Create a herb heaven
Spring’s here and now’s the time to plan for a garden full of the delicious aroma of herbs! Here are some ideas and tips to set you on your way… FUN FEATURES TO MAXIMISE YOUR HERB DISPLAY
Herb tier
Simply bring together a number of different sized plastic pots. Part fill each container in turn, before placing them inside each other to create a tier. Plant in every slot but leave room for expanding growth. Planted here are basil,
thyme and chives.
Quirky spacespac savers!
For r a wacky way to use e the least amount of space ace possible, put your ur old wellies to goodod use and hang them hem up as herb planters! anters! Cut holes in thehe sides and poke a few more through, but ut make sure there are re drainage holes, too. oo. Do the same with tin cans, wheelbarrows, old sinks and buckets.
Thyme pathway
Create a fun, aromatic, abundant pathway with low-growing foliage thyme ‘Goldstream’ and pre y, purple-flowering thyme ‘Russe ings’ in between, both of which will spread happily around paving slabs. Just brushing against it will release the scent.
Herb wheel
Create your own rounded brick beds, hexagonal structure from wood, or repurpose an old cartwheel! Keep your herb garden compact and easily sectioned off, but make sure the area’s really well draining. Planted here is lavender ‘Hidcote’, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, chervil, mint and chamomile.
Sow
You can sow lots of different annuals now for a varied clutch of wonderfully aromatic herbs. Sow ones such as basil, coriander and parsley on the windowsill and keep them in a warm and light place, watered well, until you can plant them out later in spring. Late next month, after frost is unlikely to strike any more, you can sow many herbs directly into the garden.
Take cuttings
This is a great time to increase your stock in a variety of ways. Take cu ings of healthy rosemary stems now – take an 8-10cm (3-4in) stem, remove the lower leaves, cut the end off just below a leaf node, dip into root hormone powder and pot up four or five in a 9cm (3½) p pot. After a few weeks they’ll l likely have rooted so pot them ono and water until they can be fully planted out next year. Remove the lower leaves from some mint stem trimmings and simply put them in a glass of water, where, as if by magic, in a couple of weeks or so, root systems will emerge. You can then pot them up in compost.
Repot or refresh
Perennial herbs may look rather tatty and in need of a spruce up now. Spring’s the prime time to snip off old leaves to leave room for and encourage a fresh flush of young, green growth. Badly pot-bound herbs will need repotting, but if healthy enough herbs can’t be repotted for any reason, top dress the container with fresh compost and slow-release fertiliser.
Plant out Divide
The key points for planting herbs are making sure they’re in thehe sunniest spot possible – so their growth is better and aroma is stronger – and in really well-drained soil. Raised bedseds are perfect for them, or containers, as long as you care for them em well and add crocks or grit to ensure free-flowing moisture.sture. Pots and raised beds mean you can control the moistureure the plants get. Plant them in their own dedicated spot, or incorporate rate them into your borders or veg plot – they’re just as pretty! A good tip is to buy po edo ed supermarket herbs,erbs, take them out the pot ot and gently split them up p into three or four separate plants, before repo ing po ing each section. Water and grow on, andd you’ve multiplied your ur herb collection! For r perennial herbs in the garden,rden, if they’re worse for wearar and need a li le rejuvenation, venation, fork up the clump mp now and split it into new sections to replant.