Companion planting with herbs is a simple and effective method to maintain a natural balance in your garden. By planting certain herbs near each other, they can benefit each other’s growth and health. For example, basil can improve the growth and flavor of tomatoes, while mint can boost pollination.
There are many benefits to planting flowers alongside herbs and vegetables, such as reducing pests, increasing food yield, and boosting pollination. Some popular combinations include petunia, zinnia, nemesia, lantana, rosemary, sage, tarragon, marigold, oregano, mint, chervil, cilantro, and more. Marigolds and rosemary have insect-repellent properties, making them ideal companions in any vegetable patch. Thyme is a cabbage worm deterrent, while black-eyed Susans pair well with cosmos, daylilies, or phlox. Daylilies also combine well with coneflowers.
Companions like catnip are good companion plants for bee balm, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, chamomile, eggplant, mint, potatoes, plums, radishes, roses, and more. When choosing edible flowers to plant with herbs, the results will make your garden a work of art.
When choosing companion plants, it is important to research your specific herbs to determine what flowers will grow best with them. Some exceptions to this rule include basil, fennel Florence, lemon balm, sage, which repels cabbage moth, beetles, and carrot flies, and calendula, mint, and sage. By following these guidelines, you can create a beautiful and healthy garden that maximizes the use of your space.
📹 Companion Planting with HERBS – Top 10 MUST Haves!
The 3rd Video in the Companion Planting Series is all about the HERBS! We cover the Top 10 Must Have Herbs for every garden, …
What are the best companion herbs?
This herb companion planting chart provides a comprehensive guide to which herbs grow well together and which do not. There is a vast variety of herbs to grow in your garden, from lavender and savory to basil and fennel and parsley. Some herbs thrive well together, while others are best kept apart. The chart helps you arrange your herb garden and learn how companion planting can be beneficial in helping plants thrive. It also explains which herbs to plant together and which do not go together. By following this guide, you can ensure your plants thrive and create a beautiful herb garden.
Can you plant flowers next to vegetables?
Growing flowers and vegetables in the same beds can boost yields and keep crops healthy, according to Maggie Saska, plant production specialist at the Rodale Institute organic farm. This strategy attracts native bees and other beneficial insects, which are essential for crop growth. Planting bee-friendly flowers near vegetables supports pollinator populations and biodiversity, and can also attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other desirable species. It’s easy and beneficial for beginners to do, as it’s a strategy professional growers use to maintain healthy crops.
Can herbs be planted with lilies?
Lily plants can be a versatile and versatile addition to any garden. Some popular lily varieties include Lady’s Mantle, Columbine, Aster, Bellis Daisy, Campanula carpatica, Daylily Hemerocallis, Coral Bells, Persicaria amplexocaulis, Gaillardia ‘Arizona Sun’, Oriental Poppies, Primrose, Pulstatilla, Saxifraga, and Violets. Herbs like Borage, Pot Marigold, Chives, Comfrey, Dill, Oregano, Parsley, Savory, and Horseradish can be used for culinary delights or natural plant medicine.
Borage has bright blue flowers that can become rank and self-sow, while Pot Marigold is self-sowing and medicinal. Chives are a lovely edge for the lily border and tasty as well. Comfrey is a great choice for mulch, making salves, or feeding to various animals. Dill has lacy foliage and can self-sow when left unpicked. Oregano is shorter-growing and can be cut back to 12″ circles in fall. Parsley is compact and bright green clumps, while Savory is a mint family but not as invasive.
Herbs to avoid in a lily garden include Lovage, Mint, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Catnip, and Horseradish. To keep lilies in place, keep bulbs at least 24″ away and move them as they grow. Remember to watch reseeding and avoid invasive herbs like Lovage, Mint, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Catnip, and Horseradish.
Can you plant flowers next to herbs?
Herbs and flowers are great companion species in the garden, attracting pollinators and repelling pests. In a container, they combine beauty, fragrance, and edible possibilities. Here are some beautiful herb and flower containers for North Dakota:
Lovage – Angelonia – Sage – Creeping Thyme: This potent herb is used in love potions and is rare today. Its purple flowers and silver-green leaves make it a stately centerpiece. The thyme’s pink flowers and creeping leaves spill over the edges, creating a majestic, edible, and fragrant container mix.
Basil – Lobelia – Chives – Sweet Potato Vine: This container features a tall basil tower, purple flowers and green spears of chives, an indigo cloud of lobelia, and sweet potato vine spilling over the edge. This rustic, asymmetric, fragrant mix of herbs and annuals creates a picturesque display and culinary delights.
Can you plant marigolds with herbs?
