For many years, I have wanted an herb garden--a designated area just for herbs. Currently, I use many herbs in the vegetable garden for companion planting, but sometimes they get too large and take up valuable gardening space. I also have herbs scattered around the flower beds because I like herbs mixed with flowers and other plants and they also act as pest deterrents.
A few weeks ago, we finally began work on our herb garden. The space we selected is near the back entrance of the house for easy access. It will be nice to quickly run out and snip a few herbs for cooking. This spot was a grassy area where grass struggled to grow because of the repeated traffic to and from the patio. Here is the before photo:
We started by laying out the cross path to have four quadrants. The stepping stones are 16 inches square. We doubled the paths to have ample room for getting something large on and off the patio, so each path is 32 inches wide. My husband lays these stones so well. He digs them in and places them on crusher run. After the path was complete, we set edgers around the herb beds up to the path in each quadrant. I planted some Sky Pencil Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) at one edge to camouflage the wooden stairs.
Herbs I planted in the beds:
 |
| Sweet Basil - Ocimum basilicum |
 |
| Osmin Purple Basil |
 |
| Rosemary - Rosemarinus officinalis |
 |
| Spicy Globe Basil |
 |
| Thai Basil - O. basilicum thyrsiflorum |
 |
| Variegated Basil - Ocimum x citriodorum 'Pesto Perpetuo' |
 |
| Sage - Salvia officinalis * Dill - Anethum graveolens * Variegated Sage - Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor' * Parsley - Petroselinum crispum |
The finished herb garden...
Other herbs I have since added to the herb garden are garlic chives, Italian parsley, and fennel. I may add some additional herbs over the coming weeks. As the Japanese hollies grow, they should change the view of the stairs.
I look forward to using these herbs for cooking and herbal teas. I will relish the opportunity to find so many so near.
I am joining Frugal Friday at
and Home and Family Friday at Home is Where My Story Begins.
©Michelle A. Potter
