I want to start an Herb garden..

[vfem]

Some herbs are annual, like basil which means it will die off in the winter and you will have to replant over again in the spring. You also get bigger better sweety basil leaves if you go out and pinch off the flowers. But leave a couple flowers late season so you can collect seed for next year.

Mint and oregano with double and triple and need to be cut back so you have room for more herbs in the spring.

Rosemary can get huge like a bush if you don't keep it down.

So plant some of the larger to the back, like Basil and rosemary (I think 2 basil would be enough for a couple or small family). Then in the middle mid size herbs like Sage and thyme and your short runner plants in pots or in the front row!

Does that make sense?

 

[SarahFair]

Yes

Does anyone have experience with white sage?

 

[vfem]

ooooh, do a search on here for white sage, we had an entire thread about it last year and it went on for pages and page I think!

here:

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=25648

 

[lesa]

Are you thinking you would harvest the entire basil plant, when you want to cook with it? (I think that is what you are saying..) When the plant is large enough you just remove a few leaves/stems and the plant keeps growing. This goes for any herb I can think of... every night before dinner I go out and just take what I need for that meal. In my case, I use basil all the time- I wouldn't care if I had an acre of it. Nothing beats fresh herbs out of your garden. They can make even the most ordinary meal special. Go for it!!

 

[SarahFair]

Are you thinking you would harvest the entire basil plant, when you want to cook with it? (I think that is what you are saying..) When the plant is large enough you just remove a few leaves/stems and the plant keeps growing. This goes for any herb I can think of... every night before dinner I go out and just take what I need for that meal. In my case, I use basil all the time- I wouldn't care if I had an acre of it. Nothing beats fresh herbs out of your garden. They can make even the most ordinary meal special. Go for it!!

Exactly what Im thinking! lol
I just have no idea when it comes to herbs. How big do they get? I picture tiny plants that im only going to get limited use out of and then thats it.

 

[wifezilla]

Some herbs are annual, like basil which means it will die off in the winter and you will have to replant over again in the spring.

Or you just bring it inside and give it a light with a good compact florescent bulb and have fresh basil all winter long

 

[vfem]

Here's my Basil when I first planted it next to my tomatoes from last summer... it was about 2 ft tall when full grown... my thai basil was slightly smaller since it had smaller leaves and bloomed less flowers over the summer.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

SarahFair,

The list of herb articles on this page should be a help:

http://herbgardens.about.com/od/herbalgardendesign/Herbal_Gardening_Designs.htm

My experience of herbs over the years is that all of them get out of hand very fast & a mixed planting can look very wild,very fast. So it is best located somewhere this is appropriate. It will be the most popular area for bees etc so maybe near your vegetable garden or fruit trees where they will pollinate your crops!

Add herbs to fruit cordials that you make: which you can use throughout the winter to stave off colds etc. If you sweeten the cordials with good local wild-flower honey it's even better for you!

Happy Gardening. :tools

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[SarahFair]

Would a garden over an old coop patch be ok or would the poop be too hot?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

It depends on how long since there were chickens on that patch. You say "old" so if it is over a year it will be OK, it won't be "hot". But as most herbs don't do well in rich soils you won't get the best out of them but you could pop some beans or tomatoes in there as they will benefit from the nitrogen. Then you could grow several types of basil near your tomatoes; parsley, coriander, lovage would do OK there too.

How large an area are you hoping to give over to herbs?


:rose Hattie :rose