Carrots can be planted with onions and chives to repel carrot rust fly, beets, and radishes, and with other root crops like marigolds, fennel, chamomile, and herbs like caraway and coriander. Coriander is a favorite among beneficial insects like lady beetles, green lacewings, and parasitic wasps. Cucumbers can be planted with squash, cabbage, lettuce, beans, and spinach, while nasturtiums provide shelter for spiders and ground beetles. Radishes repel striped cucumber beetles and squash borers, while borage improves their flavor.
Tomato, eggplant, and peppers thrive with basil, dill, borage, and parsley. Companion flowers include asters, cleome, cosmos, marigolds, and nasturtium. Growing a diverse variety of companion plants from early spring through fall helps keep beneficial insects in your garden and provides color and texture throughout the season.
What grows well next to rosemary?
Rosemary is a versatile plant that can be a great companion in your garden, as its strong, aromatic odor helps deter insect pests. It thrives in rich, freely-draining soils, but it should be planted in pots or raised beds. Other plants that can benefit from rosemary’s pest-deterrent properties include lavender, sage, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. Brassica cultivars like cabbages and brussels sprouts, onions, shallots, carrots, and beans also benefit from rosemary’s properties.
Adding ornamentals like marigolds and alyssum can also attract pollinators and deter pests. However, plants with high nutrient and watering requirements or prone to mildew and fungal pathogens, such as nightshades like tomatoes and potatoes, herbs like basil and mint, and cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, gourds, and cucumbers, will not grow well with rosemary. To care for your rosemary plant, follow our rosemary plant care guide, which covers everything from watering to pruning.
What flowers grow well with thyme?
Thyme is a versatile herb that can be used to repel pests, improve the flavor of various plants, and enhance their growth. It is particularly effective in repelling spider mites and whiteflies, which can harm peppers. Thyme also repels tomato hornworms, enhancing the flavor of tomatoes. It also helps repel pests like cabbage loopers, enhancing the growth of beets. It is also beneficial for brassica plants like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, which can be affected by pests like cabbage worms, cabbage butterflies, and cabbage loopers.
Thyme also helps in repelling pests like aphids, improving the flavor of lettuce. It also helps in repelling pests like corn earworms, enhancing the growth of corn. It also helps in repelling pests like moths, enhancing the growth of eggplants. Alliums like onions and garlic also repel pests like aphids and spider mites. Thyme’s insect-repelling properties can also help keep pests like Colorado potato beetles at bay.
Chamomile attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps, while lavender repels whiteflies and slugs. Oregano repels pests like cabbage moths and carrot flies. Marjoram attracts beneficial insects like bees and parasitic wasps.
What herbs Cannot go together?
This article outlines five herb combinations that should never be planted together, along with some pairings that should. Mint and any other herb is a popular choice for its fragrant and aromatic properties, but it should not be planted together. Other herbs like dill and lavender, majoram, sage, or parsley, sage and chives, fennel and any other herb, and basil and sage should be planted separately. Mint is a great herb for its aroma, garnish in cocktails, and even for upgrading a plain water glass. Therefore, it is essential to plant mint alone to ensure its success in your herb garden.
What herbs go well with flowers?
Rosemary and lavender are indispensable flowers for imbuing the woodsy pine fragrance with additional depth and complexity. The calming aroma of lavender and its purplish spikes contribute to the aesthetic appeal of floral arrangements. Mint, thyme, pineapple sage, oregano, and Thai basil offer a diverse range of olfactory experiences.
Can you veg and flower in the same room?
Cannabis cultivation and flowering are not possible in the same room due to different lighting and climate needs. Autoflowering strains, developed in cooler regions with short growing seasons, do not rely on a shift in the lighting cycle to trigger flowering. They automatically begin flowering after 3-4 weeks in veg. However, autoflowers have a shorter life cycle, minimizing harvest times, but they produce smaller yields than photoperiod strains and are not suitable for cloning.
This can be a disadvantage for commercial operators seeking genetic consistency. Most commercial cultivators do not use autoflowering strains and instead rely on manipulating the photoperiod to maximize yield and quality.
