Introduction
Nothing is more rewarding than planning, planting, caring for, and harvesting plants from your garden. The entire experience strengthens our connection with the air, water, and earth around us and reinforces a cyclical relationship of mutual giving and receiving.
The fun. The frustration. The rewards. The disappointments. All make for a great gardening experience, whether your garden is intended merely for aesthetic pleasure or designed for purposeful use.
Planning the Garden
When planning your herb garden, first determine how much time and space you have to devote to its growth and guidance. The second most important question is, "What sort of garden do I want?" A neatly organized one? Something more wild, untamed, and free form? Culinary? Tea? Aromatic? Medicinal? Some or all of the above?!
Culinary herbs should be planted as close to the house as possible, since you will want to use them frequently. You may even plan to grow some in the kitchen in pots for easy access. And what a great way to bring a bit of summer inside! Some aromatic and medicinal herbs grow quite large and are only harvested once or twice during the season, so they may be planted further away from the house. Most herbs prefer a sunny location with well drained soil, but there are some which like the shade while others prefer very moist conditions.
When to Start
As soon as the ground is workable, i.e, no longer frozen and mucky, it is time to start preparing your garden for planting. Depending on the weather, this is usually around the end of April for northern hemisphere climates that have a sub-zero winter season.
Preparing the Garden
If you are planting a new garden, first mark off the area with string and stakes. Remember to leave paths for getting to the plants for maintenance and harvesting. Remove the top layer of grass, then turn over the dirt at least 8 inches deep and loosen thoroughly with a rototiller or pitch fork. Rake well to remove all rocks, roots, and other debris.
Rake. Rake. And rake again until it is clean and level. This would also be the time to lay down any paths, stones, or railway ties.
Cover your garden with a 2 to 3 inch layer of organic matter, such as compost or a mixture of manure (sheep), bonemeal, and topsoil. Work this top layer into your soil well with a rake or rototiller. This not only fertilizes the soil, but also raises the garden a bit which helps to control weeds.
If you are planning to put your herbs in an existing flower or vegetable garden (where the soil has already been worked), you may just add the organic matter by the shovel-full to the soil at planting time.
NOTE: Remember that you are now adding herbs to this garden so avoid using pesticides and chemical fertilizers on your other plants, as they will leach into the soil and affect your herbs as well. Organic is the most preferred, healthy, and sustainable method of gardening/farming and should be put into practice at all times.
Preparing Your Seeds
Use organic, heritage, non-genetically modified (non-GMO/GMO free) seeds whenever possible to ensure maximum seed quality and genetic diversity. GMO and intentionally-sterile seeds should be strictly avoided, as their long-term effects on the surrounding environment are simply not known. In addition, organic/heritage seeds contain sufficient diversity to overcome most pest/disease situations. They also do not negatively contaminate the species' gene pool with their use.
Any herbs that you are planning to start from seed should be sprouted indoors around the beginning of April, approximately 6 weeks before the last frost (see Herb Propagation for more information). Some annuals can be directly seeded into your garden. Consult the information on the seed package for the recommended sowing time.
Purchasing and Planting Plants
When purchasing plants, remember to take along a pen and paper to jot down any additional information. Information cards are posted near the plants which contain useful information such as height, spread, uses et cetera. Find a reputable nursery that carries organically grown herbs and ensure the herbs are labeled with both their common and botanical names so you will not be disappointed later.
Pick plants that have signs of new growth and appear to be well rooted. Generally, one or two of each variety is sufficient for normal usage, but if you have a passion for basil or love lavender, then you will likely want more. If the plants appear dry, water them well when you get home and leave them in a protected, sunny location. Bring them in at night for a few days to harden them up before planting them out into your garden or into a larger container. Once all danger of frost has passed (usually the middle to late-May), you may leave them outside or plant them in your garden.
Plants that are at least 4" tall are ready to be planted. Gently tap the plant out of its container and plant about four inches deep or up to the plants bottom set of leaves. Water in well (most herbs prefer to be "puddled in"). This means watering the ground to form a puddle around the plant that will drain into the soil. Most herbs should be spaced at least 12 inches apart, but remember to check the height and spread information when you purchase your plants. Do not worry if your garden looks sparse when finished planting ... it won't for long!
