Even though you can't work in your garden during the winter, that shouldn't stop you from designing your garden for the spring! A great way to add some interest and flair to your garden is an herb spiral.
Herb spirals mimic the spirals seen in in snail shells, plant tendrils and leaves. They create a nice landscape feature to grow herbs in a small space and allow you to grow different plants that require different growing conditions together in the same space.
Here's how to make a simple herb spiral design:
- Mark out the area and lay down cardboard. Cover the area with mulch or gravel, to kill the grass and weeds and create a level base.
- Build the spiral with walls of rock, brick, or concrete pavers curving the spiral clockwise as you gain height. These materials absorb the sun's heat during the day to warm the soil faster. Make sure the planting ramp you're creating is at least one foot wide.
- Fill the bottom of the ramp with mulch, leaves or peat moss and the top foot or so with a mix of topsoil and compost.
- Plant herbs that prefer drier soil, such as oregano and thyme, on top and moisture loving herbs, such as parsley and mint, towards the bottom.
- Shade tolerant herbs, such as chives should go on the north side and sun loving plants, such as basil, on the south side.
- Mix in small veggies and flowers as well. Water the spiral from the top and let the water soak down to the lower levels.
- The final spiral will be about 4-to-6 feet in diameter and 2-to-3 feet tall in the center.
For this week's tip: If you're interested in growing fresh vegetables at work, The Green Thumbs at Work Employee Garden Grant program provides funds, technical assistance and resources for small-sized employers in Vermont to start an employee garden program.