📹 Why Interplanting Herbs Is BETTER Than Growing An Herb Garden
In this video, I explain why interplanting herbs is better than growing an herb garden. Growing herbs is important to flavor your …
This excites me because I’m a huge fan of fresh herbs and even have them onboard in pots, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Peppermint, Basil, Parsley. I did some pots of zucchini and lettuces too. Luckily out boat has a nice aft cabin top that allowed some space. I wish I could post pictures here of our garden last year.
can you talk about how the roots of each of these herbs grows out and does it effect what you can plant in the same bed with each herb? should i plant my herbs together but in seperate soil from my vegtables? or can i plant my herbs in the same soil as my vegtables. currently i have chive and thym in the center of my raised bed dividing it somewhat in half, i have done this to use it as pest repellent
If you found this article helpful, please “Like” it and share it to help increase its reach! Thanks for perusal😊 TIMESTAMPS here: 0:00 The Benefits Of Growing Herbs 1:20 Benefit #1: Naturally Repel Pests 2:38 Benefit #2: Invasive Herbs 4:42 Benefit #3: Grow Healthier Plants 6:17 Benefit #4: Ground Cover & Weed Prevention 7:33 Benefit #5: Landscaping 9:24 How To Plant Herbs Strategically 12:52 Adventures With Dale
I’m glad to see you encouraging gardeners to use companion planting! So many websites claim it doesn’t work but I can tell you that we use several matches made in Heaven every year with great success! We plant petunias near squash plants to repel squash bugs, plant marigolds anywhere you have nematodes in the soil, plant alliums near anything and everything, plant thyme near strawberries. Great article by the way!
I agree with many of points with exception of saying herbs like rosemary and lavender struggle in the heat. They are dry loving plants. My summers are in the 90s and low 100 and my herbs are so happy in the sun. What they don’t love is wet feet. Your soil is too wet and not draining well enough for Mediterranean herbs. I would challenge you to try them in a well draining pot, in the sun and see how healthy your rosemary is. I would also suggestion that since these are perennial plants, going to flower is not the same as bolting. It means the plant is doing well.
I agree with you. I like to grow herbs in a bed close to my kitchen for cooking because they are some of the only plants that can take the Texas heat. But, I think you can also interplant the herbs with your other veggies to ward off the pests, as well. You know you can propagate your herbs from the older plants for free and plant the new cuttings between your fruit trees and then pull out the older herb plants that have spread too far in your veggie beds.
Rosemary tip: let the plant talk to you about its water needs. If it looks dry and drops leaves, it’s too dry. If it starts putting out red leaves, it’s too wet. Now off to take a hatchet to my oregano….. P.S. My Rosemary gets sun from sunrise to sunset in gulf coast Alabama and it’s quite happy, just gets a bit weary in deepest summer…
You know what you should do at your place in Florida? You should just sling a bunch of random cheap seeds around all over the place next time you’re there. Then you can see what grows and what doesn’t and how it works. The easy stuff will grow where it’s easy, the hard stuff will grow where it can. You’ll learn a lot and then you’ll also show up and have a bunch of vegetables in exchange for practically no work. Just blow like 50 bucks on seed packets and scatter them all over the place kind of uniformly. Then when you go to plant your serious tomatoes you can plant them in the spot where the tomatoes grew really well on their own without any work
My dear dear friend: hey and hi!!! I love your website and don’t miss an episode!!! One general comment: be careful with mint. It is invasive beyond belief. With one exception, we kept it in containers and even then, it was problematic. Over thirty years ago, I had a container garden for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and okra. I interplanted mint with my okra and had no ant problems whatsoever. I also interplanted mint with my garlic in the flower beds adjacent to the house. While the mint completely took over the garlic beds, the one good thing was we had no ants around or inside the house. This was years where we were invaded by red ants. As a matter of fact, the only thing that killed the mint was exceptional drought. For two years though, we had good container grown veggies and mint running out the wazoo!! Just thought I would share that with you. I thoroughly enjoy your articles and have learned immensely from them and you!!! Thanks so much!!! Until your next article and beyond, happy trails, best wishes, take care, be safe and God bless!!! Chuck Knight from Atascocita, Texas. ✝️👨🌾🦌🏈🙏
I’m SO EXCITED! Because I saw your awesome hinged hoop house article I wanted one so badly. For my birthday my brother watched the article and built me TWO beautiful hinged hoop houses this weekend that I adore. I can not wait to fill them with the soil mix you made on another article and get growing! Thank you so so much. Your parts list was spot on and your directions were absolutely perfect🌺🌹🌸🌼🌷💐
We raised a granddaughter. Daily we went outside in the garden, “Helping Papa”. She was 3, and was silent for a long time then said, “look what I did!”. She had opened every seed pkg (saved or bought) and mixed them in a bucket. At the time the garden consisted only of 200′ around the pool. I let her plant what she wanted and swimmers were amazed to see lavender next to tomatoes next to snap dragons next to okra. I had the fewest bugs I have ever had with this haphazard “planting”.
