H
erbs can be headstrong and unpredictable. The
mojito mint you reserve for special occasions can
make a bid for more space by overrunning your favorite perennials, and the precious and pricy saffron
bulbs you planted last season might easily give up the
good fight if your soil doesn’t drain quickly enough.
After a bad experience, though, most gardeners try
again—only in a different flowerbed or in patio pots
where they can keep a wary eye on them. Another
option to maintain the herbs together is to incorporate them into an herb spiral. This gives them a better
opportunity to look their best and gardeners an opportunity to provide them with the special care they need.
Consider this type of bed the
herb lover’s version of vertical
gardening, and a permaculturist’s
dream of a generous, efficient,
yet flexible growing space.”
WHAT’S AN HERB SPIRAL?
If you’ve seen a snail shell or chambered nautilus, you
have a general idea of the shape an herb spiral will
take. In this case, as the curve winds from the outside
toward the center, the reinforcing walls become gradually taller, topping out at the center point of the spiral.
Gaps between the walls are backfilled with soil and
planted out with herbs. The structure of an herb spiral
produces artificial microclimates, which result from
the small, yet significant environmental variations that
occur as the spiral changes direction and elevation.
Consider this type of bed the herb lover’s version of
vertical gardening, and a permaculturist’s dream of a
generous, efficient, yet flexible growing space. It can
house plenty of herbs because specimens are planted up
as well as out. Also, its shape makes it possible to locate
a spiral garden close to a kitchen door for convenience
or in a postage stamp-sized urban garden.
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