In June of 2024, when Kirk and I attended a permaculture immersion class, I was really taken by herb spiral beds. The teacher, for sure, loved them for their nature-friendly design.
I was going to build one in the summer of 2024, but then I injured my arm in early July. As it healed, I was planning the bed I would make in the winter, then we decided to move from our place.
I saw this image on an agriculture FB page recently, and it really called to me:
It’s a beautiful spiral design, but for my current garden layout, it wouldn’t match the rest of the garden. The lines in my garden are straight; this one is like the cosmos, unraveling at the end. It’s a fantastic design, but I knew it’d make a massive mess in my garden. It would work best along the house, and not in the gardens. The other thing about the planting in it is that those are young plants. You need to ensure the tallest plants are in the upper areas and have room to grow. For example, Rosemary needs far more space; it would be the only plant at the top – it can easily become a 3-foot-high bush. Sage fills in quickly and needs room to spread out. Whereas Thyme stays low and does best at the bottom, it will also spread, and it may require deep trimming over time.
So think these out before you build a spiral – and also remember that the higher you go, each loop will require more soil, but look more impressive, rather than a flat spiral.
So I kept thinking about what might work.
But recently I saw this design on an agriculture page, and I thought, “This is what I should put in, in the one open area in the garden that is left. While I have a dedicated herb bed, I also want one that reflects nature.
And unlike the spiral beds, this one is contained. I have in the past built a somewhat keyhole bed (though it had straight lines).
Two places back, the neighborhood decided to remove the pavers around the trees on the sidewalks and was going to pay a company to do so. Pay! So I fought it, and we had a day when anyone there could grab as many as they wanted for their projects. Cut it in half…..I brought so many home and built beds with them.
I liked this bed because I could walk into it. You can make it as high as you want, too. And being pavers. It could be used even to sit on.
Then there is the first herb bed I put in at our latest home. While it isn’t a natural look (with metal beds), it makes me happy. This was in summer, when I planted all the herb plants I had on hand. They had not filled them out yet.
Far lusher a few weeks later.
I had put in a mix of annuals along with the permanent ones, and filled it to the brim. The pollinators were very happy this year. In late November, the many Basil plants finally died, so I pulled them out and cut back the perennials that had died back. Next spring I will refill it.
For me, I will probably have two full-size herbal beds, as I like having a wide assortment of plants on hand.
The Takeaway:
It really doesn’t matter what the bed looks like – organic or manmade, it is that you have herbs growing. To use fresh or dried, culinary or medicinal.
You want an area that drains well (herbs generally hate heavy soil like clay) and as sunny as possible.
Many herbs are classified as “mostly deer safe” because of their essential oils. Which means you can have the herb section on the outside of your garden’s fencing. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but I have never had a single Sage or Lavender plant chewed on. It’s right up there with Rhubarb (the chickens liked that though) It’s a pretty way to build around a garden and add in more plants and color – without taking up valuable space for produce, which needs to be protected.
Make a list of the herbs you want to grow, and read up on their heights so you know which ones to put in the back so they don’t shade the shorter ones. Know which plants sprawl/flop, which ones drop seeds, which could potentially take over (every mint plant), and which ones will need staking to ensure good growth.
You will need to plan what you want to start from seed in late winter, and what you can buy. I found a lady who comes to the farmers’ market here and sells small plants. Paying her $3 to $ 6 per plant is a good deal, since I only need one of each. I don’t need an entire packet of Lime Basil – just one plant. Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme are the same – I only need one plant each! Many herb plants are hard to find, though, so seeds can be a boon (especially medicinal varieties). At some point, I may go back into business and grow starts again, for sale, but I still have so much to do on our land first. Until then, I support locals.
If you are growing from seed, start your seedlings in January so they are big enough to set out by spring.
But no matter what, do not overthink it. Have fun planning, building,g and putting plants in. You can always replace plants each year if you change your mind.
But plan an herb bed. It’ll make you happy!
~Sarah