Herb bed layout

[Jared77]

I've never planted one (I know shame on me) but now that I'm going to be ripping out all of the retaining wall blocks along the front (they have to go make room for MAJOR bed reconstruction) I thought I'd save them and use them for an herb bed for my wife. She's talked about wanting one for a while now but we've just never gotten serious about it. I always had them scattered about where I had space in the big garden. I've never made just a bed for them.

The blocks are the trapezoid shaped blocks here. No that's not my wall just the block style I have. If it wasn't for the dang blocks I don't think I would plant it yet but I've got them so I guess I'll use them. Anyway I was wondering if I could plant dill, rosemary, chive, oregano, thyme, & cilantro could I do it all in one raised bed? I think that's everything. I can figure out the spacing I'm just not sure if I can put it all in the same area or not. I can make more than one bed if I need to also. I'm going to start taking the blocks up and the weeds addressed sooner than later so I can get the herb beds built for planting next year.

I also thought about adding a cherry tomato on the north side since she likes her cherries close by too so she can snack on them at will.

Thoughts from the more experienced herb growers?

 

[bj taylor]

I suspect your rosemary will overwhelm the bed. they get big. the chives are wonderful, but consider not letting them go to seed. they travel everywhere, are very deep rooted & hard to get out. the cilantro is more a cool weather plant here. she has to expect to share her dill with the butterfly larvae. they'll chomp on that pretty heavily.
rosemary, oregano, thyme like it hot and good drainage. an oddball about rosemary is it will do fine in shade if the drainage is very good. oreg & thyme want the sun.
she might like basil added in too, and If you have the place a small bay tree is nice. when a recipe calls for bay leaf, she can snip one or two off & throw them in.

hope it turns out great for you

 

[MontyJ]

The only tip I have is one I learned from making my own herb bed for the first time this year...make it big! My stupid herbs love the bed so much they are massive! I've only grown them in pots before, so I had no idea just how big they can get. So, give everything plenty of room!

 

[Southern Gardener]

I wouldn't plant them all in one bed. Like bj said, the rosemary will get very big and thyme is a "creeper" unless you keep it in check. Mine has taken over a section of my bed. Cilantro is a cool weather herb for me and has never done well, so I quit planting it. Dill, chives and oregano will be just fine and adding the cherry tom is never a bad idea. Don't forget basil! No herb garden is complete without it!


Another note:
I would treat the rosemary as you would a shrub - plant it close by, but give it space.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Id also add basil to that list. It just produces so well!

Dill, cilantro, and basil are annuals. Youll need to replant them every year. All of these will reseed if let to go to seed and you manage that area so they can sprout. Youll also have to learn how to recognize that sprout from a weed. They can take over an area if you dont remove a lot of plants and control them. Or you might learn to save seeds. I sow cilantro seeds where I want them to grow but use transplants for dill and basil. If volunteers are in a good location I might let them go or maybe transplant some.

Dill is a tall lanky plant. It may get 2 to 3 tall and spread out, oh how much, help me people, maybe 3. They are so lanky and the leaves so small, they dont provide any shade whatsoever. If you allow them to go to seed theyll die. I grow dill mainly for the seed heads for dill pickles. If you cut those seed heads off as soon as they open out, theyll keep producing for a long time. They are subject to dying if they get too dry. I recommend mulching to keep weeds down, cool the roots, and preserve water.

Im not sure how well Rosemary will overwinter in zone 5. That may have to be a container plant for you. I havent had much success with rosemary so Ill let others talk about that. During a garden tour this spring I picked up some hints from people here that have tremendous success with it but I want to try them before I talk about them.

Chives will keep coming back year after year. They need sun and dont like to totally dry out. Id give hem maybe 12 diameter to grow in plus whatever room you need so they can see sun. Maybe a southern or southwestern exposure.

Oregano is one that will take over if you let it. Its a perennial that may start out as a single plant but will become a huge clump. Every spring I cut back the outside roots of that clump to try to keep it under control. How much room? Depends on how vicious you can be trimming it back, but give it at least an 18 diameter for the clump plus some room for separation from the others. With oregano, as long as you keep cutting it back it will keep sending up new growth, but maybe a month before your first frost let it go so it can toughen up for the winter.

For some reason I have trouble with thyme but I shouldnt. Maybe I shouldnt talk about it much because of that. It should act a lot like oregano, forming a clump. There are different varieties that grow a little differently, some more upright, some more spreading, but all are pretty low to the ground compared to most of the others. If someone else tells you differently go with what they say but Id suggest a southern or southwest exposure so the others dont shade it out and give it maybe 18 diameter to grow plus a little shoulder room.

Cilantro will get maybe 18 tall and spread out a little, maybe 12 to 18 or so, but you can plant the plants closer together than that. They dont seem to last real long and will die real quick if you let them go to seed. Ive had success this year cutting them practically back to the ground, just high enough so they have room to send out new buds, just when they show the first signs of flowering. Ive let a couple go to seed so I can plant them next year. The seeds of cilantro are coriander if you want to grow them for that.

Basil is another that will keep producing as long as you dont let it go to seed. It will send out a bud at every leaf, so when you cut it back, just leave one set of leaves on that branch below your cut. It will keep growing and producing practically all summer. There are different varieties that will get different sizes. I grow the Italian types, Genovese and Lettuce Leaf. They can get maybe 3 tall and spread out close to that much. I think the sweets like Sweet Thai are smaller but they still need room.

I grow mine in a row at the end of my garden, herb row, not in a bed like you are talking about doing. The sizes I gave are the sizes of the plants themselves when grown in rows and given room. I dont know how tightly you can pack them in a bed but they will get big. Especially be careful of oregano. Its a bully and will take over. The cilantro, dill, and even basil could be overlapped a little if you plant more than one, but especially on the basil, dont overdo that. And layer them by height, short in front, tall in back, so they can get sun.

Good luck. I love having fresh herbs. And listen to those that grow them in beds more than me. My experience is a bit different.

 

[Nyboy]

In your zone the rosemary might not make it though winter. I had one trimed like a christmas tree, it was a gift, died with the cold.

 

[so lucky]

Ridge, lots of good information in your post. Thanks!

 

[thistlebloom]

Ditto what NYboy said about overwintering the rosemary. See what Digits has to say about keeping them and starting them in the spring.

 

[lesa]

As others have said, bigger is better. I started a little herb,tea garden- and it is totally full with giant plants that make no sense, now! My oregano has taken over almost an entire raised bed. I could pull some, or most of it out- but the honey bees love the flowers, so I look the other way. I know those herbs look tiny in those little pots- but believe me, they grow huge! Good luck with your new herb garden. I also agree- don't forget basil. I would choose to grow that, if I had only one herb...

 

[digitS']

Well, I'm following Lesa and, still, really don't know what to say about chives. Lesa might: .

I really wasn't aware that they could be so invasive elsewhere. Yes, they do like to reseed and spread but there's something I appreciate about chives beyond their value as food & seasoning. (Is Lesa still looking at me . ! ?) Anyway, unlike RidgeRunner, I've got my chives in the shadiest part of my yard - wet shade from building & fence, not tree shade. They are very happy there and seem especially tender and nice. Even in that shade, they are plenty early.

Okay, about the rosemary: it is all in containers here. Honestly, I've never had it outdoors in the winter. It wants to be semi-dormant but needs air circulation, and a little water & sunlight. If you don't have an unheated greenhouse for the winter, I'd guess that a south window in a garage might be good. (I've got a big window in the garage - unfortunately, it faces north). My basement with just an hour of sunshine on some winter days was only good enuf for the strongest of the rosemary plants.

Steve