Well, winter is the time to plan and prepare for the year ahead. Recently, it struck me that I only have one growing season between now and when I graduate from university. Which is quite a scary thought!
It means that In 18 months I’ll Go Interracial Dating be growing, processing, healing and hopefully teaching people with the fruits of the herb garden. So I thought that the time to pee around has gone… a basket with a few herbs in looks good, but isn’t really useful for that kind of deal. So here’s my plan for my ‘little’ herb garden.
The 4 beds at the front are 3’ x 12’. The crazy structure between them is 4 2-foot square tubs with a second on top in the middle to give a 3-D planter for dangly plants, and to give a bit of interest.
The bed on the back – left is not raised, and is for native plants that will agree with the clay as it is. Same with the one on the back-right which is for larger herbs and shrubs. Yes, I have put a small fountain in the garden. Hopefully one that won’t attract flies. Ideally with a small pump to keep the bastards out.
In the middle is a table and chair for potting, a cold-frame, and a tubbery of some larger pots for things I might want to move easily enough. These include deadly poisons and non-hardy plants.
I was originally going to arrange the beds by size of plant, then by affinity (eg, one bed of stomach herbs, etc.) but then I realised that given the challenges we have with soil, the best way might be to arrange by soil requirement. Have Cae Non clay in one (But raised up for drainage), 50/50 Cae Non clay and compost in another, 50/50 sand and compost in another, and finally a bed of pure compost for the greedy plants (such as roses).
List of herbs (English Names) I want to eventually grow (herbs I have underlined: herbs I consider high-priority in bold):
Agrimony
Vitex-agnus castus
Angelica
Aniseed
Barberry (Berberis)
Bayberry
Belladonna (Deadly poison).
Betony
Bistort
Black Cohosh
Borage
Burdock
Catmint
Celery
Chamomile
Chickweed
Coltsfoot
Comfrey
Cowslip
Cramp bark
Dill
Dog rose
Echinacea
Elder
Elecampane
Eucalyptus – globulus
Eyebright
Fennel
Feverfew
Gentian
Garlic
Ginseng
Golden Rod
Golden Seal
Gravel Root
Ground Ivy
Hawthorne
Heartsease
Henbane (Deadly poison).
Hops
Horseradish
Horsetails.
Hyssop
Juniper
Lady’s Mantle
Lemon balm
Lesser celendine
Lilly of the valley (Deadly poison).
Lime tree
Liquorice
Lobelia (Deadly poison).
Lungwort
Marigold
Meadowsweet
Motherwort
Mullein
Nettles
Passionflower
Peppermint
Raspberry
Red Clover
Ribwort Plantain
Rosemary
Sage
St. John’s Wort
Skullcap
Slippery elm
Thyme
Tormentil
Valerian (If cat not eaten).
Vervain (Come on, Cae Non must have what in Welsh is still called ‘The Druid herb’)
White deadnettle
White Horehound
Wild Cherry
Witch hazel
Wormwood
Yarrow
Yellow Dock
= Total 79.
I’d be really, really interested to hear what others have to say, both about the design-plan, and the planting list! What do you think? I shall probably be having a few herb-planting weekends next summer – volunteers to help me out much appreciated. You’ll be bed, watered and I’ll explain a bit about the herbs and what they do, and other entertaining herb-based activities, etc.
Tags: garden, herb garden build, herbs, raised beds