Thursday, May 28, 2009

Herb Spiral

Now that the Lavender is in bloom the herb spiral is looking more majestic.

Starting at the top: Lavender, Lemon Verbena, Sage, Trailing Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Zatar, Chamomile, Flat leave parsley, Parsley Aphrodite, Trailing Germander, Violas, Cilantro, Bee Balm, Borage, Mojito Mint, Persian Mint and a volunteer CA poppy! Not everything has grown, some are just barely sprouting....I'm hoping that once the rest of the herbs grow, the spiral will be completely full of green, life-sustaining, tasty herbs.

The theory of the herb spiral is this: Put the herbs that need well-drained soil at the top and the ones that need lots of moisture on the bottom. Put herbs that need more sun on the sunny side. Water at the top and the water will spiral down to the bottoms. Some people put a little pond at the bottom of the spiral.

The spiral makes use of vertical space, so there is room for LOTS of different plants.

Our spiral is constructed out of broken clay roof tiles that I bought from Urban Ore.

Herbs have many anti-cancer properties, so I try to grab a fistful and put them in my tea infusions, scrambled eggs, salads, crock pot beans, etc.

Here is a view of the entire herb spiral:



Here is a photo of the Hyssop:




Edible violas provide a pop of color:



Chamomile in bloom:



Coyolxauqui dancing next to the Hyssop:

3 comments:

  1. Perfect! Thanks for the in-depth view and explanation. When I was sketching a garden expansion last night, a spiral kept showing up on one side. . . so much fun.

    I do enjoy fresh herbs in my tea, etc.

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  2. Your yard looks so inviting; I can imagine many a cup of tea on that deck. Are those brass plates with the plant names on them? And what's on the ground around the spiral---pebbles? Altogether lovely.

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  3. Thanks, sisters! The herbs are labeled with copper tags I bought at the Rockridge Long's (I used a label maker to print the names). The ground around the spiral is covered with "playground chips." We bought a truckload at the dump (officially called, the Davis Street transfer station in San Leandro.)

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