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How to Create a Beautiful and Useful Herb Garden

Northern Virginians are quite the herb lovers. Perhaps they know that, unlike many other types of gardening, herbs are inexpensive to grow and easy to maintain. The beginner can be an instant success, and as time goes by, develop into a master gardener, growing more difficult plants. There is room for all skill levels, and many different garden situations.

In terms of modern usage, herbs can be broken down into three different groupings: culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, and ornamental herbs

Culinary herbs

First in most peoples minds are the culinary herbs. These are the herbs we are all most familiar with basil, rosemary, parsley and oregano, etc. In growing these plants, we not only provide ourselves the joy of gardening, but the satisfaction of eating the fruits of our labor. Ask anyone who has used fresh herbs in their cooking and they'll tell you that dried herbs can't compare. Some are perennial, some are annual and with few exceptions, all are easily grown. Everyone can grow these plants, from the window boxes and container gardens of apartment dwellers, to the borders and raised beds of suburban homeowners. It is one of those simple pleasures that is an inexpensive luxury.

Medicinal herbs

The next group of herb plants are medicinals. While this type of herb had lost most of its value to the 20th century world, one has only to walk down the aisle of your local drugstore to see its resurgence. Echinacea, valerian, hypericum, gingko, and garlic are all back on the shelves as medicine. Lavender, roses, mint, and basil are being used for aromatherapies to ease the stresses of modern life. We are once again finding healing from nature. For the home gardener however, it is difficult to extract the medicinal parts of the plant. Realistically, most medicinals fall into the final category.

Ornamental herbs

Ornamental herbs are almost a contradiction in terms. Herbs have traditionally been plants that have had values other than the aesthetic. As time has passed, we have found many medicinals to be unhealthy. For instance, abisinthe, or wormwood, was once thought to be a cure for drunkenness. We now know it to be destructive to both the heart and the nervous system, but it still remains in the herb garden in its many forms, providing a wonderfully soft, silvery foliage.

Herb container gardening

Herbs do very well grown in individual pots. All summer long they can sit outside and later be brought into your home for winter with very little fuss. Growing herbs in small containers also allows you to adjust soil mixtures to suit specific plants. Window-boxes are another form of container with all the benefits previously mentioned, plus the added attraction of being just outside a kitchen window.

Raised bed herb gardens

Closely related to container gardens, raised beds are a great way to herb garden. You can amend the soil to suit your plants; this is important, as many of your favorite herb plants require more drainage than soils allow. The higher the raised bed, the better the drainage. Higher beds are also wonderful for older or physically challenged gardeners, allowing easy access without bending or stooping. The raised beds also perform one other function that mirrors the container gardens; they contain the plants. Plants like mint can become a terror if let loose in the landscape, and weeds can choke the life out of your herbs. Raised beds and containers keep the wild ones in, and keep the bad guys out.

Herb gardening is not a difficult hobby to become involved with, and the rewards can be great. In short, herb gardening is for everybody, so have fun with it.