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Phase 2 herb veg garden tips n tricks.

You should have completed phase one by now. So you have clear space with planted areas labels and all the required ground work done.

 

 

 

Step Two

Remember your making a space. Place containers throughout the herb and vegetable garden, along pathways if not in the way (see above) or at the entrance. Perhaps use an arch and grow a scented climbing rose up like St Paul's scarlet, or scented Jasmine and Honey suckle.

Plant some herbs (ones you need to restrain like mint and balm/melissa) or other flowers in terra-cotta pots, resin plastic, stone planters, wooden barrels or old crates. I personally plant annual herbs in old fruit boxes that I simply staple ground over into and fill with good compost. Also plant pots /boxes of french marigolds to help ward off white fly and other pests. Lemon verbena is great for annoying bad bugs and has herbal / medicinal uses. Containers add color, texture and character to the garden.

Step Three

Lay decorative but simple walkways in the herb garden, line paths with chamomile or thyme and lavender.

Box can be an easy evergreen low hedge, and is cheap enough. You can use pea gravel or crushed seashells with patio slabs, textured concrete, all of which which are unique materials to decorate with, however bark mulch probably the best and easiest to apply and most cost effective. But root around salvage some stuff.

You could also use ornamental cabbage for lining path ways or marking spots,you can start them in summer for winter planting or buy plugs quite cheap.

If you have very sunny site be careful using stones or shells they can store excess heat in the soil and burn the roots, and prevent nutrients running into the soils or also reflect a lot of light burning the plants.

Step Four

Decorate a herb vegetable garden with small water features, elegant appropriate sculptures. Some cascades of trailing flowers like Surfinias, Lampranthus Lobelia, Verbenas, Nasturtiums, or even trailing Rosemary can be great.

Raise up the pots with bricks or empty pots, or a simple wooden frame can be knocked up to get a good falling cascade effect even a mound of soil. Remember to use dots of colours and scent. Even though its a useful garden for producing herbs and veg it still deserves to look nice. In summer have a few pots stuffed with sun flowers.

Think about fitting lights. Use these items as focal points in the garden. Use them to light the paths and extend the usability of the garden though out the year and day. In Ireland its dark at 4pm in winter. You should always aim to have use of it.

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COPYRIGHT 2007 MILLIWAYS GARDENBARGAINS IRELAND

 

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