How to grow a herb garden – design ideas for outdoors and indoors

Many people are interested how to grow a herb garden and this is quite understandable. They add a unique flavor and taste to your meals and there is a wide variety of herbs that can be easily grown in your yard. In addition, herbs are just beautiful and if you want your garden plants to be decorative and useful –do not hesitate to design your own herb garden. Almost all spices look nice and have a thick foliage. Small beds filled with fragrant plants, round, oblong, square, can decorate your backyard, and will look beautiful in any garden, especially, if the outdoor space is designed in a rustic style.

 

Herb garden design ideas – where to arrange the herb plants?

 

There are numerous herb garden design ideas. Some are suitable for large areas, others for small gardens and if you live in a city you can grow your herb garden on the balcony, on the rooftop and even indoors. Owners of large gardens can create their herb garden in different ways – either spare a part of the yard or grow herbs and decorative plants together. Before you start, think of the style of your herb garden as it is a part of your exterior design and should work in harmony with the overall appearance of your landscape. The choice of plants is also very important as most of herbs have a flavor and sometimes it is quite strong. For example, if you plant coriander or basil in a romantic corner of the yard, which is decorated with flowers in pastel colors this may be not so pleasant place to relax as both basil and coriander have a strong scent. You will find more useful information on herbs below.

 

Choosing the style of the garden

 

We shall give you some herb garden design ideas which may be helpful when you plan the layout and the style of the garden. Of course, the herb garden design will depend on the overall style of the landscape. If you want it in a rustic style you can arrange straight lined beds around the fence, for example. When you want to incorporate the herb garden in the landscape, you can use different elements as decoration – decorative stones or driftwood. Combining picturesque driftwood and decorative stones with herbs gives an opportunity for a composition on an uneven surface which will look very natural.

Using herbs as under growing plants in flower beds is a popular trend lately. This is a suitable design for gardens on hills or slopes. By choosing varieties of herbs with bright color you can use them to create color accents and ornaments in the flower bed.

 

Herb garden design with strict geometric lines

 

Such designs are typical for a potager garden and you can choose and arrange the herbs as per their color. You can even use shades of the same color palette to create an attractive design. For example – you can combine the bright green of parsley, the dark green of sage and the light green of rosemary, the different shades of basil and create beautiful and decorative flowerbeds.

Spiral herb garden design is getting very popular because it saves space in the backyard and in addition is a magnificent decoration. Basically it is a raised bed in a spiral form and this design is especially suitable for small outdoor areas. The herb spiral can be built from stone or bricks and is an excellent DIY project for beginners. The chart here shows how to arrange the herbs so that they do not interfere with one another.

 

Arrange a vertical herb garden for the balcony

 

When you haven’t got a yard you can take advantage of the balcony space. In urban dwellings balconies have a limited area but there is an easy solution – grow a vertical herb garden. You can arrange planters on the walls and this will be a beautiful decoration for the balcony. On a rooftop balcony you can use planter boxes and plant different herbs with different colors and scents.

 

How to grow a herb garden indoors?

 

When you want to start a kitchen herb garden, the idea of vertical planting is a good solution. It can be arranged on any wall, as long as there is enough natural light. A mini herb garden can be arranged on the windowsill with cute pots and fresh herbs will be available at any time.

 

How to choose which herbs to grow – top herbs species

 

Basil is one of the most popular herbs and is used as a spice to many dishes. Fresh basil has a distinct flavor and the different species have different colors – bright green or a beautiful purple color. Basil can be grown from seeds by sowing indoors in the early spring. It can be transplanted outdoors when there is no danger of frost.

Cilantro (Coriander) is another popular choice as it is widely used in meals and salads. Seeds can be sowed directly outdoors during spring and summer.

Chives has a mild onion flavor and is suitable for growing both outdoors and indoors. Sow the seeds in spring or fall. Chives drives away harmful insect pests like and mosquitoes from your garden.

Parsley is a powerful antioxidant and a great addition, some will even say that it is a must, to any herb garden. Parsley is grown from seeds both indoors and outdoors. When you want a thicker foliage, cut parsley down to stems.

Mint is another of the must-have herbs for every garden. It is used fresh and dried all year round. It repels many kinds of pests including rodents, ants, and spiders. Peppermint seeds may be sown indoors and transplanted outdoors but can be sown directly outdoors in spring as the seeds do not need to be covered with soil.

Thyme is a herb which has many benefits to human health. In the kitchen it works with almost any other herb – parsley, onion, garlic, and ginger which makes it a versatile spice. Thyme is a good choice for creeping ground cover which has an additional advantage of blocking weeds.

Lavender is one of the most popular herbs for outdoor herb gardens. It has a lovely scent and is also a deterrent for mosquitoes and other garden pests. It blooms in the summer but you have to be careful as lavender does not tolerate excessive moisture or humidity. It is best if you position it at the top of a hill or in a high planter box.

Rosemary is a beautiful bush and another natural deterrent for pests like mosquitoes and other flying insects. The aroma of rosemary is known to help in the relief of stress. As a spice it is extremely popular for various dishes – fish, chicken, lamb, etc.

There are so many other herbs that can be grown in a herb garden –sage, tarragon, dill, curry, lemongrass, bee balm, lovage, marjoram, chervil, hyssop and whatever you choose you will only benefit from your home herb garden.