I think herb gardens were planted near the kitchen for the convenience of the cook to gather them easily. Herbs are a diverse group. Rosemary will grow in your 8a zone outside but very few varieties of it can grow in zones lower than that. Good to see you are encouraging interplanting under your fruit trees. The time to plant oregano or thyme is now while the trees are getting established. The perception that trees are deep rooted has changed. Trees structures in general are now considered to be more like a wine glass, with the top 18 inches of the soil being used by the tree roots, so be gentle and careful when planting under established trees.
Hello from Union County! Great article, Anthony, I got a lot of good information. I never thought to use herbs as a ground cover but, you are so right. I had to remove my oregano and thyme from the beds to pots as they were taking over, and even now the oregano is spilling over the top of the pot. I love being able to go and cut fresh herbs all year long, even through our NC winters. I enjoy your articles so much. You give great advice and information in an easy to understand way. Keep up the great work and thank you!
I have an herb garden and i was planning to transplant & new plants in our perennial & vegetable gardens. Mint took over one of my beds and I didn’t cut the flowers of chives. The next year it was a mess of deep rooted seedlings everywhere. I removed most of my rosemary last year. Some herbs help with Deer. Thanks AI for suggesting this article.
Love all of your articles this one did get the gears turning I’ve been wanting to grow herbs live in central N.C. sanford to be exact we have close to the same climate only been gardening for about three years your article’s really help me out,garden get’s more productive every year just purchased a small 6’x12′ greenhouse to help and making my own potting soil too thanks to you I’m taking this shit serious
So what just watched this article and I’m growing five to six different fruit plants in my yard and this article helped me think more positively about the best ways to control the environment in my yard thank goodness for your articles you’re great inspiration to the growing community even if it’s just a little amount
I used to be right into herbs and almost made one of those silly herb gardens. Now I grow a much reduced selection of herbs, with perennials having their own spots in ornamental border, and quick herbs tucked in here or there. Forget oregano, just tries to take over, and dont use that much of it in kitchen. So my herbs are: prostrate rosemary in a pot (grows nice and slowly), french tarragon in part of ornamental border where it wont get disturbed as it dies back for winter, thyme in ornamental border, sage in ornamental border, some mints in pots, a tiny patch of chives in ornamental border, sorrel at back of ornamental border. One or two parsley plants wherever i find room for them somewhere in ornamental border, spring onions and coriander wherever these short term crops can find a spot, in a pot with other plants or at end of veggie row. Occasionally grow a bit of dill in not much disturbed location, as it takes a while to grow. Was hoping this list was shorter, alas. Anyway, I stopped growing all those herbs that find rare use in kitchen, even if they’re nice plants with a nice flavour. Practicality won out.
THIS! Thank-you. It makes total sense to interplant herbs, and you woke something up in my winter-fogged brain. I now realize I need a new plan attack for 2024. I’m eager to get out in the garden and begin, but I’ll have to wait for it to warm up a bit since it’s been so cold here in northern Colorado. Maybe next month…
So interesting thanks so much 🙌 You’re so right 😊 I did a small course last year Permaculture and learnt about what your saying. And it’s better way of gardening. I have moved into a small unit and not a lot of garden and mixing my herbs with vegetables, fruit trees and flowering plants to get more out of my garden as each plant has its properties and benefits to help each plant and then no pesticides is the way to go.
I three creeping thyme all over the property. I love it. It’s starting to spread in all the right places. I contained the mint on my property with weed tarps, I had to, the previous owner planted it and it took over. Now it’s only after my weed tarp for now… can’t wait to do my fruit trees this year or next.
Such good advice! Last season I interplanted all my herbs and I had the least (almost no) insect pests. I loaded up my raised beds with nasturtiums, basils, rosemary, marigolds, dill, cilantro, chives, green onions, chamomile etc. Also, I regularly rotate my plantings so I am not growing plants in the same space each year. Regards from Southern New Hampshire ❤
You have a nice flat property. Our house & gardens are on a hillside, with multiple levels. When I want fresh herbs to cook with I want the plants by the back porch, handy. Good idea to interplant & thanks for the info, but I’m going to continue my pots of herbs. I don’t want to wander all over the garden in the rain just to harvest a couple of sprigs of thyme. And why take up fridge space storing cut herbs when the plant is 5 steps from the back door? I see lots of gardeners have same idea. Hey, how about a article on hillside permaculture?
I have a small herb garden for the ones I use the most – rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, sage. They have similar requirements and grow pretty well together. Among my other bigger plants and trees, I have more of the same – they protect the plants / trees from some pests, and help cover the ground to protect it from sun, prevent weeds and prevent water loss.
