Gabions are mesh baskets filled with stones. When selecting the stones, you should base your decision on the material that has already been used for walls or to fasten surfaces. Granite and sandstone are often the first choice, but broken concrete or self-collected field stones are also conceivable.
How do I build my own herb spiral from gabions?
To build your own herb spiral from gabions, you need ready-made mesh baskets, spiral wires, tension anchors, galvanized wire and suitable stones. The gabions are assembled, placed on a prepared surface and filled with stones. The spiral is then filled with gravel, sand, gravel and substrate and finally planted with herbs.
Build a herb spiral from gabions
Gabions for herbal spirals can be bought ready-made at the hardware store and all you have to do is put them together and fill them. To do this, you need spiral wires and tension anchors (usually included) as well as galvanized wire. The stone material should not be so small that it falls through the grids, but not too large either. When it comes to tools, we recommend having pliers (€1.48 on Amazon) and bolt cutters ready.
Assembling gabions
First of all, you need to assemble the gabions by firmly connecting the grids on the outer edges. To do this, cut 10 to 15 centimeter long pieces from the wire, lay them around the edges and twist them tightly with pliers. The solid wire is more suitable than the spiral wire that is usually included because there is less play and the baskets are more secure. Once the baskets are assembled, prepare the surface at the selected location:
- Dig the measured area about 10 centimeters deep.
- Put grit and sand in there.
- Compact the area well.
Then the lower baskets are first set up and coated tightly with stones. The material should be layered as densely and closely as possible to ensure stability. Tension anchors are used to reinforce the grids. Now you can add more baskets, connect them with wires and then fill them with stones.
Filling and planting the herb spiral
First of all, gravel or building rubble goes into the finished gabion spiral, in different quantities depending on the height of the later surface - at the end the typical, spiral cone shape should be created. Then fill it with sand and gravel and, as a final layer, the actual substrate, which differs depending on its placement within the spiral. At the top there is lean, sandy substrate; in the descending fields it should become increasingly rich in nutrients. You can then plant the spiral with the selected herbs.
Tip
A herb spiral should always be placed as close as possible to the house and in a sunny and wind-protected location.
