Herbs and stones get along extremely well - both vegetatively and optically. We explain to you what you can achieve with stones in your herb bed and give you some nice design tips.
Mediterranean herbs like stones
What herbs of stones have
When it comes to herb beds, one quickly thinks of rustic structures made of natural stone, decorative rock gardens or edging made of pithy paving stones. It is not for nothing that many classic herb bed systems have a lot to do with stones. Because many types of the green aroma wonders that have enriched the menu and the healing art of humans for thousands of years originally come from rocky areas.
On barren soil but at sunny altitudes, they develop their incredibly intensive and valuable ingredients, especially essential oils. They draw their energy primarily from the sun's rays - and the heat that their stony surroundings store for a long time. Simulating these growth conditions for the corresponding types of herbs is worthwhile, at least for a high-quality yield.
Stone-loving herbs are mainly those of the typical Mediterranean cuisine:
- lavender
- rosemary
- thyme
- oregano
- sage
- laurel
- savory
- hyssop
- curry herb
The Stone Herb Garden
A stone bed plant for the cultivation of these aromatic herbs is recommended not only from a vegetative point of view. It also has enormous decorative value for your garden. Here are a few suggestions for attractive stone bed shapes:
The herbal snail
The herb spiral is the classic stone bed plant. To do this, build an upward spiral wall out of flat natural stones and fill the gaps with sandy soil substrate. The typical Mediterranean herbs thrive particularly well in the upper area.
The rock garden
A rock garden that is completely covered with pebbles and allows the stone-loving plants to grow in between is extremely decorative and also very easy to care for, since weeds can hardly sneak in here. It is best to place such a stone surface on a south-facing, sunny slope. You can also optically enhance the bed with a few larger stones.
plant stones
A somewhat more pragmatic variant is the plant stone system. The ready-to-buy stone troughs can simply be stacked on top of each other in a terrace-like manner, leaving neatly separated pots free for the individual types of herbs. Here, too, it is important to ensure that the location is as sunny as possible. The advantage of this visually perhaps somewhat more mundane version is above all the easy accessibility for care and harvest.