Ideas for herb garden/flower bed

[Conor74]

Have an unusual raised planter bed outside house we moved to. It's about 10 m long, 1m wide, 0.5m deep. It's south facing and I live in SW Ireland (lots of rain but mild). The previous owner used it as a herb garden but it was very overgrown and montbretia took over half of it with herbs either growing wild like a very woody rosemary, or strangled by grass.

I plan to dig it all up and start afresh. Any ideas what might fill the space? I'd happily plant all herbs...but maybe flowers or small shrubs would add some colour or look a little "warmer" than rows of herbs.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

You could probably get cuttings from the rosemary, but consider what you actually use, not worth growing mint, sage, thyme, parsley, dill, fennel and all the rest if you just put a bit of salt on your dinner.
Seriously, get some good earth in there and that is a lovely bed, South facing with a white wall behind it, it would be lovely with geraniums, marigolds and the occasional salvia. Thyme really is worth growing, there are some nice variegated ones, and in the ground they make a lovely mound.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Have an unusual raised planter bed outside house we moved to. It's about 10 m long, 1m wide, 0.5m deep. It's south facing and I live in SW Ireland (lots of rain but mild). The previous owner used it as a herb garden but it was very overgrown and montbretia took over half of it with herbs either growing wild like a very woody rosemary, or strangled by grass.

I plan to dig it all up and start afresh. Any ideas what might fill the space? I'd happily plant all herbs...but maybe flowers or small shrubs would add some colour or look a little "warmer" than rows of herbs.

I am not by any means an experienced gardener, but we've spent the last 3 years completely re-vamping our garden. So with that in mind here's my thoughts:

1. How much work do you want to put into maintenance?
2. Do you want year round interest or are you more concerned about spectacular displays in the summer months?

Shrubs are probably lowest maintenance - seriously, I've had shrubs all around the south facing borders surrounding my house for years. I'm in the West of Scotland. The 'soil' is clay/builder's rubble and the eves of the house mean very little rain reaches the soil. They were planted by using a pick axe to make a hole big enough then they were shoved in (we had no interest in gardening back then). Everything thrived and is still there looking great. In the summer we dumped our grass cuttings around the roots and that kept the weeds down. No other care whatsoever.

We have potentilla, pieris, hydrangia, hebes, lavender, pyracantha and more. It really does look good - astonishing when you consider the complete lack of thought and care that went into it. Most are about 3 foot high/wide...some a little more, some a little less. Some evergreen and some deciduous. We also put some spring bulbs in to give early colour in the spring.

More recently we've taken an interest in the garden and have built more beds. In these we have a mix of annuals and perennials. This lets us re-design it each year. There's a bit more work with weeding, and if you choose annuals you'll need to buy more each year or grow your own (we do the latter). This looks absolutely stunning each year and isn't a lot of work, but certainly not maintenance free.

 

[Conor74]

Thanks so much for the answers.

@Oliver Buckle was thinking of some of the hardier classics, rosemary, chives, bay, sage and thyme. Maybe mint, but I believe it is very invasive and needs to be separated. And some flowers to break it up and bring in a bit more colour. Maybe garaniums, marigolds and daffodils or crocus.

@Susan BBPM wouldn't put in huge work. Not because I don't like the work...but apart from that area the house came with 2.5 acres of gardens, trees, shrubs etc. that the previous owner spent years putting together, so weekends are pretty full and won't be able to micro manage or be fastidious. It wouldn't have to be spectacular, just better than it is now, with some function and some colour. The kitchen is on that side of the house so a herb garden would be useful.

The building to the left is a big old conservatory which gets like an oven so can plant seeds and keep them in there for a while.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Thanks so much for the answers.

@Oliver Buckle was thinking of some of the hardier classics, rosemary, chives, bay, sage and thyme. Maybe mint, but I believe it is very invasive and needs to be separated. And some flowers to break it up and bring in a bit more colour. Maybe garaniums, marigolds and daffodils or crocus.

@Susan BBPM wouldn't put in huge work. Not because I don't like the work...but apart from that area the house came with 2.5 acres of gardens, trees, shrubs etc. that the previous owner spent years putting together, so weekends are pretty full and won't be able to micro manage or be fastidious. It wouldn't have to be spectacular, just better than it is now, with some function and some colour. The kitchen is on that side of the house so a herb garden would be useful.

The building to the left is a big old conservatory which gets like an oven so can plant seeds and keep them in there for a while.

In that case, based upon my experiences the bed around your house will stay fairly dry due to the eaves of the house acting like a canopy.

That makes it ideal (in a wet, Western climate) for draught tolerant plants:

Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Bay, Oregano, Lemon Balm, Catnip would all do well, and for flowering herbs you could choose lavender, Echinacea (and not a herb, but black eyed susan looks lovely with Echinacia).

Chives like more moisture so things like parsley, chives etc might be better elsewhere, or if there's a slope or an area further out from the eaves. My parsley/chives/mint sit in pots.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Yes, my chives and mint are in pots. I try to have one pot of parsley that I allow to run to seed. Sometimes it is hard to germinate, but it will self seed willingly, so I stand the pot where I want it next year. Next Spring I will lift a good strong seedling and pot it up.

Mint will grow anywhere, I think it gets its name from a spirit who lingered round deserted houses in Greek mythology, the mint hangs on when the garden is gone. Because of that people tend to treat it badly, and yes it will survive, but it won't be a patch on a pot of mint that has been molly-coddled with some nice compost and manure.

There are variations, many different forms of thyme and sage, mints with all sorts of smells, white and pink as well as blue rosemary. Mints of different types must be grown separately or they lose their distinctive smell. A lot of herbs are fairly low growing, pots is a good way to elevate a back row and create a banking effect.

 

[Conor74]

I spent as much time sifting for montbretia corms as digging, but spadework done anyway...now to review @Susan BBPM and @Oliver Buckle 's suggestions, for which I am grateful

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I spent as much time sifting for montbretia corms as digging

I bet you find you have missed a couple

Seriously, that looks like an excellent job well done. Now for the fun bit.

 

[Conor74]

I bet you find you have missed a couple

Seriously, that looks like an excellent job well done. Now for the fun bit.

Thanks. I've actually dumped a lot of the montbretia corms in a big old planter that I might put back into it.

Accumulating bits and pieces in Aldi, they are doing a good deal on 30 bulbs for a fiver, and Pampas grasses which might add some height on the wall sections.

Tomorrow I have to dig out an overgrown shrubbery, including moving 6 yuccas. I think chainmail might be needed...