Growing your own produce has become de rigueur for almost all gardeners, and while fruit and veg are the backbone of any kitchen garden herbs occupy a special place in our hearts. There’s no doubt about it – herbs are hip! They straddle the boundary between the utilitarian, productive garden and the ornamental garden, and of course help bring the kitchen into the garden and vice versa.
Herbs are also very easy to grow and fun to collect, experiment with and above all to savour. It can’t be any coincidence that the rise in the passion for cooking, and Mediterranean food in particular, has also brought a boom in the number and varieties of herbs that are readily available to the gardener. At the same time there’s been a resurgence of interest in some of our native plants and the nearly-lost kitchen uses to which they’ve traditionally been put .
Herbs can be tucked in amongst other kitchen plants and can readily be grown in containers of all shapes and sizes, but for those with a real passion for these aromatic and sensual plants, there’s nothing better than a dedicated herbal bed, and the big-daddy of all such beds is the herb spiral. Herb spirals pack an array of handy benefits into one simple idea.
Designed on permaculture principles, the spiral is intended to provide optimum growing conditions for the plants whilst at the same time saving on ground space. By figuring out the compass direction that each side of the spiral faces you can then readily provide a variety of different environmental conditions, and so grow together herbs that wouldn’t ordinarily thrive when simply planted side by side in open ground. Most of the Mediterranean species, for example, require as much sunlight, heat and sharp drainage as you can give them, and can best be grown on the top (where the drainage is very significantly enhanced) and on the south-facing side of the spiral, facing into the sun. Others, such as mints, lemon balm, chives and wild garlic all relish the shade of the north facing side of the spiral and the damper, less harshly drained foothills at the base.
The resulting community of herbs can accommodate even quite large plants and yet the whole structure can also be grown on a terrace or even a roof garden. The extra elevation that the plants gain helps greatly with drainage in general, but also allows the soil to heat up far more quickly and effectively than a comparable area of flat ground, as well as attracting bees and hoverflies. Once the herbs have established and filled the growing spaces nicely then the maintenance of the spiral is virtually nil, save for the odd bit of pest control when molluscs decide to explore the ramparts.
To create a spiral you first need to find a suitable site. It should ideally be around 2 metres in diameter, (although can, of course, be either larger or smaller to suit your needs) and should preferably be within a short dash of the kitchen for maximum usefulness, although the key requirement is to find a site which has the highest exposure to sun, to suit the thymes, sage & rosemary; if that means a longer trip from kitchen to spiral, then so be it.
Mark out the footprint of the spiral by placing a bamboo cane or similar in the centre of your chosen site, attaching a 1 metre long piece of string to it, and scoring the ground or soil in a circular arc around the centrepoint. Next place a thick layer of old newspaper, cardboard or mulch around the outer part of the circle to prevent intrusion by weeds and then you’re ready to start construction. The structure of the spiral is most usually made from rocks, but wood, bricks or even old wine bottles can also be used. The open end of the spiral must face north, so make sure you know your bearings before you begin to build up!
Start by laying out the basic shape of the spiral on the ground as a foundation and firmly infill behind with compost and/or soil to help to strenthen and hold the structure as you go. Once the outer circle is complete then, starting at the northern edge once again, you simply build the spiral upwards and inwards, using the largest, heaviest stones at the base. The optimum height at the centre is around 1 metre, and as you build upwards, start to add coarse gravel into the soil/compost mixture to optimise the drainage. Leave some depth room for extra topsoil and planting compost, as well as for the plants themselves of course, this will also ensure that the compost doesn’t overflow and get washed overboard by heavy rain.
Once it’s fully built then water the whole structure thoroughly and allow it to settle. there will be lots of air pockets and the soil level may drop considerably in some cases, so be sure to top up before planting. Aside from full-blown trees such as Bay then pretty much any and all herbs that take your fancy can be fitted into the spiral, just remember to research their respective growing requirements and site them accordingly, from hot and dry at the top and south sides, to damp and cool on the north and base of the spiral.
A well built spiral made of appealing materials makes for a very attractive addition to any garden, and the boost in growth rates for the plants will ensure a goodly crop of herbs for the kitchen too.



























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