Sun Patterns :: Planning Your Herb Garden

One of the first things Sue & I stumbled across when we started planning our herb / vegetable / kitchen garden was a really simple thing. We simply forgot to take the sun into account when we designed our patch. Having a good 4 to 5 hours of sun a day is very necessary for good growth.

Don't get me wrong....... we have sun.... and lots of it, but in winter, a fair part of our patch would be in permanent shade. We only really figured this out once we had run through 10 or 12 itterations of our layout and had the herb part of the kitchen garden in place.

It became very apparent that if we followed our original design, the vegetable part of our kitchen garden would be 50% permanently covered by shade in winter.

So a change was needed....... & back to the drawing board we went.

After 3 or 4 more changes and some spikes in the ground, we had decided on the final veggie patch layout........ With a little less overall space, but more available growing space in the winter sun.

So, on the basis that you are probably here to learn about organic gardening and all of it's little idiosyncrasies, remember to take the pattern of the sun into account when you are planning an organic garden.

It's fairly simple to do and all you need is a day or 2 of easy work (A hammer and a couple of pegs also required). Simply pick a day where you are going to be at home for the day and go out into the garden every 2 hours, armed with the said hammer and trusty peg (Tent pegs work really well......)

Locate the point that sun turnes into shade and knock a peg in.......... This, over a period of 8 to 10 hours, will give you a pattern. Keep this information in a small kitchen garden diary (or log book) if you are worndering about planing organnic veggies in the sun...... You can always refer to the book if you have a memory like mine!!!!!!!!

Starting A Herb Garden

Having access to a small herb garden can be as simple as having a nice large squatty pot just outside your kitchen door containing a few of your favorite herbs containing sweet basil, purple leaf basil, chives and flat leaf parsley.

Your food preference tastes should dictate what you would like to grow. Two favorites that almost everyone would agree upon are parsley and chives. Their mild flavors are very versatile and can be used in any variety of cuisine.

Perhaps you want your mini garden within arms reach of your cooking area. All you have to do is design a window box or group of planters for your kitchen. When creating this mini herb garden, decide where your box will be located.

The amount of sun that you get in the chosen window will dictate which herbs to select. Northern exposures are generally sunny and hot. Good choices are are thyme, coriander, French lavender, bay laurel, basil, lemon verbena, dill, parsley, chives, sage and rosemary. A nice combination of both upright and trailing herbs is attractive, so consider adding creeping thymes or oregano or to you mini garden for a little eye appeal.

Souther exposures will provide more shade and are not as warm. Shade loving plants that will work nice here include parsley, spearmint, peppermint, lemon balm, chives, borage, and Cuban oregano.

Fill your container(s) half full of potting soil mix with equal parts of potting soil, peat moss and vermiculite. Move and place plants until you are pleased with how the design looks. Remember to keep in mind the mature sizes of the plants and what their growth habits are. Do not place a
plant that will mature at 50 centimeters in front of a plant that will mature no taller than 5 centimeters. Don't fear mixing plants together - it will not hurt anything.

Once you have settled on the placement of the plants, add potting soil to about 2 centimeters below the rim of the container. Tamp the soil down firmly and liberally water. Pinch back any large growth to promote thick growth.

Patio Herbs

When planning an herb garden outside, you can start modestly with a few pots on the patio or located on a bakers rack. Some herbs like sage, thyme and mint are available in different colors, so that you can make an attractive bed in various shades.

Construct the bed as close as possible to the house, so you do not neglect to gather the herbs for cooking during wet weather. Whenever possible, grow each type of herb in a separate pocket. You can actually divide the bed into distinct pockets with dwarf hedges of lavender or you can use concrete or stone pavers or stones to add a landscaped design. This way, herbs may easily be reached by footpaths and easily replaced without disturbing other plants that are nearby. Keeping plants harvested insures thick and hearty growth.

Since most herbs grow well in full sun to part shade, choose a spot for your garden that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Make sure there is good drainage and easy accessibility. When planning your garden, take into consideration the height and sizes of herbs.

The Layout of Your Vegetable Garden

Traditionally, vegetable gardens have taken the form of those all too familiar plots of rows that are found in large, open fields or nestled away in the backyard. While this layout was once considered quite popular; times have changed. Large plots often require more attention, and some people don’t have the option of growing vegetables in large plots anymore.

Many of us actually require something taking up less space and less time. There is another alternative, which can be just as effective with an additional bonus - a layout designed for small areas. The layout, which seems to fit the busy person’s lifestyle as well as one that can accommodate those who have limited room for a traditional garden, comes in the form of small beds. These not only save on space but can be helpful to the plants themselves by allowing them to grow closer together, which essentially provides the soil with shade and results in more moisture for the crops and less weed growth for the gardener to deal with.

Beds should not be more than 1 to 1.2 metres in width since your main objective is easy maintenance. Smaller beds allow you to maneuver around the area while watering, weeding, or harvesting. Dividing beds with pathways also will lesson the chances of harming crops by preventing yourself and others from trampling the plants and surrounding soil. Placing plastic or some type of garden sheeting over the paths will also keep weeds out, and adding some type of mulching material or gravels will improve the appearance. You should mulch around crops as well to help them retain moisture.

In arranging the garden bed, plant the early crops in such a way that will allow for other crops to follow once these varieties have faded out. For instance, rather than wait for these earlier crops to die out completely, go ahead and plant the later crops in between beforehand. This technique will help keep the garden alive with continual growth while adding to its appearance.

Keep the taller plants, such as corn, towards the back of your beds or consider placing them in the center with other crops working downward in size. Instead of flat beds, you might consider raised ones that are edged with wood or stone.

You do not necessarily have to limit yourself to beds for a unique vegetable garden. Browse through books, catalogs, or public gardens for new and interesting ideas. Family, friends, and neighbors are also a great source of ideas, and many of them are more than willing to share their successful secrets with others.

There is also the option of growing your vegetable garden strictly in containers. These can be arranged in a number of ways including hanging them from baskets on your porch. Containers can also be moved around with others added as needed. In fact, you could incorporate some containers into your beds for additional interest.

If you happen to live in an area close to wildlife, you might consider surrounding your garden by a fence to keep pesky animals out. A fence also can serve as a trellis for beans, peas, tomatoes, and vine crops that often require support. For just an extra touch of beauty, incorporate flowers and herbs around the outer edges of the garden as well.