The Banter Board

One of my first herb gardens was in the middle of a clay field and it was not simple to get herbs to grow right. Soil and sun are probably the most important considerations when raising herb plants. Without the correct amounts of both sunlight and water, your garden will not prosper. With the right combination of water, sod and sunlight, you can grow just about anything.

Rather than trying to fix the soil issues, I changed my garden plan and learned about rock gardening, which uses rocks and only a thin layer of good earth.

If you’ve got a similar situation, you can grow your own rock garden. Usually this type of garden is found in dry, rocky areas that have poor dirt. With excellent drainage, adequate sunlight and all the nooks and crannies around the rocks where roots can dig in, rock gardens may be just the thing for you to try your hand at.

When planning your herb garden, be sure that you are choosing herbs that can stay compact, because with limited room you don’t want anything taking over. Another tip is to seek out herbs with silver or gray leaves. This is a big tip-off that these herbs can do well in that type of environment.

• Hen-and-Chicks: I cannot imagine cutting open a hen or chick and rubbing it on a wart, but this perennial succulent herb, which is also known as St. Patrick’s cabbage, has a long history of healing them. The foliage of this herb store water for periods of drought. Each one will grow to 4 inches across and each “hen” can have numerous off-shoots or “chicks.” You will enjoy the reddish-pink blooms that will appear atop a nine inch spike that shoots straight up from the center of each cabbage in the summer. Before you know it, you will have a colony of herbs.

• Wild Oregano: Even though this perennial hails from the warm climate of the Mediterranean Sea, it should grow to about 30 inches high in your herb garden. You can cook with its green oval leaves and be sure to take full, deep breaths of its delightful aroma. You will also enjoy the purple blossoms, which should come out in August. Although you certainly may eat this type of oregano, it will not quite be the same as the Greek oregano you are familiar with from Italian dishes.

• Marjoram: It is fabulous when you can sculpt a beautiful rock garden using culinary herb plants like Marjoram. It is a perennial that has a sweet scent with oval gray-green leaves and tiny white blossoms. Keep it cut back so that it will stay nice and full and do not forget that it appreciates full sun and good drainage.

• Thyme: Because there are so many types of thyme, you’ll want to be sure you are getting the correct variety for your rock garden—below a foot high. Try those with shiny, small leaves that are huddled along the woody stems. As an added benefit, they usually have white or pink blossoms. Thyme grows best when the sod is sandy, well-drained and gets a whole lot of sunshine. You’ll want to keep this plant trimmed back to maintain its shape and to help it remain hearty.

Part of the wonder of rock gardens is the mix of the hard rocks and the soft plants. The difference in colors also helps in achieving a sense of the brilliant. You can even use aromatic and culinary herbs in your rock garden, which will provide you with all the benefits of a regular herb garden.

Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.

Here is more information on Herb Garden Designs. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.

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