Herb Garden Designs

Herb Garden Designs

Article by Winry Beckwell

The nice thing about herbs is that they don’t necessary need their own garden. You can integrate herb plants into any existing flower bed or in your vegetable garden. If you plan to grow lots of herbs, though – whether for your own enjoyment in tea, cooking, or medicinal use, plus some to preserve for use during the winter, or for sharing with family and friends – you may want to consider a larger garden. Herb garden designs range from simple to elaborate. No matter your choice, keep in mind the nature of the particular herbs you choose to grow. Some herbs spread by runners or seeds and can quickly outgrow their initial space. And if you more elaborate formal herb garden designs appeal to you, such as the classic knot garden, be aware that a great deal of time and effort are required to maintain such a design.

Designing your herb garden:

Herb garden designs all start with the question of “Where to plant your herb garden.” Begin by picking a sunny spot. You’ll find that most herbs crave sunlight, and plenty of it. A plot near your kitchen is a good choice if this is meant to be a culinary garden; by keeping your herbs near your kitchen, your delicious herbs will always be easily accessible when cooking.

How large should your herb garden be? Herb garden designs vary, but a good rule of thumb is that it should be large enough to accommodate the variety or quantity of herbs you want to grow. Both of these factors are very personal decisions. A modest garden is adequate for a purely culinary garden since you’ll trim only a few herbs at a time as you use them. Perennials, on the other hand, require much more space since they will continue to grow with each passing year. And of course, if you plan to preserve the herbs for later use – such as winter – you’ll want more plants, which in turn demand more space.

Another aspect of herb garden designs to keep in mind, do you want your herbs separated in a dedicated space or inter-dispersed among your existing gardens?

Formal Herb Garden Designs

At the peak of their season, formal herb gardens are absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, you may not be pleased at all when that handful of herbs you picked for your sauce leaves a gapping hole in your design. With a little extra planning, though, even this isn’t an issue.

One common approach with formal herb garden designs is to plant your herbs in a series of adjacent beds, in the process creating a geometric design such as a circle or square. Some gardeners opt for herb garden designs that are even more customized depending on the nature of the garden – such as a teapot or teacup shape for a tea herb garden. The separate plots are often brought together through a central element such as a birdbath or sundial or with paths.

Alternative herb garden designs include theme gardens. An example would be intentionally planting blue and purple flowered herbs together or creating a garden of complementary scents. A theme could also be planting variations of a particular herb such as three or four types of basil in a small garden.

A dedicated herb garden can be a huge delight to the senses – the appetizing aroma of basil and mint as well as the beauty of herbs such as coneflower or Calendula. And the toil of working in your herb garden is offset when you see your herb garden design come together and as you see your efforts rewarded.

About the Author

Winry is an herb expert. For more information on href=”http://herb-garden-information.com/herb-garden-designs.html”> herb garden designs, visit http://herb-garden-information.com/herb-garden-designs.html.