Growing Herb Rock Gardens
When I was a kid, I lived out in a rural area and we only had clay earth once you dug about 6 or 12 inches down. Soil and sun are probably the most important considerations when growing herbs. Without the correct amounts of both sun and water, your garden won’t flourish. With the right combination of water, sod and sunlight, you can cultivate just about anything.
Rather than trying to fix the sod issues, I changed my garden plan and learned about rock gardening, which uses rocks and only a thin layer of nice soil.
A rock garden focuses on the positive features that you may have in your garden already or those that you want to create. Usually this type of garden is found in arid, rocky areas that have poor earth. With good drainage, adequate sun and all the nooks and crannies around the rocks where roots can dig in, rock gardens may be just the thing for you to experiment with.
When planning your herb garden, be sure that you are choosing plants that can stay compact, because with limited room you do not want anything taking over. Another tip is to look for herb plants with silver or gray foliage. It is not a hard-and-fast rule, but it should assist in making the best choices.
- Hen-and-Chicks: {I can’t imagine cutting open a hen or chick and rubbing it on a wart, but this perennial succulent herb, which is also known as St. Patrick’s cabbage, has a long history of healing them.} The leaves of this plant store water for periods of drought. Each one will grow to four inches across and each “hen” will have numerous off-shoots or “chicks.” In the summer, a 9 inch spike arises from the center of each mature hen to show pinkish-red blooms. The herb will continue to add off-shoots and grow into a colony of plants.
- Wild Oregano: Even though this perennial comes from the warm climate of the Mediterranean Sea, it should grow to about 30 inches tall in your herb garden. You can cook with its green oval leaves and be sure to take full, deep breaths of its delightful aroma. You’ll also like the purple blossoms, which should bloom in August. This isn’t the same kind of oregano that you find in Italian dishes, but you can eat it.
- Marjoram: You can cook with marjoram, but you can use it to landscape your rock garden. Its oval gray-green leaves have a sweet scent that can remind you of your favorite Italian sauce and its tiny white flowers can bring a smile to your face. Keep it pinched back so that it will stay nice and full and do not forget that it appreciates full sun and good drainage.
- Thyme: The shiny, little leaves of the thyme herb are clustered along woody stems that are adorned with numerous white or pink blossoms and grows to a height of up to a foot. Thyme grows best when the dirt is sandy, well-drained and gets a whole lot of sun. You will want to keep this plant trimmed back to maintain its shape and to help it remain hearty.
The contrast between the rocks and the herb plants can amaze the eyes, without losing any of the other sensations, including smell and taste.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Herb Garden Designs. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
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