Get Your Degree at Herb Garden Designs University
Posted: Friday, January 15, 2010
by Sarah Phillips
HerbGardeningCentral.com
No college degree is needed in herb garden designs. Good websites, like this one, and eBooks are all you need to learn some basic principles that lead to successful herb gardening.
When designing the garden consider all factors that make a garden grow; light, water, root space, dominant herbs and soil type. Even one of these can be the difference between a good growing space and a great one.
Doing your homework ahead of time provides you with the knowledge so that your garden not only survives but thrives. Of course, buying seeds online doesn't allow for this "protection." If you end up with seeds that don't work in your region do not throw them away. Plan and plant an indoor garden and double your pleasure.
Planning for light is critical, as some herbs can get too much light. Symptoms include browning of leaves. Use nearby landscaping in your garden design to reduce the sun for your sensitive plants. Know how tall your plant will grow and measure the landscaping to ensure proper height.
Don't forget that your plant needs some sunlight. Avoid landscaping or structures that blocks in sun from reaching the garden. By all means, know your herb and use that knowledge to select the garden location with the best possible amount of sunlight.
One of my favorite sayings is, "know thy herb." This is especially important when planning the garden. A few plants, like chives or mint, will quickly take over your garden and choke out other plants.
In addition to these "spreaders," perennials (which mean the plant returns each year without replanting or reseeding) will also spread. A clever idea a friend showed me is to plant your perennials in a large container and then bury the container in your garden. No one will be the wiser and the perennial roots cannot spread.
Crowd control is also important, i.e. how many herbs will naturally fit in the space allotted. All gardeners enjoy as much variety in our garden as possible, but stuffing too many in too small of a space will create more problems than it is worth.
Doing so creates thick foliage which limits the amount of sunlight and air getting to all of your plants. This can lead to mildew, rust, and rot growing on your herbs. Plant wisely allowing the recommended spacing for the types of plants you are growing.
The incidence of these diseases is reduced when there is adequate air movement. This doesn't mean windy, but a gentle, natural air flow. Like a large family picture, planting shorter in front of taller plants aids air flow around all.
My region has relatively strong winds. If you face the same situation then plan your garden using existing landscaping or structures to block the wind. Should this not be possible, then plant shrubs or bushes around your garden to reduce the wind speed.
Sarah Phillips is an herb gardening enthusiast, and enjoys helping others get started in this wonderful hobby.
To discover more about herb garden designs click here.
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