Design for herb garden

Beautiful Herb Garden Designs

Fresh ways to make your herb garden both functional and super-stylish

Written by Mike Irvine October 25, 2016

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&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class=”dek margin-24-tb padded-mobile”&gt; Fresh ways to make your herb garden both functional and super-stylish &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;

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1 of 10 Linda Lamb Peters

A world of color

Take advantage of the fact that not all herbs are green and leafy. Local nurseries have varieties in a wide array of colors, textures, and heights, as well as those that flower and bring bees into the garden. Here is a prime example of an explosion of color and varying heights: tall pineapple sage with red trumpet flowers and chartreuse leaves; the mid-sized flowering basils—African blue and Mountain magic—with spires of purple flowers; and a low-growing blue-green German thyme spilling over a rocky border. A feast for your eyes and also your nose!

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2 of 10 Linda Lamb Peters

Summer, contained

Of course, it wouldn’t be summer without a bushel of sweet basil growing in your garden. But the cluster of vibrant-flavored herbs shown here is just as perfect for the season. Some, like mint and cilantro, are familiar, while others—shiso, lemongrass, and Thai basil—are more exotic. But they all can be used to add bold Asian flavor to a variety of dishes. And thanks to their variety of heights, textures, and shades of green, they make for a winning combination in the garden, too.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”//img.sunset02.com/sites/default/files/image/2016/10/main/herb-garden-inside-outside-box-sun-1116.jpg” alt=”Think both in and outside the box” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

3 of 10 Linda Lamb Peters

Think both in and outside the box

Don’t feel restricted to growing herbs in traditional in-ground or raised beds. Most herbs, including annual green basils, will grow happily in wooden crates, willow baskets, small pots, and other containers. All they need is good drainage, regular water, and at least 6 hours of sun. From thyme and sage to oregano and marjoram, there’s really no excuse not to spruce up your stoop, windowsill, or balcony with a favorite culinary herb.

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4 of 10 Linda Lamb Peters

A busy gardener’s saving grace

Perennial herbs are a great solution to any difficult spaces or sections in a landscape—they fill in nicely, overlap and play well with their companions, and don’t need much attention from the home gardener. If they start to get unwieldy or wild, a few quick cuts down to new points of growth will rein them in and leave you with a pretty harvest of herbs to hang and dry. What’s more, mild temperatures in areas such as coastal California allow for continuous harvests of tri-color sage, golden oregano, French thyme, and rosemary through the winter months.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”//img.sunset02.com/sites/default/files/image/2016/10/main/herb-garden-wall-sun-1116.jpg” alt=”Herb wall” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

5 of 10 Thomas J. Story

Herb wall

There’s no need to limit your herb selection to traditional low-lying mounds of thyme and oregano. Experiment with taller, more dramatic selections that will stun you with quick and vigorous growth. Here, the limey leaves of pineapple sage intermingle with licorice-tasting anise hyssop in full bloom—a solid wall of aromatic herbs that delight the senses and attract the busiest of hummingbirds.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”//img.sunset02.com/sites/default/files/image/2016/10/main/herb-garden-bee-magnet-sun-1116.jpg” alt=”Bee magnets” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

6 of 10 Thomas J. Story

Bee magnets

A mix of three types of flowering basils grows at the base of each trellis. ‘African Blue’, ‘Magic Mountain’, and ‘Wild Magic’, are all grown specifically for their flowers, which, unlike traditional types, aren’t a sign of being at the end of their season. (All varieties of basil available by mail order from Morningsun Herb Farm.) The basils bloom all season and die come frost. They’re still edible (though more astringent than traditional Italian types) and ridiculously loved by the bees.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”//img. sunset02.com/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_horizontal_inbody_900x506/public/image/2016/10/main/herb-garden-essences-sun-1116.jpg?itok=hQxppqY7″ alt=”Herbal essences” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

7 of 10 Thomas J. Story

Herbal essences

(All herbs available by mail order from Morningsun Herb Farm.) Herbs make fantastic border plants. Seen here: white-flowering lavender ‘Hidcote’, orange-flowered Agastache ‘Sunset’, intensely purple-flowered A. ‘Blue Boa’, lighter purple-flowered A. ‘Blue Fortune’, the green and yellow variegated leaves of ‘Variegated Berggarten’ sage, the chartreuse leaves of pineapple sage, and the green leaves of Thymbra spicata, spilling from the bed onto the path.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”//img. sunset02.com/sites/default/files/image/2016/10/main/herb-garden-spilling-sun-1116.jpg” alt=”Spilling is ok here” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

8 of 10 Thomas J. Story

Spilling is ok here

The simplest way to soften a straight edge: Plant a spilling herb. Along the sides of each of our Test Garden’s raised beds, Homestead Design Collective planted herbs that do just that. Not only do herb blossoms look beautiful and attract pollinators and beneficial insects, but they’re also edible. Most herb blossoms, including the French thyme seen here, taste milder than their leafy companions and are great additions to salads, soups, and egg dishes.

