The name of the site, the herb spiral, comes from the fact that I have, a number of times in the past, used the herb spiral as a means of quickly getting my herb garden re-established.
My life has involved my moving location from time to time and, consequently, each time, I have had a need to quickly get my herb garden up and going again. The herb spiral has served this purpose well. It is extremely efficient in terms of the amount of product you get for a given area and, because the soil is built up and contained in the way described, drainage is effective, which is essential for growing herbs.
Last spring was a case in point and we recorded our herb growing activities. Of course the spiral can contain vegies as well, there aren't any rules about what you can plant. Having said that, it it wise to keep herbs such as mint and oregano away from the spiral (you'll note there is none in ours) as their roots are somewhat invasive, and can take over. Also the fennel wasn't a good idea, it's best kept separate, for a number of reasons.
Another great thing about the spiral is that, once each herb is established you can easily transplant it (you don't have to) to a more desirable spot in the garden by simply carefully removing a brick and scooping it out, with roots and soil undisturbed, with a flat spade. I have successfully transplanted herbs they say are hard to transplant, like fennel, dill and coriander, this way.
Anyway, read about my herb spiral and see if it suits your purpose, particularly if you want to get a herb garden up and going quickly from scratch. The links to the right will give you more growing tips on each herb bearing in mind that my own experience is influenced by the fact that I live in a part of the world with virtually no winter and, therefore, I have less first hand experience of wintering procedures.
Ian
Growing herbs in an herb spiral
I grow most of my culinary herbs in an herb spiral, as illustrated opposite
The spiral satisfies the most critical factor involved in successfully growing your own culinary herbs, i.e. it ensures good drainage due to the depth of soil under the plants. Provided the spiral is located in a nice sunny location, i.e. it gets at least 5 hours full sun a day, it meets the second most important requirement.
The spiral build with bricks should be reasonably stable in most locations, although one of my visitors took me to task saying that where he lived – a very wet location – my spiral would be washed away in no time and recommended a more robust construction. So the construction of the spiral might have to suit the local conditions.
But the concept is sound. It provides a large growing area for the area of garden it uses; it is a simple matter to transplant plants that have outgrown their allocated area to another part of the garden (by removing a brick or two, spading out the plant, roots and all) and replacing the bricks and soil. The raised beds provide easy access to the herbs for daily harvesting. And, if you like herbs, it looks great!
For people who have had little or no experience with growing herbs, it is ideal. The culinary herbs I cover in this website include all of the more popular ones and provide a starting point for the beginner as well as a tried and tested alternative for the experienced herb gardener. I do not grow all my herbs in the spiral; mint and oregano are too invasive and better grown in pots; fennel and lemon grass grow too large (and the fennel tends to cross-pollinate with the dill) so I grow them elsewhere in the garden. Basil, my favourite herb, loves the spiral but does get somewhat oversized so I'm constantly faced with the difficult decision of what to do with it (apart from eating it), and I find herbs such as sage, comfrey and parsley will grow anywhere, including areas with poorer drainage and less sun, in my garden.
Just remember that herbs do not really need fertiliser and they are generally pest free. What that means to me is that I have no need to add chemicals to my garden and I can safely give my freshly picked herbs only a light rinse and shake in cold water before adding them to my cuisine. Of course, you can, if you are prepared to take the risk, these days get your fresh herbs at the supermarket.
The soil will benefit from the addition of organic material. Compost is best and it is worth the effort to maintain your own compost heap. Some authorities recommend animal manure but I do not enjoy the unwanted foreign plant growth stimulated by the passage of seeds through the animal's body. Most authorities recommend peat. I cannot comment because I do not use it. People tell me it is good.
If you are new to it, do not let people complicate your process of growing herbs. The less you fuss, the happier they will be. Just don't over water or let them totally dry out. Do not let them go to seed – except, of course, at the end of the season if you want to collect the seed for the next season.
Above all, enjoy your herbs!