The Start of Something Big

The idea began simply enough.  I was considering expanding on my herb selection within the garden.  I had been looking into having a more complete selection of culinary herbs, but at some point during this research process I suddenly decided that I could do better; I could plant more.

Having had a lifelong obsession with historical fiction/non-fiction and a brief stint as a Wiccan in my teenage years, the transition from a solely culinary to both culinary and medicinal herbal garden wasn’t such a shock.  I loved reading the descriptions of medieval monastic gardens and the practical uses of plants that could be considered a weed.  I really enjoyed the idea of a garden that served a purpose.  This idealism may foreshadow future trouble in this garden.

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It really did begin innocently enough.  All of my herbs were in containers last year which is probably the reason they all stayed so small.  I had planted lavender, basil, and rosemary in some 1.5 L containers and the rest were in containers I put on the fence.  However, I never re-potted them so they never had a chance to grow much higher than a foot.  At some point last summer I thought of planting them in the ground but I was torn; if I planted them then I couldn’t bring them inside and enjoy them throughout the cold winter months.  When the cooler weather rolled in, I brought the lavender, basil, and rosemary inside, but all three dried out when our house sitter forgot to water them while we were away on holidays.  Having lost my tiny reminder of the previous summer months, I began to consider my direction for the upcoming growing season.  Despite losing the container plants this winter, I’m still a little torn when it comes to planting them in the ground vs. in containers.  BUT I can always do both!

On the fence: Dill, Chives & Parsley
In containers: Rosemary, Basil & Lavender

The idea of having a prolific herb garden had been in my mind for awhile, and it was something that the man and I had talked about.  With a serious sense of ambition, I began to negotiate how much of the garden I could devote solely to herbs.  He loves cooking, and having grown up in Germany with an Oma and Opa who had (and still have) an amazing vegetable and herb garden, he was a fan of having more options available.  The one stipulation: Its well-being was in my hands and solely my responsibility. 

A View of Oma & Opa's Garden

Oma's Rhubarb

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With that all settled I began to outline what culinary herbs I’d like to have at my disposal.  The list grew quickly, and it currently includes:

-       Rosemary

-       Lemon Basil

-       Italian Basil

-       Wild Marjoram

-       Chives

-       Cilantro

-       Dill

-       Parsley

-       Sage

-       Thyme

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A few days later we had to stop by the garden centre to pick up some potting soil to re-pot a few roses we keep around the house, but once we got inside we got a little carried away.  The man was off inspecting vegetable seeds for the summer, so of course if he was going to gets seeds then I was getting some seeds too!  I found a few of the ones I wanted, and picked up a few that just looked interesting…everybody impulse buys seeds right?  Well, I happened to grab some Lemon Balm seeds, and that is when my herb garden plans began to expand.

While I wasn't too sure how I could use the Lemon Balm, I assumed the internet would have some answers.  My first search led to a site that outlined not only its culinary uses, but its medicinal properties as well.  One thing led to another (as it usually does on the internet) and suddenly I had a list of medicinal herbs I was interested in.  This list included:

-        Lemon Balm

-       Chamomile

-       Lavender

-       Yarrow

-       Echinacea

-       Feverfew

-       Hyssop

-       Calendula

-       Bee Balm

-       Valerian

-       St. John’s Wort

-       Comfrey

My interest in these particular herbs ranged from practical applications to their ability to attract pollinators, and it didn’t hurt that some of them could do double duty in the practical/pretty department.

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With an outline of what plants I want - I come to my first real challenge: 

Could all of these herbs fit in my tiny yard?  

This is a MUCH harder question to answer when you get down to the nitty gritty.  Our yard is about 25 ft x 30 ft, and I only get half of that space for my own devices.  Not only that, but a chunk of my space is relatively shady which is not a good thing considering herbs prefer full sun.  I also happen to have a full grown Red Bud shading one of my beds, so that will ultimately impact the planning process as well. 

 Oh, and I am already well aware that I don't have nearly enough space for all of these plants to breathe freely and be safe from overcrowding.  So it seems that I already have a serious puzzle to solve, and it's only February.

Wish me luck!