Soil Type for Herbs
sparklemama
Joined: Mar-20-2004
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Mar-31-2004 at 8:53am
hello..i was wondering if anyone had any information on some fast growing herbs? i am putting in my herb garden this year. jsut have to finish bringing in the dirt. i wanted some taller herbs in the back(suggestions) and also wanted a few fast growing ones so that it will have a more filled look this summer while the others are growing. what thoughts on starting herbs from seed to be transplanted in the garden. i am not a very patient person though so that might be a problem. i don't want to wait years to have a nice full garden. so mabey a little of both would be good. some suggestions on easy to grow prennial herbs from seed please. i want my herb garden to be useful and also eye catching. any help would be great. thanks!
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GardenNut
Joined: Sep-23-2003
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Mar-31-2004 at 9:35am
Buying plants will get you off to a much faster start, of course, and many varieties will only come true to form by buying plants. I'm thinking of 'Berggarten' sage, 'Tuscan Blue' rosemary, and tarragon. Perennial herb seeds are sometimes notorious for taking a long time to germinate. I plant seeds for the annuals - marjoram, basil, parsley. Chives are an easy perennial from seed. German chamomile reseeds itself (all over my garden ) Calendula is easy, too.
Just a warning - it is very easy to overplant herb gardens. My 'Berggarten' sage grew to maybe a foot in diameter the first year. This year they are at least 2-1/2 to three feet across (three-year-old plants). I'd recommend that you plant low-growing annuals around your perennial herbs for the first year if you want a "filled in look this summer". It doesn't even have to be herbs. Edible flowers work, too.
You don't mention how large the garden is. Mine is about 200 sq feet. At first I planted two or four of everything; four thyme, four oregano, two sage, two fennel, etc. I have so much thyme, rosemary, and sage right now I wind up throwing most of it in the compost heap, and that's after I give away a ton of it to friends and neigbors! I'm pulling out duplicate plants to make room for different herbs this year.
Tall herbs - dill, fennel (bronze fennel hits 6' in my yard), bay, horseradish (3'), bee balm (3').
Hope this helps!
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Chris Sunset 4 USDA 8a
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sparklemama
Joined: Mar-20-2004
Location: Western Washington
Posted: Mar-31-2004 at 10:04am
thanks alot chris! that really help..i am going to get some fennel and bee balm for sure as they are on my list. good idea about planting low growing annuals around the perns this year. mabey lots of nastys to since they are a good space taker-upper..lol. i planted german chammomile in my little garden around my maple tree last summer and there are tons of little plants everywhere now! i had no idea when i bought it that it would reseed like that. i love it.
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Gardening is the only therapy I can afford.
Trish
Joined: Jul-23-2003
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Mar-31-2004 at 10:53am
Valerian would give you a huge presence in one season. Mine has sent bloom stalks 7 and 8 feet tall. Eventually I chop it down, and it comes back from the ground the next spring. Doesn't seem to seed around like the fennel and dill, either.
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