Herb gardens are easy to grow and maintain. They usually take less water, don’t take as much maintenance and are not bothered as much by insects.
I also like the look of an herb garden. They have a wilder rugged look and adding garden art to them makes unique garden. They also thrive in containers and pots and can add instant beauty and interest to porches and the yard.
One very pretty and unique herb garden is a spiral garden. If you have time start this in the fall but early spring will also work.
Setting up a Spiral Herb Garden
Choose an area in the yard that get adequate light and has good drainage. Mark the area you have chosen in either an oval shape or a circular shape. If you apply a thick layer of newspaper (avoid colored pages) there will be no need to dig up the grass. The grass will decompose under the newspaper and add more nutrients to the soil base.
I use about 7 layers of newspaper. Lay it on the ground and soak it well. I then add a six to 8-inch layer of straw or leaves. Cover this with six inches of soil or compost. I use compost and not my best compost, as herbs don’t need soil that is as rich as some plants require.
Often times its best to edge a raised bed garden to keep the soil in place. I usually use an edging that blends in with the garden. For an herb garden I would go with flat rock, cut round wood chunks or old board. I use what I have on hand or can get for free. I have also just firmed the soil and not used an edge before. It’s up to you and you weather conditions.
You can leave an inch or two of newspaper showing to prevent the grass from invading inside the spiral. I don’t like that look so I leave the newspaper sticking out two inches but cover it with fresh sawdust. Fresh sawdust has a nice look and being fresh it prevents grass and other weeds from growing due to its high acid content.
Now comes the fun part! It’s time to mark out your garden spiral. Use rocks or an edging to retain the garden if necessary, Garden containers with special plants will also do the trick and add color.
One important tip to remember when planting your herbs is that their watering and sun requirements will differ. Place the plants accordingly in the spiral. A spiral garden helps you to do this in a small area. I usually plant the higher plants in the center mixed with plants requiring less water if they will grow together well.
Another concern is herb plants that spread out of control or reseed easily. Mint is one of the worst offenders and I always plant these in pots or hanging baskets so I don’t have to worry about it overtaking the garden area.
Chervil, Dill, Fennel, and Rocket will reseed easily but you can weed the excess out easily.
A spiral garden just adds fun to a yard and takes very little maintenance.
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