The past three years I have planted herbs in the ground. My husband for the past three years has killed them. He is going to be building me a hotbed and I was wondering what you all thought of growing the herbs in there. I have to buy all new plants or seed again, ;) but this time I do not think he can run over them with the lawnmower.
I have learned to try not to let them bloom. I have a bad time with basil blooming. I do not seem to be able to keep up with it.
I want to plant basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and I am not sure....
Any thoughts on this idea would be great... Today is my first day as a subscriber on this board.
Thanks
Jenn
Hotbed for an Herb Garden?
Welcome Jenn ~ glad to see you joining in. Unfortunately, the herbal activity is a bit slow but will pick up shortly.
Are you thinking of leaving the herbs in the hotbed year around? Will it be large? I ask because some of your chosen herbs can become quite large.
One thing I have learned here is not to let the herbs bloom as they become bitter tasting. The basils in particular ~ not to mention helping to prevent them from reseeding.
Does your DH mow them because he doesn't like them or does he just love the smell of chopping them up when he mows... LOL
He thinks he is helping and just mows over everything... He took down my whole garden when I was taking a nap with the girls..
I know I can leave some stuff out year round. I dunno what I will do.. I have to not kill it first. That is my first goal.
Jenn ~ you will do fine... just ask questions here. Someone will come along with the answers. Bless your DH for mowing but... grrrr!
The Oregano should be hardy for your "outdoors" year around. I think the thyme will also. You may have to search for a hardier type of Rosemary. Here they will overwinter in ground with no problem and usually bloom in winter. The mints will probably over winter but die down and come back. They will also smell wonderful if mowed down. A word of caution tho, they can spread too much by roots as well as seed.
Both the basil and parsley will reseed if allowed to or is easy to start next spring from seed. I find some of the tender (tropical) herbs for me are lemon grass, lemon verbena, allspice. Good luck! pod
Hi, Jenn. I think rosemary might be o.k. to grow outdoors, in the ground all year in your zone. The oregano and thyme should be o.k. Basil will like being warmer. If you were feeling industrious you could build some raised beds for herbs; lawnmower safe. My D.H. gets funny about his darn fruit trees and pulled up most of my beautiful yellow clematis last year because he was trying to "thin it" so it wouldn't "take over" his sour cherries. I still haven't gotten over that one entirely.
Rocks!! guys are protective of their lawnmowers, well placed Rocks at least the size if softballs work well here.
A herbal rock garden ~ love it!
Raised bed with rocks and gravel. Herbs like that, good drainage.
Hi, Jean!! I didn't realize you were into herbs!! This is my main and most checked forum but haven't visited here for a while 'cuz no one seemed to be posting..
Sounds like you want a kitchen garden. A hothouse is good only if you want to start annual seeds outside early or over-winter some tender plants out there. Else, it will fry your garden during the summer. A kitchen garden is good in a raised bed since you will be pruning fresh herbs often and bending over. A couple of bordered or raised beds in a convenient location ner the kitchen is ideal. Some garden supply stores sell snap-together bed frames that you just fill in with dirt. If you have a patio with room and sun around the edges, you can also add some planter boxes or large pots mixed with the herbs and some colorful flowers so it doesn't look so much like a "utility" garden.
I chose an English-style herb garden because I like the closed-in isolation and solitude this style creates. The "wall" is a holly hedge going around it to enclose the space. It is a "secret garden", my own little world. This design also keeps our dog from zipping trhough it and rooting up tender seedlings.
What you seem to really need is a good garden design plan. I would suggest a good bok for you that I have. It is "The Herb Garden: A Complete Guide to Growing Scented, Culinary and Medicinal Herbs" by Sarah Garland. It's full of history and garden design concepts, with illustrations for gardens with a purpose. Once you know what you want a garden for and how you will use it, then you will know what to do to set it up. AND---if you get your DH involved with the set up, he won't be so inclined to mow over it!!!
Hi fellow Herbies. I'm also new. Jenn sounds like a wonderful new project. Due to limited full sun I built an 8 foot stackstone circular bed which I divided into individual beds with plastic lawn edging so I could have different soil conditions for different herbs. I trim off my flowers with manual hedge clippers (quick, and the herbs don't to seem to mind). Ditto from me on the mint. Its invasive in my garden. Also have a problem with oregano trying a seeding takover. Rosemary should be hardy for you. It winters over for me (Zone 3a) if well mulched til end of May. Basil hates our cold nights in the foothills so I grow it in the greenhouse. Good luck with your herb garden and please post what you do. Thanks!
This message was edited Jan 29, 2008 9:16 AM
Okay, I cannot believe that I'm asking this, but ... what is a "hotbed"? I totally agree with FNFF's tastes in herb garden styles, but I have not managed to use that type of design on my small, mostly shaded lot... *sigh* ... but where there's a will ...
Does Hotbed = Cold Frame? snort
This message was edited Feb 5, 2008 2:19 PM
Snort back at you...
My Grammy's def of a hot bed was railroad ties with very good dirt/compost in them.. down the middle of her veggie garden.. Old school talk..
:) You can smack me Friday!
Oh, so it is a raised bed -- just like everyone else's replies seem to imply! Duh.
You have not earned a smack, btw. ... YET ...
I thought a hot bed was a cold frame.
LOL!! Me, too. Or at least another way to call a "hothouse bed." In my mind, Jean was asking about a greenhouse thing to keep her hubby off her plants.
I read somewhere a hotbed is generally used to start seeds (bottom heat source)
A cold frame used to protect young seedlings while hardening off.
They often look a like just different names according to the purpose they are used for.
Old fashioned hotbeds had compost as the heat source, now days it is an electrical heating cable.
Yes, GG! That's what I thought of when I first saw this thread -- it looks just like a cold frame, but with a heat source included. It's a shame that neither is used in this country very much any more. I'd love to have them.