Herb gardens provide edible beauty

There are many advantages to growing herb gardens. Whether you've got a few planted in pots outside your back door (or on your balcony) or a fully fledged vegie garden, there are so many benefits to having easy access to fresh herbs. 

"Herb gardens look good, they smell great, and they add that little something to your cooking," says Sarah from Oasis Horticulture, one of Australia's largest wholesalers of vegetable, herb and flower seedlings. "Using herbs fresh from the garden can turn a pretty ordinary dish into something spectacular." 

According to Sarah, herbs are among the easiest of the edible plants to grow, but there are still some tricks worth knowing to ensure herb gardens provide fresh yield all year round. 

"The most important requirement for herb gardens is sunshine," she says. "If you can give them at least six hours a day, especially morning sunshine, then you'll go a long way to keeping your plants healthy."

Different Herb Gardens. Different Herbs.

It's important to understand the individual requirements and growing habits of the different herbs. Some, like lemon balm and many types of mint, have root systems that spread and can overtake other plants, especially when sharing pots. If you like lemon balm or mint, plant them on their own in a pot. Sarah suggests even when planting these herbs in open vegetable patches to plant them in pots with the bottom cut out to prevent them spreading too far beneath the soil.

Some herbs - such as lemon verbena - grow taller than others, and these should be planted to the rear of herb gardens. Smaller plants such as thyme, parsley or chives work well at the front of the garden or along its edges where they will get lots of sunlight and not be smothered by the taller plants.

Potted Herb Gardens

Herbs also do very well in pots, although it's important to keep them moist, as pots can dry out quite quickly. Always use good-quality potting mix, most of which contain water-saving granules and slow-release fertilisers. Sarah suggests placing pots close to your back door so you've got easy access to them when you suddenly realise you need them to bring out the best in that special dish.

Year-round Herb Gardens

Most herbs - from chives to oregano to rosemary - grow all year round as long as you keep these basic rules in mind. But some, like most types of basil, don't like the cold weather.

Others, such as coriander, can work really well in winter because colder temperatures slow down the growing process and they are less likely to 'bolt' and grow seeds and thin out. Winter savoury, which works well in soups, stuffings and casseroles, is another herb that prospers in winter; peppermint and marjoram are a couple of other examples. 

"Just make sure they get plenty of sunlight," says Sarah, "and don't put them in a spot where a cold wind whips through."