Love your website, good buddy. I tried to put mint and basil in the same pot. Could not figure out what the problem was. I think they just cannot co-exist. Now I have oregano and thyme in the same pot, no problem. Florida here (Tampa) and sadly we cannot plant much in the soil here because of nematodes inside the “soil”. These nematodes eat the roots. Hope your place is north FL. Please call your county extension service here before you get too far with your plans, they were very helpful and sent me pdf files of info on almost everything. The temps, diseases, and especially the soil is so much different here than even Atlanta. I made a lot of mistakes. Even tomatoes have be be grown in pots and that dirt is expensive to buy, suggestion, load your car with dirt every time you come down. Thanks Dale.
Good morning! Currently you are the only gardener I am subscribed to. I live in Myrtle Beach SC. I started a small garden last year and I’d say it was 50% successful lol My cherry tomatoes did great however my better boys didn’t produce at all except for large stems. I have watched several of your articles. This is the first one I have seen on herbs. Can you do a herb article from starting at seed and how to maintain their productivity? Or how to maintain store bought plants summer through spring? Thank you for all that do! Especially helping beginners like me!- Kristin
When you relocate, maybe you’d consider starting a teaching course, on how to garden! Maybe sell seeds and small plants, once a month or something! You’re super knowledgeable. I appreciate it. I’m fairly knew to this & have already made a yuck amount of mistakes. If you ever consider it, please do share the when & where 😅🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Yes! I have an Autumn Damask rose that lives between lavender and thyme. The basil always gets planted with the tomatoes. I have oregano between 2 knockout roses. The mint is all by itself near a cedar tree because that stuff is out of control. The cilantro is by the black iris. I’m planning on planting white sage by my Starfish Japanese maple. Bee balm is by the door. Herbs are everywhere. I like the idea of using the thyme and oregano for ground cover. I will have to plant some more around my roses…which I hate weeding because I always get stuck by thorns.
No fruit trees and I do not have space like you. Also I find a many of my herbs need full sun. I have a smaller garden, and use only 14 raised beds. I plant all my herbs as companion plants and use the vegetables to shade those that don’t want the afternoon sun. I trim them up every couple of weeks to a month and dehydrate or canning. Also I use an abundance of herbs in cooking everyday. I’ve never really had a problem with them getting overgrown. Thanks for sharing your environment work arounds.
The reason most people clump them together is for daily harvesting. I am not going to walk around my garden trying to remember where everything is planted. For bulk harvesting this is a good idea but I just want to step out my front door and snip some fresh rosemary & thyme or oregano & basil for dinner. Perhaps both methods could work for daily & bulk.
I got clearance oregano plants four years back the end of the season, I deep planted them in my garden right before winter hit. Covered them with straw, when Spring came round all the plants sprang to life and have survived every polar vortex and summer heat wave. I’ve collected and spread seeds, cuttings and literally will never have to buy oregano again. The bees love the oregano flowers so now I use phenology as much as possible to intercrop within the garden realms of native and not native plants I’m bringing in to create a phenological calendar system. It’s like layering companion planting with phenology to maximize flowering times for super advanced pollination and planting schedule.
I interplanted my annual herbs in the vegetable garden, but the perennials separately. We didn’t have any fruit trees at the time. The really invasive ones were planted in pots, and some of those were put in the garden at the end of the raised beds, so that probably was a benefit for helping with insects. One of my outdoor cats would sleep in the perennial herb garden under the oregano. 🙂 While I was perusal this, it made me realize it probably kept bugs off of her.
Awesome informative article just in time as I have a lot of herbs and vegetables to start soon and was contemplating if I should have an herb bed or spread herbs throughout the garden. I am definitely leaning towards spreading herbs everywhere throughout the garden to repel pests and draw in pollinators. Thanks for the tried and true wisdom. We definitely learn as we grow and accumulate knowledge along the garden path…may this year be the best garden growing experience ever !! I love this article.
Hmm, here in southern Arizona, rosemary is perfectly happy in full sun 110 degrees in the summer, 15 in the winter. I had one that lived 15+ years. Thyme, lavender, and chives don’t seem to have any problems. I do use them all as ground cover and landscape plants. Maybe it’s the humidity they struggle with? Zone 8A.
I love the idea of companion planting and using herbs & flowers as natural pest deterrents. But I have become afraid to ground plant any plant that grows from rizones fearing it will take over my garden. I don’t want to lose half my bed to an herb like your thyme plant. For now, I have kept them in pots. Do you have any tips for keeping control of rizone-growing plants?
