There is no law that herbs have to be laid out in formal pattern gardens. They are a great addition to any garden. Herbs are very easy to grow and have a universal appeal. Herbs can be used in borders, shady spots, or adapted quite successfully for window box or container gardening. There are herbs to suit everyone’s taste or style, so why not consider an herb theme garden as an addition to your garden. An important thing to keep in mind is the size, shape, and spreading patterns of each herb. Herbs should be planted to complement their neighbors and given enough room so they don’t get in each other’s way.
People who enjoy cooking with herbs could plant a culinary garden. Tall growing perennial tarragon could be planted in the center, surrounded by annual herbs such as basil, dill, and summer savory. Other perennial herbs including marjoram, parsley, chives, thyme, sage, oregano, and mints should be planted around the perimeter of the garden. Rosemary and bay would also be good additional to this garden, but would have to be taken indoors in pots at season’s end because they are tender perennials, and not hardy to our growing zone.
A garden consisting of only mints would be a feast for the senses. Mints come in numerous scents and flavors including spearmint, Kentucky blue mint, mountain mint, chocolate, pineapple, peppermint, orange, and apple to name a few. To this garden, you could add bergamot and pennyroyal. Uses for mints are teas, cold drinks, fruit salads, and jellies. The same concept could be used for the numerous varieties of sages or basils.
If you are willing to spend some attention to trimming and training, you could construct a thyme garden in the shape of a clock. The hands of the clock can be “set” for any time, the hour of a birth, wedding, or other special occasion. Use a variety or two of thyme for the hands of the clock, and other varieties for the numerals at three, six, nine, and twelve. The pattern may take several years to fully develop, and needs attention to trimming, but you will end up with something completely unique in your garden.
Honeybees and hummingbirds love aromatic herbs. If you want to plant an herb theme garden to attract them, be sure to include bee balm, catnip, mints, lavender, sage, borage, fennel, chamomile, hyssop, oregano, thymes, and marjoram. Be sure to prune back the plants in this garden as soon as blooms fade to encourage new flowering.
If making potpourri is a hobby you have or are if you would like to consider making your own potpourri, your theme garden should include lemon balm, rose geranium, sweet myrtle, eucalyptus, lemon verbena, roses, rosemary, violets, lavender, bergamot, and sweet woodruff.
If you live in a house with any historical significance, you might want to consider a colonial garden. The herbs that were most commonly included in the 18th century kitchen garden served housewives in those days with their everyday culinary, medicinal, and dyeing needs. These herbs included basil, bee balm, calendula, catnip, comfrey, costmary, foxglove, hyssop, lady’s mantle, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, nasturtium, pennyroyal, rue sage, southernwood, tansy, germander and winter savory.
There are many other ways you could plan out your herb theme garden. The Shakespeare garden would include plants that Shakespeare included in his writings. A Bible garden would include plants that are mentioned in the scriptures. Herbs can also be selected primarily for the color of their blossoms, so an herbal theme garden could be done to include only the plants that bloom in the color or colors of your choice. Foliage can also be a subject and the subtle variations of gray and silver and the differences in leaf shape.
Remember, an herbal theme garden is limited only by your imagination. Pick your own theme, layout your garden, and enjoy the pleasure of growing herbs.
