Herb Gardens & Plants

With its bright green foliage, parsley makes an attractive ornamental herb.

An herb garden can be simple as a window box filled with culinary favorites or as complex as a collection of plants incorporated into the overall design of the landscape. Create herb gardens by combining plants in attractive plots or grouping them in colorful containers according to function. Choose sites that will allow the plants to receive at least 6 hours of sunlight per day, as most herbs grow well when set in sunny spots.

Culinary Herb Garden

Herbs used in cooking bring many benefits to the home garden. A large terra cotta pot containing a variety of culinary herbs is a pretty and practical addition to any landscaping scheme. Though personal preference should dictate which herbs to plant, many culinary herb gardens include flat-leaf parsley, sage, sweet basil, thyme, chives, marjoram and dill. Do not start harvesting until plants are well established, then gather small quantities of fresh herbs on a weekly basis. Regular harvesting helps produce compact, well-formed foliage.

Fragrant Herb Garden

To make homemade potpourri blends or aromatic sachets, choose an assortment of herbs famous for their strong, sweet scent. Herbs such as mint, lavender and artemisia are commonly used in the creation of perfumes and scented bath products, while the aroma of dried catmint appeals to both humans and to felines. In addition, orange, rose, peppermint, lemon, coconut, ginger, apricot and nutmeg are just a few of the fragrances of scented geraniums, making them an essential part of a fragrance garden.

Medicinal Herb Garden

Before the development of prescription medications, doctors relied on a variety of medicinal herbs to settle upset stomachs and alleviate everyday aches. To create a medicinal herb garden at home, choose plants known for their health boosting abilities. For example, chamomile blossoms make a calming tea, while calendula is mixed in to salves to soothe irritated skin; oil containing dandelion root brings relief to aching muscles, and burdock leaf makes a poultice that draws pus from a wound. Regardless of which plants are chosen, use medicinal herbs with caution. Most are harmless, but some can be dangerous if ingested.

Wildlife Herb Garden

Design an herb garden that draws birds and butterflies into the yard by incorporating plants with bright, colorful flowers. Plant large masses of dwarf butterfly bushes, beebalm, licorice mint, yarrow and lavender, rather than installing individual plants here and there. The bright blossoms will beckon to the birds, while the flat heads and slender spikes of the numerous tiny flowers offer landing platforms and perches for butterflies to grasp onto while feeding.

References

• Culinary Herb Guide: Herb Gardens
• West Virginia University Extension Service: Growing Herbs in the Home Garden
• "New Complete Guide to Gardening"; Susan A. Roth; 1997