Item #3… Totally makes sense That said…I lived in Phoenix for 8+ years….had a baby Rosemary in the front “yard” (vast majority of residents have gravel)… Purchased in a small cup from HD…just like MG’s thyme Kept it watered during the 104+ degree summers… Not much over the winter… The thing grew literally into a giant Shrub! Like 4′ wide and tall Finally trimmed it back… Went too far…It croaked…😮 Regardless…. Yet another great article. Cheers! JerBear in 6b
I use them for companion planting also. They work very well. My dog kept trying to find the squeaky toy. Why are you waiting so long to move? Us that your retirement place? I saw your article when you went down there. Forget what you said. We still have snow on the ground. We just got over below zero wind chills a couple of days ago. 🥶
I know that wine drinkers (I don’t) sometimes say they can taste herbs or other plants in their wine – would that also be the case for apples? I really don’t want my apple juice to taste like oregano or chives or mint. Also if a person doesn’t have an enormous garden like you do – and they want to do herbs sporadically throughout the garden – they could essentially plant them in containers, right? Please tell me I’m right because that is what I plan on doing in my small garden. Thank you for the information – for confessing the mistakes you’ve made and teaching us not to repeat those decisions (like the thyme) – and for the happy enthusiasm.
The armadillo hasn`t dug around my fig tree since I planted mint there. My soil is too horrible for the mint to spread from there though. It`s rock hard red concrete type stuff. It took three days of hacking away at the ground to dig a hole 10 inches across and 8 inches deep to add rich soil and chicken manure to and put the fig tree in. Then I made a mound of soil around it and added a ton of grass clippings and leaves and seed hulls from under the bird feeder and laid down cardboard in a huge circle around it.
Getting ready to redo my layout for my 2024 garden! Thank you so much for these tips!!!! Got me rethinking everything!!!!h I have a baby fig tree in zone 7b and my neighbor always tells me she never had success with the fruit trees because of Ants! I am wondering which herb I could put around the fig without it taking over! Thanks again! Great article!!!
my west wall is insanely sunny and hot so much that the peninsula area of my lawn gets super dusty during dry period, and i up a mountain in NH. im gonna use that spot for lavendar hehehehehe but yeah herbs dont do very well at all in the front yard, ive attempted to plant shade type plants on the other side of my house but then i always forget about them cuz i dont regularly evere even go over on that side. also i like my ‘weeds’. many of the ‘weeds’ are also edible and medicinal herbs too. i love my mugwort, i use it to burn like sage
In the shady section, If you plant native shade loving plants you will support pollinators and insects that will compete with unwanted pests. Examples, native Christmas fern, native coral bells, native anemone, native wild asters, native iris cristata (dwarf iris). In a sunny spot, plant native coral honeysuckle, rudbeckia, echinacea, bee balm (careful it is aggressive but is easy to trim back or pull if it over grows an area.)
Since you’re on the Coast, have you, or could you please, post a article about plants to avoid in coastal areas? I can grow certain plants on my beach front property if planted on the opposite side of my house from the ocean. But so many plants I attempt to grow around my pool, for example, whither away. It’s very frustrating
I’m thinking that if you have large mature traditional style fruit trees, growing some of these plants underneath will cause headaches for fall cleanups. Cleaning up leaves and fallen fruit is important to keep the number of pests down that would overwinter and mature thyme or oregano plants underneath the tree would sure make that job a lot harder. We have had different types of clumping plants underneath our apple trees and experienced this firsthand. Might be okay for your small espalier trees though.
Now you really have my wheels turning for this spring 🤪 I’m definitely looking to get my fruit orchard going this year but really want to keep them in a smaller size because of very little room. I’m really interested in the manner you have your fruit trees growing. Can you make a more in depth description article of your method ( benefit, amount of yield and the pros/cons)…etc
Sorry to be off topic, but we have a small number of fig enthusiast in Middle Georgia, I showed my buddies your articles so now we’re all on the same page, you’re advice is working for us all, many thanks, my question is, my friend Richard saw a article on YouTube, I thought it sounded kinda silly being honest.. it was posted 2 months ago from a lovely gentleman.. something about growing big figs faster.. he went by Professor odd jobs?? I’m thinking he has a shorter growing season, and his tip for getting figs to ripen faster was to put a drop of olive oil on the eye of every green fig?? The science behind it is, the fig emits eteylene gas while it ripens, and putting the oil on the eye, makes the gas I guess stay inside the fig?? But he time lapsed it 10 days, and he said, it rained 4 days straight, and he had half a tree full of almost ripe figs?? Have you heard of that?? I know, everybody is looking for a shortcut, but I just don’t have that kind of time?? Any advice would be really amazing??
the primary reason to grow herbs is for use in the kitchen, for me at least, with secondary benefit of perennials looking nice in ornamental border…only if they’re not a nuisance to keep in check. but anyway, the reason not to grow all the herbs together is that they have very different watering and fertilizer needs. sage, thyme and rosemary like it not too wet and little if any fertilizer, whilst most of the more succulent herbs need regular water and some fertilizer.