&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=”inner-container”&gt; &lt;img src=”/” alt=”Follow your nose” /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;

9 of 10 Thomas J. Story

Follow your nose

Your herb garden should not only look beautiful, but should fulfill your other senses as well. Just imagine the rush of aromas that would result in brushing past this bed of flowering herbs—a mild licorice and minty scent from both the flowering purple spires of anise hyssop and the cheery apricot blossoms of the agastache, a sweet perfume from the white lavender, and a hint of Mediterranean spice from the low-lying purple blossoms of the culinary herb za’atar. A garden should be a source of inspiration, and who wouldn’t want to run back into the house with a bouquet of these fragrant herbs to use in the kitchen?

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10 of 10 Stefanie Bittner

A perfect pairing

Never be afraid to mix your herbs with your vegetables. Here two chile de arbol peppers, bearing fruit that are fiery in both their bright fire-engine red color and their smoky flavor, are surrounded by a border of herbs, including blossoming thyme, marjoram, and wild magic basil. The herbs are allowed to spill over the bed’s rocky border, while they’re pruned and harvested away from the peppers–giving them necessary breathing room and space to grow. Meanwhile, the herbs also bring pollinators and beneficial insects to the garden–visitors that are essential to the health and production of all vegetables!

Herb Garden Design Ideas

12 November 2018, written by Benedict Vanheems

Every garden needs herbs! Herbs like rosemary are what bring meals to life, and you only need a few sprigs or leaves to contribute bags of flavor and turn the ordinary… into the extraordinary. Herb gardens may be designed to fit any style, size or shape. If you’re looking for ideas to fit more herbs into your garden, you’ve come to the right place!

Where to Grow Herbs

There are herbs for every situation, so whether you have just a compact corner to spare or an entire garden, you can use herbs to create a space that’s both useful and beautiful.

Grow herbs in among your vegetables, alongside flowering ornamentals, in a wildflower meadow, on the patio or within a dedicated herb garden – the choice is yours.

Growth Habit

When designing with herbs the first thing to consider after growing requirements is growth habit. Tall, statuesque herbs like angelica contribute vertical interest to the garden. They are generally planted towards the back of a bed so they don’t overshadow shorter plants but can also look great thrusting skywards among lower growing plants.

Herbs like lavender attract beneficial bugs

Medium-sized herbs, from about one to three foot, or 30cm to a meter in height, will form the bulk of your planting. Combine a variety of leaf shapes, colors and textures to break up blocks of planting. And, of course, most herbs will also draw in numerous beneficial bugs, most noticeably bees that will go on to help pollinate vegetables and fruits.

Lower-growing herbs like parsley or chives should be planted at the front of any scheme where they can form a neat edging or spill outwards.

Edging and Paving

Herbs for edging look simply stunning. Grown alongside a path they’ll release their aroma every time you brush past.

Creeping herbs like thyme, oregano and prostrate forms of rosemary are great for growing within paving, planted into cracks, opportunistically at the edges, between slabs or in other gaps. From here they’ll extend out to soften hard surfaces, while taking advantage of the radiated heat to waft their delicious fragrance even further.

Plant herbs like Thyme within paving

These types of herbs work well bursting out from any landscaped surface to create a more relaxed, informal feel. Or try planting them en masse to form a practical, yet highly attractive living mulch that also works to crowd out weeds.

Formal Herb Gardens

Formal herb gardens use straight lines and patterns for pleasing symmetry. Raised beds especially lend themselves to this type of setup, helping create a sense of ordered calm. Planting one type of herb per bed emphasizes the order, while making maintenance far simpler.

Formal needn’t be on a grand scale. A simple herb wheel is a great way to pack a handy selection of herbs into a space little wider than your average steering wheel. Selecting herbs that enjoy the same growing conditions makes ongoing care easier, while dividing up the space into individual planting pockets helps stop herbs growing into each other or one herb from dominating.

