There are hundreds of different garden herbs that are wonderful for growing in the herb garden. Of course, trying to fit them all in one bed doesn't work - so the gardener has to make a selection. How this turns out depends entirely on what the herbs are to be used for. The range of species and varieties varies depending on whether you want to create a kitchen garden, an exotic herb garden, a scent or aroma garden or simply plant a few herbs in the flower beds.
Which herbs should you grow in the herb garden?
In a herb garden you should grow culinary herbs such as parsley, dill and basil, native wild herbs such as chives and wild garlic, Mediterranean herbs such as thyme and sage as well as special species such as artemisia and exotic plants such as coriander and lemongrass.
Annual and biennial herbs
Many of our traditional culinary herbs such as parsley, chervil, savory, dill, marjoram and cress, but also ancient cultivated plants such as orach or purslane belong to this group. They are usually quite robust and can be sown directly into the bed in spring. When is the best time to do this depends on the specific type: in March you can start with parsley, chervil and cress. Dill, orache and rocket follow from April, followed by nasturtium, purslane and savory in May. You should only wait until after the Ice Saints to sow marjoram.
Other culinary and wild herbs
Many herbs in this group are native or naturalized in Central Europe and are well adapted to our temperate, rainy climate. As a rule, they also do well in partial shade, although species such as woodruff and wild garlic even love shady places under trees. Chives and lovage, ancient medicinal plants such as valerian and lemon balm, strong herbs such as horseradish as well as species that have since been somewhat forgotten such as wild rocket, sorrel, pimpinelle or watercress also need good, deep and moist soil.
Mediterranean herbs
Many herbs from the Mediterranean region are the exact opposite, namely sun-hungry and rather ascetic when it comes to the soil. Thyme, oregano, sage, rosemary, hyssop, the aromatic curry herb or lemon verbena prefer very warm, protected locations on barren and stony soils. Many varieties are very sensitive to frost - especially rosemary, bay leaf and lemon verbena - and are therefore better cultivated in containers.
Artemisia
Artemisia is the botanical genus name of a whole range of ancient spice and medicinal plants such as wormwood, mugwort, boar's rue and tarragon. The latter is best known from fine cuisine, where its sweet, anise-like taste gives fish dishes and delicate sauces aroma and sophistication. This family of herbs contains a lot of bitter substances, but also substances that have a toxic effect in higher concentrations - a well-known example is the alkaloid absinthe. Artemisia promote fat digestion and help with numerous other complaints. In the past they were considered strong “protective and magical herbs” and were primarily used for smoking.
Tip
If you want to grow something very special in your herb garden, you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for among the Asian exotics. Various types of coriander, shiso, Thai basil, lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, kaffir lime and even wasabi grow here.