Interesting that you need shade for your rosemary! But totally different climate. Here in the PNW, I have found it likes best the most sun-exposed sites (and good soil drainage) I can give it. It goes through its flowering cycle each spring, but it also thrives from year to year, instead of rotting and dying in our dark wet winters.
When I lived in California, I planted oregano, mint, Rosemary all around my house but I did them in pots I didn’t plant them on the ground. Do you suggest that in Montana, I just feel everything’s going to freeze. Would you do them in pots or would you put them on the ground, also we have a problem with deer
Thank you for such a brilliant article!!! I am doing what you are doing regarding planning. My new house is being built. As soon as I know about the sun exposures, I will definitely be using herbs for foundation plantings. The house is surrounded by woods (w. Nc in foothills of blue ridge mountains, so lots of pines and oaks) can I plant herbs in the woods! Do they help deter or invite deer? Thank you! (And thank you for the Amazon sales!
This was terrific. I guess the reason we all got into planting them in one spot, is the same reason we’ve gotten into a few messes in the lady centuries— ease, Have all together. The ancient knowledge all buried waiting to be uncovered again. This is thinking out of the square. And not too much extra trouble (to go walk a few steps further around as you gather your herbs for your dinner. AND — it’ll be less work because the weeds will be less. I thought of another benefit that i (don’t think) you mentioned— it will stop my bloodthirsty serial—killer Australian sun from drying my soil out, because those thick herb bushes can protect the earth == Less watering ( an Australian dream). I love this. Ive got nothing beside my fruit trees, and i have a many – herb garden all together in a raised box, which now has three foot tall mint, and heaven’s only knows how I’ll ever find the other herbs list in that mint-forest. (Gave up months ago on that). It literally looks like a skinny bamboo forest. So i am so glad of this. What have i got to lose? Never would have thought of this— because of. ‘Herb garden’ conditioning. Would not have crossed my mind. Thanks heaps mate. You get into habits don’t ya ? — and don’t think to change, sometimes. Because of no ground cover between fruit trees, i was then taught to deal with that by poisoning weeds. (I don’t, but I was brought up with that). It just goes from bad to worse. Thanks !
Working on sister’s 3 raised beds. pH 3.5, clayish, doesn’t break up easily when spading. Globe vegetables looked like carrots. Carrots not getting to full size. Compost composed of grass clippings hen and rabbit manure (more recently) increased worm count, steer manure, 9-9-11. What can I hammer the beds with now to drop the pH? How do I add microbes to the soil? Her asparagus bed is not doing well either, same problem. She has a wood stove and drinks coffee, and puts kitchen scraps in the compost. Not sure if that could be part of the problem.
Another grest knowledge packed article, MG!👍I put my herbs throughout the garden to repel pests, and because I like the look.👩🏾🌾 Thanks for all the knowledge!😃 Dale had on another stylish outfit. 🐕 He was ready to go indoors…I could see him in the background waiting for dad to finish his talk.🐕😄 How are your early tomato seedlings doing?
Really enjoy your website. A lot of great articles and useful tips! I live in zone 7b. I am restricted on space inside of my house. Do you think that I could start my seeds in my garage? I have a heat mat that I ordered last year thanks to one of your articles. I also have a small greenhouse that I could set up as well. Thanks!
‘Arp” Rosemary is hardy down to USDA Zone 6. I like to plant English lavender ‘Grosso’ which gets up to 30″ wide, blooms at least once a year and is very hardy. It loves sunny warm conditions and attracts bee and bumblebee pollinators. English lavender is edible. Sage and purple sage are great culinary plants that like sunny warm conditions. If you are into Mexican, Greek or Italian cooking then you need to grow hardy oregano. Those cuisines require a lot of fresh oregano. Mint should be kept in pots unless you want it to spread. Spearmint is a real thug in the garden. I have found that mint will grow where grass will not grow. That is, a shady spot that is constantly moist. It is a very tough plant and a little goes a long way. Ants get confused by mint and cinnamon scents. I plan to grow mint under my windows to cut down on little black ants during the summer. Most culinary herbs are from the mint family, including basil. Basil needs a bit of pampering with half sun and regular watering but it’s worth the extra effort. It is not hardy and needs to be replanted every year since it will eventually go to seed.
