Planting an Herb Garden

Herb gardens are sources of delightful and healthy produce and an attractive part ofthe outdoor landscape. Herbs can be planted in garden beds and or in containers and can also serve as attractive borders for hedges and flower gardens.

Most herbs like sunlight, but some, such as chervil, parsley, coriander, and vigorous herbs such as comfrey and lemon balm, do well in the sun or shade. So first off determine how much sunlight the various planting areas in your backyard get each day. Take a whole day and check on an hourly basis sunlight exposure of areas in your yard that are suitable for planting. Sun loving herbs require six to eight hours of sunlight each day; but you can also move herbs growing in containers from one sunny are to another as the light exposure changes throughout the day. Keep in mind that herb gardens close to the kitchen door are most convenient. They're easy to access and the savory scents of the herbs will wisp through the window, adding a pleasant fragrance to your cooking area.

Herbs grow best in a light soil that drains well and is easy to till. Seeds can be planted in furrows that are several inches deep, but fully grown herbs will need a minimum of eight inches of top soil to grow in. You can test drainage by running a hose for a few minutes and looking for puddles. You can change the constitution of the soil by adding clay, peat moss and fertilizer. Herbs like a moderate amount of fertilizer. Too much fertilization may weaken some herbs and cause plant disease.  Ideal soil Ph for herbs is around 6.5.

You can plant herbs indoors, directly outdoors, or purchase them from a nursery. Each option has its advantage and disadvantages depending on the type of herb.  Seeds of annual herbs (basil, coriander, dill and oregano) can be started indoors and grown year round or you can move them outdoor 5-10 weeks after planting. Perennial herbs, like chives, parsley, sage, sweet marjoram and thyme, can be started from seed but are often most conveniently purchased as young plants from a nursery. Because perennials grow for more than one season, it’s best to keep them outside in pots during the summer and bring them in before the first frost. A few herbs including rosemary, oregano, and mint are best propagated by cuttings or transplantation.

Herbs are delicate and require special care for winter survival. Ensure that your perennial herbs survive the cold weather by making certain they go into the winter healthy. Avoid late fall fertilizing or pruning. As soon as the ground freezes, spread a loose four inch mulch such as straw, boughs of an evergreen tree, oak leaves, etc. around the base of each plant. A few herbs, including oregano, lemon verbena, and rosemary, can't survive in the cold temperatures. Dig up plants such as these, replant them in containers, and take them indoors for the winter. Then replant them outdoors when the weather turns warm again in the spring.

For help with landscaping and landscape design in the Yortktown Heights and Westchester County and Putnam County, NY., call the Turf Barbers at 914 302 2469; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; http://www.theturfbarbers.com 

Project to Beautify Your Backyard

  You can beautify your back yard landscape by turning unsightly tree stumps into stump planters. Stump planters are tree stumps that are hollowed out, filled with soil, and then seeded. The resultant mini-garden can have any number of appearances, depending on the color of the tree stump and the types of plants that grow in the garden.   Below is a description of the essential steps you must follow to create an attractive tree stump planter:

1.    Hollow out a bowl in the wood to a depth of three to six inches depending on the type of plant you are growing. Annuals, which have shallow roots, only require three to four inches. Six inches is sufficient depth for most other plants. In most instances you should leave two to three inches of wood around the perimeter, unless you want a smaller bowl.  

2.    To make the bowl, use a pick ax (mattock), hand ax, or other sharp tool and start in the center. If the wood is soft you can use the claw end of a hammer or blunt edge of an ax to remove the material.If the wood is hard, you might consider putting some potted plants on top of the stump. Over time the water that drips from the pots will rot out the top of the stump, making it easier to hollow out.

3.    Use a hand drill or electric drill to add drain holes. Drill out and down from the bottom of the basin you have created. The holes tend to clog, so you can prevent this by adding a layer of small pebbles in the bottom of the hollowed out receptacle.

4.   An optional step you can take to improve the project is to cover the stump's bark with epoxy. This will prevent the bark from falling off, and thereby preserve the stump's natural beauty. 

5.    Now you are ready to add potting soil.  Add a mixture such as Mel mix, 1/3 Vermiculite, 1/3 Peat (or Coir), and 1/3 well-blended compost. The compost provides all the needed nutriments so no need to fertilize over the summer. Just add more compost as needed.

6.    Now add your choice of seeds. You can use seedlings, nursery plants, bulbs, or plain seeds.

Resources: For the best in landscaping projects in Westchester County and Putnam County, NY., call the Turf Barbers at 914 302 2469; 2929 Quinlan Street Yorktown Heights, NY 10598; http://www.theturfbarbers.com for the tops in back yard landscaping.