Small Spice & Herb Garden Design

Image via Neslihan Gunaydin on Unsplash

From sun exposure to wind resistance, there are many factors that come into play when developing a small spice and herb garden design. By taking factors into consideration like protection from pests, you can help your herbs and spices to grow efficiently. Take these tips to heart about small garden design:

Window Box Herbs

This spring, why not plant some fresh herbs in your window boxes outside the kitchen so you can grab a sprig here and there for your nightly dinners? Nothing adds to a home-cooked meal like fresh herbs for rich flavor. Living in Madison, WI, it’s important to choose hardy herbs that can withstand minimum temps of -20F. You may want to try the following:

• Rosemary: This is a wind- and deer-resistant herb that thrives in full sun no matter what the soil type. Just be sure to water it often.
• Creeping thyme: A fast-growing evergreen groundcover herb, thyme likes to live in well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade.
• Chamomile: A drought-tolerant herb, chamomile does best in open or shaded areas in sandy or well-drained soil that’s low in acidity.
• Garden Sage: This herb is best grown in full or partial sun with well-drained soil.

It’s important to research the types of herbs and spices you want and make sure you can accommodate their needs. For example, ginger does best in filtered sun with no wind, while basil thrives in full sun. Oregano only likes partial sun.

Location, Location, Location

The key to growing herbs that thrive is to put them in the right spots. Most herbs like full sun provided temps don’t soar much above 90 degrees F. You may want to plant your herbs in areas that get a lot of sunlight but may see some shade during the day or at least filtered sunlight. However, make sure your herbs are getting at least four hours of full sun per day.

Other than that, they don’t need much beyond sunshine, water and a bit of fertilizer or compost. You can grow them in pots in your garden or patio area, or you can plant them in the ground so they can spread out. When planted in pots, some herbs get so big that they get confined to the pot, which stresses them out immensely. Consider placing your herb pots on pedestals or tables to keep them away from pests such as rabbits, as well as pets like cats and dogs. If you insist on ground planting, construct a fence around the garden.

Once you’re done with the herb garden, choose Larson Home Services, where our experts are happy to visit your home and inspect your existing gutter system.