. A very common (and simple) herb garden layout is the wagon wheel design. For visual appeal, you may want to consider adding something at the center to act as a focal point. For us, that’s a simple 7ft tall post with a copper plated weathervane mounted on the top. The post is surrounded by some tall ornamental grass. But you’re certainly not bound by this particular design. You could try a traditional “knot herb garden” but I personally wouldn’t recommend starting there. That's because a knot garden involves "A LOT" of regular grooming in order to maintain the shapes and patterns (traditionally Celtic) central to their design.
Or perhaps a "cottage herb garden" with its informal, overlapping style is your thing. I prefer my herb garden to have a slightly more "ordered" look, while still maintaining a relaxed feel - which is why I gravitate toward the simple, wheel design. In the end, if you’re not sure about a particular design, just find an open spot with sun and well drained soil, and give something a try! It's totally O.K., no.... it's expected that you'll do some experimenting with you herb garden plans.
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