A herb garden can be designed in many different ways: as a kitchen garden, as an aroma or fragrance garden, or simply "just" a few particularly aesthetic specimens as decorative and useful elements in the perennial border. As different as the herbs and their needs are, these tips will make it easier for you to grow and use them.

Herbs can reach amazing sizes with proper care

Herbs with edible and decorative flowers

Especially among the annual and biennial herbs, there are many species with flowers that are as decorative as they are tasty. For example, the pretty flowers of the nasturtium are edible, and the flower buds that are still closed can be used as a substitute for capers. Also edible flowers have, for example: dill, chervil, borage, clary sage, daisies, marigold, chamomile or marigold.

Problematic parsley

Are your new parsley seeds struggling to develop despite having grown so well in the same spot last year? This is probably why it thrives so poorly, because parsley is incompatible with itself. So you have to change the location for each new sowing, otherwise the plants will sprout poorly due to growth inhibition. By the way: The kitchen classic has a very long germination time, sometimes lasting several weeks. In outdoor cultivation you can sow a few radishes as a marker in between, as this will keep the rows of seeds visible.

Basil belongs under the rain cover

In regions with high rainfall, basil should be cultivated under Plexiglas or glass roofs or as a permanent culture in the cold frame. The sensitive plant gets enough light, but remains largely dry. If there is too much moisture, there is a risk of basil wilting.

Sage is the perfect rose companion

The kitchen sage with its silver-grey foliage is an effective companion for roses in the border, provided the plants are not placed too densely and the sage gets specially emaciated soil in the planting hole. The numerous variegated varieties also go wonderfully with the "Queen of Flowers": White variegated leaves complement white roses perfectly, yellow patterned ones underline yellow roses tone on tone.

Thyme grows almost everywhere

Thyme is characterized by a fascinating will to survive even under the worst conditions. The plants are so frugal that they gain a foothold almost everywhere: in niches, cracks, joints, between paving stones, stepping stones and in stair gaps. Creeping types of thyme such as cascade thyme or wild thyme are very suitable for planting under tall stems, while green lemon thyme also thrives in shady places.

Cold-tolerant rosemary varieties

Rosemary is generally not considered to be hardy and gives up at temperatures as low as minus five degrees Celsius. This is not the case with the 'Veitshöchheim' variety from the Bavarian State Research Institute, which tolerates temperatures down to minus 20 °C. The varieties 'Arp' and 'Hill Hardy' are considered to be just as hardy.

tips

Its essential oils and other ingredients make wormwood an effective plant protection product that can be used wonderfully against aphids and mites, but also against various fungal diseases.

Category:

Indoor plants