Container Herb Gardens

Herbs in pots provide a feature

Many gardeners can only afford space for a few pots of herbs. But that doesn’t mean you can’t design an effortlessly stylish herbal heaven! Cluster pots of herbs, salads and vegetables together to create a living tapestry of leafy loveliness. Use bold forms like rosemary to create a feature on your terrace, or mix them up in stone or metal troughs and herb towers to really pack your herbs in, while ensuring an eye-catching centerpiece to feed both body and soul.

Herbs can also be used to offer vertical interest by growing them in containers held up on posts, or secured onto walls and fences.

Design a Herb Garden

Designing your own herb garden is hugely satisfying, and our Garden Planner makes it easy. Play around with different layouts at your leisure. Drop in any number of containers, planters, troughs or raised beds from the Selection Bar, or design your own beds using the drawing tools. Once you’re done, select Herbs from the selection bar drop-down menu and begin planting. If you’re unsure which herbs are best for your garden, click on the information buttons for handy growing advice, plus details on how each herb may be used. You can also use the Custom Filter button to narrow down the selection to show, for example, only easy-to-grow plants, or plants that will grow in partial shade. Have fun trying out a few designs and perfecting a herb garden that’s unique to you.

Design your herb garden in our Garden Planner

Herbs bring so much to the garden – and us! Whether it’s a little something to liven up recipes or a profound sense of beauty. I hope we’ve given you a little inspiration to get started. If you have a herb garden please tell us about it in the comments section – is it formal, informal, separate from the rest of the garden or interspersed throughout? We’d love to know. And we’d love you to become a regular visitor to our channel too, so make sure you’re subscribed. I’ll catch you next time.

Plants Related to this Article

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Herbaceous plants in landscape design

When it comes to landscape design, many people often think of beautiful flowers or lush green gardens. Herbaceous plants carry much more possibilities than just decorating a flower bed. Herbs not only add variety to the garden, but also provide an increase in the biodiversity of the garden, cleansing and filling the air with healing aromas.

There are many herbs that can be grown in the garden. Many plant herbal plants for medicinal reasons, some for aesthetic reasons, and others for herbs used in cooking or making drinks.

Features of outdoor herbaceous plants

Herbs can be defined as plants that provide benefits to humans. Herbs are used as medical devices. Some herbs are used as dyes or for industrial use. Herbs have been used for thousands of years in teas and balms to treat indigestion and heart disease, as a condiment in cooking.

Herbal plants are not only useful but also attractive. Gardeners use them as borders for their landscaping, along paths, mixed with flowers and shrubs. Herbs grow almost everywhere.

What is a herb garden?

This is a garden or part of a garden used exclusively for growing herbs. The best description of what is called a herb garden is that it is a beautiful and relaxing place where you can find plants that bring benefits to the home. A herb garden can be any size or shape and can contain many different types of herbs. An herb garden can take up an entire yard, or it can simply be planted in a small container with a window. Flower beds with herbal plants can be stored on a sunny windowsill or in an open area.

The herb garden design can also be incorporated into a vegetable garden mixed with ornamental plants or your own flowers.

Types of herb gardens

There are many different types of herb gardens and many ways to use them, each with its own character and charisma.

Culinary garden

Consists of herbaceous plants used in cooking. Most of them are grown in containers, although they can also be grown in the garden. It may contain: sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano and others. These herbs are traditionally grown in containers, usually with easy access to the kitchen.

Aromatic Herb Garden

Composed of herbal plants that are well known for their fragrance and are used in bouquets, aromatherapy or scented candles. It may contain herbs such as: Lavender, Basil, Geranium, Mint, Thyme, etc.

Herbal tea garden

Typically, herbs such as Chamomile, Anise, Hyssop and various varieties are planted in flower beds or beds in such a garden Mints, from which you can brew delicious and healthy teas.

Medicinal herbal garden

Includes herbs used for home treatment. These are herbaceous plants such as Ginseng and Chamomile, Lavender and Echinacea, Yarrow, Thyme and others.

Ornamental herb gardens

Valued for their beautiful flowers and unusual texture. Such a garden may contain southern latitude herbs such as Sage, fragrant Lavender, Oregano and Myrtle.

The most popular type of herb garden design consists of varieties of herbaceous plants, some for cooking, some for fragrance, some for beauty, and some for medicinal. With so many herbs, the question is not what is an herb garden, but rather what is growing in your herb garden?

