Did you know that herbs are nutritionally rich, less demanding than vegetables to grow, harvestable all year round and there is no better way to naturally flavour food?
Herbs are also nature’s healers, having been used for centuries to help treat coughs and colds, strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, improve digestion and promote a good night’s sleep.
September is a good time to plan and plant a herb garden or to revamp an existing herb garden. Why not consider adding herbs as companion plants in the veggie garden?
What do herbs need?
- Plenty of sun. That’s what most herbs need, although some like basil and parsley, prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. If you don’t have enough space for a herb garden, consider planting herbs in the flower garden or in pots on the balcony, patio or kitchen courtyard.
- Ordinary garden soil, as long as it drains well. Add in compost for extra fertility and good drainage. Good quality potting soil for container grown herbs.
- Close to the house. They don’t need it, but if you are cooking with herbs it’s easier to have them at your fingertips!
Choosing your herbs
Culinary collection
It could be as simple as choosing your favourite cooking herbs. The nine major culinary herbs are basil, chives, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, savory, sage, thyme.
For more on culinary herbs: https://healthyliving-herbs.co.za/culinary/
First aid herbs
Most culinary herbs have healing properties too. A first aid garden is a good starting point and could include such dual-purpose herbs like thyme (antiviral and antibacterial), sage (antiseptic), parsley (immune boosting), rosemary (antimicrobial and soothing) and peppermint (relieves itching and inflammation when applied topically).
For more on healing herbs: https://healthyliving-herbs.co.za/medicinal-herbs/
Herbs for fragrant teas
What about a garden for herbal teas? Teas made from herbs are soothing, delicious and the safest way to ingest in herbs, provided that one doesn’t drink more than three cups a day for longer than a week. Consider fruity herbs like bergamot, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, rose geranium, chamomile, chocolate mint, English lavender, and lemon balm.
For more on herbal teas: https://healthyliving-herbs.co.za/tea-herbs/
Herb garden ideas
Patio herb garden
A patio herb garden in containers offers year-round flavour and fragrance. Suitable herbs for containers include basil, chervil, chives, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.
Herb kitchen garden
A herb kitchen garden plants companion herbs and veggies together, like basil and tomatoes, dill and cucumber, oregano and brinjals. In companion planting, herbs either repel pests or attract pollinators. They usually improve the flavour of veggies too. The herbs can be planted in-between the veggies or nearby in pots. Lots of scope for creativity.
Formal herb garden
A formal herb garden features straight lines and geometric shapes. The best formal design for a beginner consists of two intersecting pathways. This basic design can be expanded by forming a path around the perimeter or by extending the crossed paths.
Another popular formal design is the wagon wheel. Use bricks or stones for the spokes and rim, with your herbs in the pie-shaped segments in between.
Informal herb garden
An informal herb garden features flowing lines, with curved beds and walkways that give plenty of scope for growing a wide variety of herbs. This design fits in more easily with most contemporary gardens and homes. This design usually needs less initial structural work and is easier and less costly to maintain.
Getting started
Make a list of all the herbs that will fit in with your theme and check availability with the local garden centre.
To avoid the mistake of starting with too many herbs, break up your list into ‘Must have’, ‘Nice to have’ and ‘Not really necessary’. Your final list should be 5 or 10 herbs. That is a good number to start with.
It helps to divide the list into annuals and perennials and further classify them according to height. In your design, position taller herbs at the back and lower herbs in front.
Layout the herb garden, build or make the pathways, and prepare the beds by adding plenty of compost and other organic material.
Once these steps have been done, head off to the nearest garden centre and buy your herbs.
Planting tips
- Before planting, water the herbs well, as dry root balls are difficult to wet thoroughly when underground.
- Gently loosen the root balls of the herbs to encourage new root growth. Pinch out the tips of shrubby herbs to encourage a bushy habit.
- Firm the soil gently around the plant and water thoroughly to settle the soil.
- Newly planted herbs need regular watering.
https://healthyliving-herbs.co.za/category/growing-herbs/
Revamping existing herb gardens
This is a good month to tidy up after winter, by pruning herbs back into shape and to encourage new sprouting for spring. Renew the mulch if necessary and improve and aerate the soil by digging in compost.
For more information visit: www.healthyliving.herbs.co.za
