The Herb Garden

Whether you are planning a herb garden for medicinal, culinary or purely aesthetic reasons a selection of herbs will make a wonderful addition to a garden of any size.

The earliest descriptions of medicinal plants apparently date from as early as 3,000BC in China. In Europe, herb seeds have been found in late Stone Age settlements. Through the centuries knowledge about the properties of herbs has been further refined, during the Middle Ages many Mediterranean plants found their way into the gardens of ordinary people, mainly thanks to the monasteries.

Even today, although there are only a few ancient cultures that remain intact and rely solely on the use of herbal medicines, in our own society naturopathy is enjoying increasing popularity. It goes without saying that all plants contain a variety of active ingredients some of which are less beneficial and any exploration into the field of nature’s medicine should be treated with the utmost caution!

Whether you are planning a herb garden for medicinal, culinary or purely aesthetic reasons a selection of herbs will make a wonderful addition to a garden of any size.Herbs are at home in a huge variety of habitats and it pays to consider the particular requirements as far as possible when planting, generally they will require lots of sunshine and a free draining soil to produce the best flavour. April is undoubtedly the best time for planting herbs, either from seed or as young plants. Remember that herbs will only develop properly if you allow enough space to allow for their final size. Companion planting can be a very successful technique in the organic garden and some species can even protect their neighbours from diseases or pests.

Herbs can also be very successfully grown in containers, the main requirement is still plenty of sunshine, most species are vulnerable to water logging, so remember to include drainage holes and a layer of crocks in you container.