Herb Gardens for the Home

Herb gardens are as beautiful as they are functional.

"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves," said Robert Louis Stevenson. Herb gardens provide not only food and comfort, but colorful beauty and aromatic pleasures. The ancients cultivated herbs for thousands of years, using them for food, medicine and aromatherapy. Whether you cultivate your herb garden in a regimented courtyard or in little pots perched on a windowsill, the fruit of your labors will provide your home with delightful, functional little plants.

Types

Colonial herb gardens were sometimes large, geometric works of art.

The herb garden may be as small as a few pots scattered on a sunny patio or a large extension of the vegetable garden. A good general size for a kitchen garden plot is 20 feet by 4 feet. Consider drawing a diagram of the plot, separating annual herbs from perennials for uncomplicated care and maintenance. Colonial herb gardens were once extensively large, serving the entire household with herbs for medicine, teas and cooking. Seed packages list mature herb heights and space requirements; take these into consideration when mapping out the garden plot. Smaller herbs should be placed in the forefront, with taller herbs at the back of the plot. If a large herb garden is not feasible, separate herb plants will flourish in terracotta or plastic flower pots. Succulent herbs may suffer from drought, so pots need to be replenished with water daily.

Garden Requirements

Herbs need a sunny location with well-drained soil.

Herbs are generally not fussy plants, but they are very choosy about their location. Herbs prefer a very sunny neighborhood, thriving best in areas that receive six or more hours of direct sun daily. Mint endures soggy soil, but all other herbs need well-drained, fertile soil with abundant organic matter. In wet areas, raised beds provide improved drainage and soil aeration. Herbs receiving these basic requirements thrive in their environment, not needing extra fertilizer or much attention.

Growing Herbs

Dried herbs make delicious teas.

Herbs can be sown from seed, by root or stem division or by transplanting older plants. Some herbs are fussier than others. Caraway, cumin, dill, fennel, anise, coriander and chervil should be direct-seeded as they do not like to be transplanted. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, mint and tarragon do not grow well from seed and therefore require transplanting to the garden. Artemesia, costmary, sage, sweet woodruff and valerian thrive best when divided from mature plants. Since sowing herbs is relatively effortless, horticulturalists exhort beginning herb gardeners to grow their favorite herbs. Common herbs such as oregano, basil, lemon verbena, fennel, peppermint, mint and dill grow quickly with instant success.

Harvesting and Winter Care

A thick layer of mulch protects herbs from winter cold damage.

You can pluck herb leaves when the plant is producing sufficient foliage for growth. The best time of day for harvesting leaves is after the morning dew has faded but before the sun dawns with afternoon heat. Wash leaves in cold water before using. After the first hard frost, most annual herbs die back, their life cycle ending. Perennial and biennial herbs retreat into the soil. Their roots should be protected from winter's cold with a thick layer of mulch.

References

• West Virginia University: Growing Herbs in the Home Garden
• North Carolina State University; Growing Herbs for the Home Gardener; Erv Evans, et al.
• New Mexico State University; Spices and Herbs for the Home Garden; George W. Dickerson; 2009
• University of Colorado; Planning and Plants for an Herb Garden; 2010