Growing Your Garden
Routine maintenance of your herb garden usually consists of a couple of hours per week for an average size garden of 100 square feet. Weed and loosen the soil around the plants regularly and every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season. Adding a small shovel-full of compost or sheep manure and bone meal will keep the soil in good shape.
Be careful not to over-water your plants -- they need water but they hate "wet feet" (soggy roots). If you happen to have a bug infestation, try using an organic insect soap spray available at most nurseries. It is usually necessary to spray both the upper and bottom side of the foliage to be effective.
Remember you are going to be using these herbs so ORGANIC is the rule. Try to avoid all chemicals.
How Does / Did Your Garden Grow?
Keeping a journal of your garden is a good idea. It need not be elaborate, just a simple diary to keep track of the parts harvested and quantity, interesting observations about the plant flower colour, size, scent, et cetera, perhaps even the way you used the herbal recipes, formulas, and other preparations.
In addition to becoming a personal record and keepsake, your journal will also help you plan your garden for next year -- what you wish you had more of and what you wish you did not have.
Above all, have fun and enjoy the experience!
Getting Started
The following herb lists will help get you started, sorted by various uses.
| Basil (Ocimum species) -- try Genovese or Rubin Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum annum) Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Dill (Anethum graveolens) Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Nasturtium (Tropeaolum majus) Oregano, Greek (Origanum vulgare-'hirtum') Parsley, Curled (Petroselium crispum) | | Parsley, Italian (Petroselium crispum-italian) Peppermint (Menthe piperita vulgaris) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba) Savory, Summer or winter (Satureja species) Sorrel, French (Rumex scutatus) Tarragon, French (Artemesia dracunculus) Thyme, English (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme, Lemon (Thymus vulgaris-citiriodorus) |
| Allheal (Prunella vulgaris) Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Bergamot (Monarda didyma) Cayenne (Capsicum annum) Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita) Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) Dock, Yellowdock (Rumex crispus) Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) Lavender, All types (Lavandula species) Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Lovage (Levisticum officinale) Marigold, English (Calendula officinalis) | | Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) Pennyroyal (Menthe pulegium) Peppermint (Menthe piperita vulgaris) Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) Spearmint (Menthe spicata) Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) Vervain (Verbena officinalis) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |
| Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Anise-Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Applemint (Menthe suavoelins) Balm, Lemon (Melissa officinalis) Basil, Lemon (Ocimum americanum) Bergamot (Monarda didyma) Borage (Borago officinalis) Catnip (Nepeta cataria) Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita) Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) | | Marigold, English (Calendula officinalis) Marjoram, Sweet (Origanum majorana) Nettle, Stinging (Urtica dioica) Pennyroyal (Menthe pulegium) Peppermint (Menthe piperita vulgaris) Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Thyme, English (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme, Lemon (Thymus vulgaris-citriodorus) Verbena, Lemon (Aloysia triphylla) |
All herbs mentioned so far have medicinal value, either for maintaining health or for use in the treatment of certain conditions.
Here are a few other herbs you may want to try: |
| Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Echinacea (Echinacea angustifolia/purpurea) Elecampane (Inula helenium) Feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium) Horehound (Marribium vulgare) | | Mullien (Verbascum thapsus) Pleurisy Root (Asclepias tuberosa) Senna, American (Cassia marilandica) St. Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Willowherb (Epilobium parviflorum) |
| Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Anise-Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) Applemint (Mentha suavoelins) Balm, Lemon (Melissa officinalis) Basil, Lemon (Ocimum americanum) Clove, Pink (Dianthus caryopyllus-'grenadin') Lavender, All types (Lavandula species) Mignonette (Reseda odorata) Pennyroyal (Menthe pulegium) | | Peppermint (Menthe piperita vulgaris) Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Sage (Salvia officinalis) Spearmint (Menthe spicata) Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) Thyme, English (Thymus vulgaris) Thyme, Lemon (Thymus vulgaris-citriodorus) Verbena, Lemon (Aloysia triphylla) Wormwood (HArtemesia absinthium) |
See Herbs - Introduction, for additional general herbal information.
