Planting abasic herb gardenis the fastest and most satisfying way to start your edible garden.
On one hand, many herbs are perennial, meaning youll have years of joy from one weekends work.
Want to add edible plants to an existing rose garden or shrub border?
Herbs are tops when it comes to companion planting.
Herbs and edible flowers.
Your favorite herbs are very likely to cluster themselves by what kind of kitchen you run.
Growing atheletes in the house?
Try growing herbs for pastas andpizzasoutside the house in a kitchen herb garden:oregano, sage,thyme.
In this article
Like a good cup of herbal tea on a summer afternoon?
An herb tea garden would includemints, chamomile, andlemon balm, for sure.
More the home medicinal herbalist?
Add feverfew near a doorway, comfrey and borage by the beans, and calendula around thetomatoes.
(Want to be more than an amateur herbalist?)
Which Herbs Where?
There are four considerations for where to place herbs:
How much sun?How dry?How tall?
..andWho are the neighbors?Sun or Shade?
Close your eyes and think of Italy… hot sun… Italian foods…basil,oregano,garlic…
This is where they thrive, and where they taste best.
Add to this list fennel, chamomile, and cilantro.
Mentally, move further north, into northern France, windy, overcast…
Baked potatos and roasted things…Parsley,chives, sage…
These are herbs that tolerate partial shade, dappled shade, or high shade.
Here, add in ginger, themints, and, on the border lands,dill.
Related:29+ Different Types Of Mint Plants With Pictures (Identification Guide)
Wet or Dry?
Again, different herbs like different conditions and many wet and dry situations are built naturally into our homes.
Rosemaryandlavenderare cousins, and woe is she who soaks the feet of either one.
How tall?
Every garden has a vantage point, somewhere the viewer is expected to be.
(If this happens, rip it out and check your squash vines closely.)
Roses and borage get along great and both have edible flowers!
Another example:
Onions (chives,garlic, etc) are not popular with the other garden plants.
But ts not the herbss fault!
Beans and tomatoes are very picky vegetables.
Squeaky wheel gets its own garden bed?
Beans ARE good withrosemaryand sage, celery, cucumber,lettuces, and corn.
Tomatoes like most of their non-onion crock pot friends:basilandoregano, eggplants, peppers, etc.
Well do more with companion planting on other pages.
The hardcore version of this are the permaculture guilds.
In both cases, it is easier to remember things by families and groups than one by one.
As you ramp up over the years, keep an eye out for these concepts.
Remember: Start Where You Are At!Theres nothing wrong with having a first garden.
Every gardener out there did.
