[EzLou]

we have this long border [pics below for ref - you can just see our fledgling veg patch beyond with yummy leeks and devstated sprouts]









which was just a mass of stinging nettles when we moved in. We cleared it and discovered this nice brick edging.
Took out a bit of the fence and put in the arch  - planted honeysuckle to the left and jasmine to the right [established plants we brought from other place]. Plus stuck a few other plants in the ground we bought with us before they died.

Soil is very sandy but with a neutral ph. garden faces south.

At the back by the fence I've planted a couple of Rosemary plants - we also have another Rosemary and a winter jasmine.

 so if you can imagine the very back of the border will look as follows:

hedge-Honeysuckle-arch/gap - jasmine - rosdemaryrosemaryrosemary -winter jasmine gap -summerhouse.

Do you think that will look ok? I don't want a massive hedge as its a nice view = thats why we put that arch in - its directly in front of french windows so you can see right down the garden.

We want to put another arch in the far gap but the fence has concrete foundations so we will have to wire it on - which is what we did with the first arch and it seems quite solid

I would like to maybe add more arches to create a tunnel - we thought that until the honeysuckle/jasmine grows we could plant beans to make it more attractive...what do you think? I thought a path underneath the arch with random thyme dotted through itso its not a concrete oblong. Will thyme grow in the shade if we make a tunnel?

My real issue is the rest of the border - I think it really needs an old fashioned cottage style garden - I want lots of herbs [Ive got lots of seed packets] plus nasturtiams, roses and similar stuff. But I'm not a very good designer.

I know the cottage garden is meant to be a mishmash but I dont want it to look a mess! I think there's an art to casualness.

What would you guys do with it? I'd love to hear all thoughts, tips, advice, comments etc etc - its all interesting and may throw up something I hadn't thought of.

[Lynne]

In my herb garden I also have purple sage and thyme which have lovely flowers which the bees love. I also have chives and wild garlic which look great, especially when flowering, but die back in the winter.

I also have bay, but this can get big and needs lots of pruning. Also lavender, again pretty and attract insects as well as beautiful perfume.

Sage, rosemary, lavender and especially bay can get quite large over time, so allow plenty of space.

I used to have angelica, but learned the hard way that I had terrible swelling and wheals if I even brushed against it.

I'm sure others will have lots more suggestions, but I tend to plant only what I will use.

[EzLou]

Yes I want to fill it with herbs - I already have lots in pots that I'd like to put in the garden - sage and blackcurrant sage [smells divine!] chives etc etc.
Got a nice Bay in a pot which I will leave there as its a tomb for a beloved guinea pig.

How have you arranged your herb garden? Is it just random or is there a plan - its really more the actual layout that I'd like advice with.

My natural inclination is just to plant stuff and see what happens but I don't want it to look like a dogs dinner. The usual border style ie Graduating from high at the back to low at the front - is probably a good start but its such a long border I dont want it to look boring.

Maybe we could have small paved areas to put the bird bath on etc? A statue even?

[Lynne]

I think the traditional 'tall at the back' might be best as otherwise the smaller plants may struggle for enough sun. I think a bird bath, statue or even a large feature pot would look nice amongst the plants as they grow. (There doesn't necessarily need to be anything planted in it, although something training could work.)

My patch is about 8 foot long by 4 deep. I have the bay and sage at each back corner and three different types of rosemary between them. These sort of provide a structure so the rest of the planting is more random, but still roughly following height. At the very front I have the smaller plants that I allow to spread out from the bed so that there are no hard edges.