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alextb

By Alextb

London, England Eng

My neighbour has a small patch of garden, and would like to turn it in to a herb garden. I have said from the start I will be happy to help her.

This afternoon, she invited me to go round tomorrow afternoon to take a proper look at it.

She is disabled and suffers from sever pain, so I will be doing the gardening for her.

When is the best time of the year to start a herb garden, and what types of herbs would be good.

Perennial herbs would be best, but annuals should also be O.K, and can be replaced each year.

Also, with your sugestions, if you know, could you type perennial or P, and A or annual if you know.

Thank you in advance.

P.S. I have already rooted some mint and rosemary in pots which have huge roots now. Should they be planted ASAP or in Spring?




Answers

 

I would suggest March as the 'best' time to start a herb garden from seed. It is about as cheap to buy herbs from supermarkets and GC's though - and they take better as well.

Mint is a bit of an invader, so bear that in mind. Rosemary likes quite dry conditions.

Most herbs that grow outside in the UK are perennial - Sage, Chive, Fennel, Marjoram for example. Dill is sometimes annual, but perennial as self seeds readily.

Basil is a great herb and my fav. I am not the biggest fan of growing it outside as it gets heavily infested with Greenfly.

Garlic is great to grow - UK Garlic tastes stronger than the supermarket kind, I think it is due to the colder weather.

18 Jul, 2011

 

O.K, thank you

18 Jul, 2011

 

Mint is best grown in a container or it will rampage over the whole bed in no time flat as Kildermoire says. Don't forget parsley and chervil. Basil I grown on the kitchen windowsill as it doesn't thrive outdoors up here.

This is a good website to visit:

http://bit.ly/qahHK0

18 Jul, 2011

 

Thanks MG.

18 Jul, 2011

 

If you've got herbs that are growing well in pots (your mint and rosemary) I'd put them in as soon as you like, provided you can keep them watered if necessary, though rosemary, mint and thyme are tough "mediterranean" herbs designed to grow and survive dry summers. Put the mint in a container - though it will still try to break out through the holes in the bottom.

Those little pots of herbs they sell in supermarkets are a good source of cheap herbs - you can buy some and plant them out.
Basil and coriander are annuals.
Chives, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage are all perennial.
There are other plants you could grow that have flowers that are sometimes eaten, like nasturtiums, lavender and marigolds.

18 Jul, 2011

 

Thank you very Much Kildermorie, Monngrower and Beattie. I will pass on all the information you have provided tomorrow (19th) afternoon when I go to take a look at her garden.

18 Jul, 2011

 

Note also that herbs should be grown in full sun, or at least somewhere which gets a good 8 hours a day in the summer.

19 Jul, 2011

 

The herbs have been placed in full Sun and that part of the graden gets a good 8 hours of Sun.

Luckily I planted them there alreay, otherwise I would have to go and dig them up, and replant.

19 Jul, 2011

 

Ha ha, didn't realise you'd have got cracking quite so soon and only saw this query today - its been chucking it down most of the day on and off, I'm surprised you got much done.

19 Jul, 2011

 

I got out before it chucke dit down. It was nice, Sunny and warm at 1pm in thi spart of ondon for just enough time for me to put the stuff in before the rain came and watered it in properly.

19 Jul, 2011

 

lol

20 Jul, 2011

 

I love that - you get the planting finished and then it rains for a few hours, gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Maybe I'm easily pleased, lol!

20 Jul, 2011

 

I've just realised how many spelling mistakes were in my last comment. LOL.

20 Jul, 2011

 

I understood it anyway, and if its any comfort, as a typist, I can see they're typos rather than spelling mistakes - there is a difference, Alex!

20 Jul, 2011

 

I suppose yes.

20 Jul, 2011

 

there definitely is Alex those were typos not spelling mistakes

20 Jul, 2011

 

You could always read through what you've written to correct any mistakes. If you forget to do it before you click on the "add comment" button, you can change your post for a while after it appears by clicking on "Edit comment". It's designed like that just so that you can make corrections for a while after posting.

20 Jul, 2011

 

I normally do correct any or edit the comment, but at that time I was in a rush, as I was about to go out.

20 Jul, 2011

 

Oh, well, don't stress about it, they're mostly just spaces put in one letter too early - not a big deal. :-)

20 Jul, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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