My concern by planting thyme or oregano under the apple trees is that once is time to harvest you will damage the herb by stepping on it or even when the apples fall on top of it unless you just want to have it as a repellent or ground cover then ok. It wouldn’t be my choice. Herbs work work well when planted with other vegetables….. except mint. Mint is best to leave in a forest or just inside containers as it is the most aggressive herb to have.❤
Questions… lots of questions… Planting say thyme or oregano on the west side won’t it still take over the rosemary??? I have a Pear shaped tree… not a fruit bearing and I have a rose bush close to it… . Will it still be safe to plant herbs there? Also with the invading herbs if you plant on the fence line won’t your neighbors get (to be pc) mad??? Can you plant them in a flower garden or is that bad? I have catnip growing for the neighborhood cats in my flowerbed… should I just get them out? Will they kill my flower plants and bulbs??? Thanks in advance !!!
Here in the Midwest at summer we are visiting by Japanese Beetles….they go to town on my roses for several months and it is rather disheartening…..I have my seeds potted as we speak under the grow lights…..rosemary, basil and others…..I do have room for herbs in my cottage style garden…..about 4 ft of room or so btw each bush….herbs are annuals where I live…..what do you recommend in the way of herbs to repel those dastardly things?? Thanks in advance.
Who sells Lima variety orange trees or a variety with the same attributes, It is a supposed to be a variety from Brazil with no acid and no tartness and is super sweet, I had a couple that I found out in my driveway and I had some seedlings that I grew from the seed and they were a year or more old but they died last summer. Thanks man
I have a question about spreading herbs. they typically do a good job at repelling insects, but do they also create homes/hiding spots for mice, rabbits, rats, squirrels, etc… I’ve never had to deal with rodents before, but I moved to a new state last year and we have a small rats problem and a big rabbit problem int he neighborhood. I’m already worried about these pests destroying my garden, but would allowing spreading plants to cover the area just give them a home right next to the food?
Whateva, whateva, I grow an herb garden outside my kitchen door. It’s my hot garden and I do what I want. But seriously, lemon balm and Persian basil integrate well in other beds. Of course thyme can grown between step stones when the fragrance is release when you walk on them. The whole thing with herbs preventing pests; my experience is moths inside rosemary bushes and mosquitos around citronella plants. Maybe it reduces numbers but they do not prevent pests.
If you use herbs daily; it’s really irritating to go and and search for them every time across the yard. Which is why they’re usually kept close to the door. And you can have multiple of each plant, some in a bed, and some spread throughout. Also some herbs also attract pests, so it’s worth researching which does which ahead of time.
I know this is off topic but we are overwintering two peppers and followed your instructions on your articles. The Jalapeno is doing well and is a deep green. The Impala was looking good until a week or so ago but its tiny leaves on the nodes started to droop and the plant looks like it is turning more woody. It still has green on it though. Any tips or is this normal? The peppers were removed from an outdoor garden on 10/31 and are placed next to a window. All the large leaves and dead wood has been pruned off and we continue to prune dead wood if it expands. I know sometimes certain pepper plants will just not make it and it doesn’t matter what you do. Thank you!
Notes: Alliums are a natural repellent Mint and thyme go better under deep root plants like fruit trees bc the spread. And the shade helps them. Rosemary oreganos and thyme and other evergreen herbs grow better in shady spots Tomatoes go good with basil and other noninvasive herbs like leeks etc Invasive herbs help keep out weeds
Your poor rosemary in the shade! These plants love the sun! What’s more, their blossoms are magic for the bees and butterflies, and in the shade, you’re going to get very few flowers. Rosemary also hates cold or wet feet, which it is likely to have in the shade next to your house. There are many, many plants adapted to shady areas, such as hostas, cyclamens, zantedeschias, astilbes and even Japanese maples. Why torture a sun loving rosemary?
I love herbs but I’m moving them into containers where they can be controlled, at least a little control and I put the containers next to the raised beds. I just removed half a raised bed of lemon balm. It wasn’t worth the time to separate the soil from the compacted roots so I refilled it for cheaper. I have room now for something more useful. The only exceptions are: Thyme (wild thyme) in my thornless blackberry bushes. The thyme controls almost all of the weeds and redbugs, etc., and it smells like pizza when I pick the berries. Mint in the pathway of the garden. It inspires work when walking through the beds. Both need to be watched closely.
While I agree with everything you’ve said about why not to have a dedicated herbal garden now let me say why I have one. I have to use stairs to go from house to garden. This is a problem for me because I have problems with my legs. Therefore, I have a herb garden outside my kitchen door where I can go out collect herbs for meals and come back in without going to ground level. kitchen garden 🤷🏻♀️