Growing herbs in your garden can be a very rewarding thing to do. Not only will the various herbs that you have in your herb garden provide flavor for meals throughout the year, they can also help to manage pests in an organic way. The tips below should help you to make and keep a successful herb garden, and allow you to make the most of the herbs that you grow.

Consider Planting  Annual Herbs With Annual Vegetable Crops

While some gardeners will simply decide to create a herb garden as a distinct growing area, it can also be helpful to have herbs spread throughout your kitchen garden. Companion planting annual herbs with annual vegetable crops can help to keep pests at bay. Certain herbs will repel pest species, while others will attract beneficial wildlife such as predatory insects and pollinators to your polytunnel garden. Spreading annual herbs throughout your growing areas can help you to maximize their beneficial impact, and since they are annual, they will fit in nicely with a crop rotation system.

Create a Permanent Area For Perennial Herbs

Not all herbs, however, are annual. Many are perennials which can endure in your garden year after year. You will not want to plant perennial herbs in beds that are part of a crop rotation plan, but should consider creating a dedicated herb garden for perennial herbs.

Understand the Different Needs of Herbs in Your Herb Garden

When deciding which herbs to grow, it is important to remember that not all herbs have the same needs and requirements. Some herbs like sun, warmth and a free-draining growing medium, while others prefer a wetter, more shaded environment. One of the most common mistakes made by novice gardeners is trying to grow very different herbs in the same area, when they require very different conditions to thrive.

Consider How You Will Create A Range of Habitats in Your Herb Garden

The key to success in growing herbs is creating a herb garden which can cater to all the different needs of the various herbs that you wish to grow. When creating a perennial herb garden area in your garden, you will have to consider how you are going to create this range of habitats. One great way to meet the needs of a range of different herbs in a relatively small area is to create a herb spiral. A herb spiral is one way to provide wetter and drier, sunnier and more shaded areas for a range of different herbs.

How to Create a Herb Spiral in Your Garden

A herb spiral is an idea commonly implemented in permaculture gardens. It is a way of growing a wide range of herbs, each of which enjoys different moisture and light levels, in a relatively small area. It can be a great solution for small gardens and allotments as it can increase growing area and maximize the edge effect. It also looks attractive and mimics one of the patterns commonly found in nature. 

One of the great things about herb spirals is that the idea is a flexible one. You can adapt the idea to suit your exact circumstances and to suit your needs. Use your imagination and you can create a herb spiral for next to no financial outlay.

Choosing a Location for Your Spiral Herb Garden

The first stage in making a herb spiral is to decide where it should be located. Herb spirals are usually best situated in full or partial sunshine in a sheltered spot that is protected to some degree from the prevailing winds. You should avoid areas of deep shade and frost pockets in cold climates and in hot climates, may wish to consider some sort of protection from the most intense sun, especially if you wish to grow herbs with higher moisture needs or those which are prone to bolting in hot weather. 

It is also important to consider practicalities when deciding where to create your herb spiral. Bear in mind that herbs are required often and will be most commonly used in the kitchen. Locate your herb spiral as close as possible to your kitchen, so you can just nip out every time you wish to harvest some herbs for a meal. A herb spiral will be less well tended and herbs less used if you locate your herb spiral too far from your home.