Herb garden planning

Herb garden landscaping has been an integral part of gardening for thousands of years. Herbs have many different uses, not to mention beauty and unique flavors. Integrating herb garden landscaping into your property is extremely easy and requires only a little planning.

Before planning your garden, it's a good idea to become familiar with the different types of herbs and their characteristics. When planning your herb garden, decide which herbs will thrive, find a place to grow them, and decide if they will be planted in beds or containers.

When creating an herb garden, you may decide to include one type of herb in your garden, or you may choose to mix different herbs in your area.

Whether you decide to plant herbaceous plants for cooking or choosing garden fragrance varieties, you will need to pay close attention to the size and location of your planting area, as well as the types of herbs you choose and their individual planting requirements.

The herb garden usually requires a lot of direct sunlight, although some, such as mint, do best in the shade. Depending on the amount of space available, there are several different ways to include a herb garden in your outdoor space. For a more informal look, include herbs in flower beds between bushes with bright flowers.
Container gardens are ideal for small areas. Rose beds are also the perfect place to incorporate herbal plants.

How to choose herbs for your garden

If you're planning your first herb garden, it's best to start by choosing 10 to 15 hardy herbs like Thyme and Onion. Decide if you prefer to grow herbs for cooking, medicinal use, or just for fun.

Group grass varieties according to the amount of water they use and the amount of sunlight they require. Plant each variety according to its individual soil depth requirements, adding the appropriate nutrients.

For best visual effect, place taller grasses at the back of the planting area and gradually reduce the height. Use the shape and texture of the plants to determine where to plant.

Finally, provide proper drainage to keep your herbs healthy by using crushed container gravel or raised planting areas.

Interesting articles

Landscaping with grass garden paths > Garden design > Lucky Garden Company

The lawn is as much an integral part of garden design as flowerbeds or flowerbeds. The grass cover, especially dense and well-groomed, helps to improve the microclimate. However, a classic lawn requires a lot of space, which is usually not enough.

Change lawn can grassy garden paths. Their emerald uniform greens serve as the perfect appeal to flower beds. , planting roses, ornamental shrubs , growing both in groups and alone, being for them, on the one hand, a natural background, and on the other, softening the sometimes too violent temperament of flowering vegetation. Grass paths are made straight, as in regular style landscape design. , or winding, which is more typical for a landscape garden .

The green path can lead to a small lawn, where there is a place for a sun lounger or a table with a couple of chairs. In landscape design of a regular style, this transition should not be smooth - a place to relax here you need to clearly separate it from the track, arranging it in the form of a rectangle or rhombus. It is clear that such a track will be used especially often, so the coating here must be especially durable. To do this, it is important to level the ground well over the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe track. and choose a grass mixture from trampling-resistant broad-leaved grasses. In order to maintain a good shape of the grass path, on which you have to walk a lot and even move garden mechanisms, it can be advised to pave its middle part with clinker or natural stone.

Uniform green color depends on the grass mixture. Of course, both straight and winding paths will make landscape design attractive when there are clear boundaries between them and the flower beds. To do this, you need to either systematically trim the edges in the vertical direction, or make a border. This is additional work, but after the next haircut, the edges of the track will not have to be trimmed with scissors. In addition, the border will protect the edges from destruction, and the lawn itself from creeping weeds. . The border can be made of concrete, clinker or natural stone. On a crushed stone base, the stone will stand evenly and firmly. The top edge of the curb should be flush with the surface of the lawn so that there is no problem when mowing it.

There is another design option: to make a discontinuous path of stones or concrete slabs laid at a step distance from each other. Lay the stones on the grass, cut the sod along the contour with a shovel, remove it and remove part of the soil. Then add sand, compact it (the thickness of the compacted layer should be about 2.5 cm) and lay the stones.

Lay stones on the path, leaving large gaps between them. Fill gaps with garden soil and plant lawn grasses in them . Small gravel makes the grass cover stronger and more resistant to trampling. Strengthening with rubble will take more time. When the grass sprouts, sprinkle a thin layer of gravel over it. Let the grass grow some more and add a layer of gravel again. After that, the grass on the path can be cut.

A beautiful border for small paths between beds can be made from ground cover plants . For this, low-growing stalks are good, like the cotoneaster, which grows powerfully and is resistant to trampling. For a shady corner with fresh and organic-rich soil, awl-leaved bryozoan (Sagina subulata) is suitable, covered during flowering with small white flowers. periwinkles (Vinca) are distinguished by more magnificent growth. In the bright sun, the gaps between the plates can be decorated with atseny and thyme pillows .
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