Wonderfully fragrant, fresh herbs can be used in many ways not only in the kitchen or for the medicine cabinet, the plants are also a real feast for the eyes in the garden. The beauty of a blooming lavender field is legendary - but rosemary, thyme, sage or chamomile, nasturtium and marigold are in no way inferior. All you need to create a herb garden is the right location, good soil, enough water - and knowing the needs of the different plants.
Fresh herbs from your own cultivation taste twice as good
The right location
Herbs sometimes have very different requirements when it comes to their location, whereby the general rule is that most herbs need a lot of sun and warmth. An ideal location is therefore the south wall of the house or a wall. Hedges also protect against wind and frost damage. A few herbs, such as wild garlic, lovage or mint, on the other hand, prefer semi-shady or even shady places. They grow best on the edges of hedges or under trees.
Cultivate non-hardy herbs in pots
Many exotic and some Mediterranean species are not hardy here and should therefore be cultivated in pots. Examples of this are: lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), diptam (Origanum dictamnus), real ginger (Zingiber officiale) or many rosemary varieties (Rosmarinus officinalis). Herbs cultivated in pots are in good hands on a south- or west-facing balcony (or terrace). In addition, they almost always need a bright and frost-free winter quarters.
On which soil do herbs thrive?
Well-drained, medium-nutrient-rich soils are ideal for the healthy growth of almost all herbs. However, some species - especially those from the Mediterranean region - need a permeable, but rather nutrient-poor soil. So before you start planting and sowing, first find out about the special needs of the selected species and varieties - and prepare your garden soil accordingly if necessary.
Prepare the garden soil before planting
Intensive floor care improves all floors and is therefore particularly important. Heavy, rich soils in particular are not well suited for very few herbs. They are cold, often compacted and tend to become waterlogged - not exactly ideal for healthy root growth. In order to improve these soils in the long term, air and a lot of humus must be in the soil. To do this, regularly dig up the soil thoroughly and loosen it with sand. Green manure, regular application of compost and constant mulching also improve the soil over the years. Poor sandy soils, on the other hand, can be improved by adding green manure, mulch (€239.00), rock dust (€14.13) and compost. If the soil is very sandy, adding clay also helps.
Planning a herb garden
Careful planning of the herb garden will prevent a lot of trouble later - because if you check in advance which areas in the garden are more sunny and which are more shady and where the soil is rather poor and where it is more loamy, you can choose the types and varieties of herbs to suit you and plant. After the right location has been found and the desired herbs have been selected, the design and layout of the beds are planned. There are countless possibilities for this, which are primarily based on the purpose and use of the garden. In kitchen gardens, herb beds are usually laid out according to formal criteria, while we know mixed cultures with herbs and vegetables from typical cottage gardens. In addition, herbs can also enrich borders or the natural garden by combining them with ornamental plants.
Herbs for the rock garden
Most Mediterranean herbs do not tolerate heavy or even waterlogged soil. They need a lot of warmth in the summer and moisture makes them particularly difficult in the winter. These species grow much more naturally on poor soil, are more aromatic and produce more active ingredients. Rock garden culture is often the best solution. The location is sunny, the soil nice and warm and dry. You can influence the soil through the choice of stones. Limestone, for example, continuously secretes lime and creates good growth conditions for savory, lavender, marjoram, stonecrop, rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood and hyssop.
Herbs in the raised bed
Raised beds are often built on less fertile, stony or sandy soil. The frames made of wooden boards, wicker or stone are filled with compostable materials and good topsoil, so that the herbs can grow luxuriantly here. In principle, a raised bed can be built anywhere, the only important thing is that the location is sufficiently sunny. The length of the beds is arbitrary, but they should not be wider than a maximum of one meter - this way the plants can still be reached easily.
Build a herb spiral yourself
Herb spirals create space for many plants in a confined space, with all herbs getting their ideal location - dry or moist, lean or humus, sunny or semi-shady. The correct arrangement of the plants ensures that everyone can grow in good neighborhood. The shape of the herbal spiral is reminiscent of a snail shell. The stones are arranged in a spiral and layered higher and higher towards the middle. When layering the stones, fill in the earth right away. Particularly important: Fill in the soil that the herbs to be planted prefer.
tips
Dry stone walls are also ideal for planting herbs. Limestone is particularly suitable for this because it has a positive effect on the acidity of the soil and many herbs also love warm, slightly calcareous soil.