Herb Garden Design Plans: A 21st Century Healing Garden

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June/July 2009
By Kathleen Halloran 
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How to Plant and Tend

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When you design your apothecary garden, take a tip from those monks: Be sure to include pathways, because a healing garden is not just for show. You want easy access to the plants so you can harvest them regularly.

Choose a site that receives full sun for at least six hours a day. An enclosed garden like this one helps protect plants from wind and damaging weather. But it also can block sunlight for a portion of the day. In these lower-light areas, plant lemon balm, peppermint or other herbs that tolerate partial shade. Add a generous amount of compost to the soil before planting to improve drainage and to supply nutrients. 

Don’t skimp on the number of plants for your garden; you’ll want sufficient quantities for drying, tinctures, salves and other preparations you will use later. Some of these herbs, such as feverfew and purple coneflower, will self-seed to give you lots of harvestable flowers, leaves and roots in subsequent seasons. Harvest frequently to keep your herbs attractive and healthy.

Kathleen Halloran is a freelance writer and editor living and gardening in beautiful Austin, Texas.

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  • Mike Taylor 9/10/2009 2:09:12 AM

    One of the best things about herbs are that they produce the strongest scents and flavors with little water, and that is an important consideration in the southwest. Regarding paths - I like the way the plants wander out in the pathways where you step on or brush against them as you walk - giving you a wonderful aromatic adventure as you wander your garden.

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