Grow an Herb Spiral

Bouquet Dill

End of March is a good time to start herb seedlings. Herbs are a lovely way to learn to garden. They are forgiving of neglect and work well in small spaces and containers. Many are perennial so they will continue to look, smell and taste wonderful year after year.

— Plant your herbs near your kitchen. There is nothing nicer than running out to clip a handful of this and that to add to your meal.

— Mints, comfrey, bee balm, lemon balm and pennyroyal can become invasive. Consider planting them in pots.

— Interplant herbs with your vegetables, companion planting helps deter harmful bugs.

Gaia’s Garden by Toby Hemenway tells how to build a permaculture herb garden in the shape of a spiral. The idea was adapted in a blog by MamaStories and includes some step by step photos.

Herb Spiral 

Why a spiral?
It saves space, it makes harvesting easier, it conserves water, it’s beautiful and it creates different conditions for different plants. The east side will get morning sun and dry out earlier – that’s good for cilantro which tends to bolt if it’s gets too hot. The top will get the most sun so put the mediteranean plants there (sage, basil). The bottom level stays wetter longest – put parsely and chives on the lower north side where it’s cooler.

This article by Barbara Pleasant from Mother Earth News describes four other small space culinary herb garden designs.

Containers
The following herbs grow well in containers. Tuck them around your patio or kitchen steps:
Basil
Cilantro
Dill (stake it when it gets tall)
Parsley
Marjoram
Sage (prune it to be low and bushy)
Sorrel
Garlic Chives

We also have a Culinary Herb Seed collection

Broad Leaf Culinary Sage 

This article has some basic tips for growing herbs in containers.

 Let us know how your herb garden turns out. We love to see pictures of  our customer’s  gardens!

	Article Written by: Angie Lavezzo
	About the Author: Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.