The center of a formal herb garden is usually the focal point. If the orange of the calendula and nasturtiums is too bold for you, you can always substitute one of the paler yellow varieties or the pink variety of calendula. It makes use of the complementary color combos of purple/yellow and blue/orange. The color scheme is another unifying element that adds to the formality. You can, of course, improvise any way that suits you. The sprawlers are kept to a minimum, to retain a somewhat formal feel. Most of these plants will flower at some point in the season, but there is plenty of variety with just the plant shapes and textures.

The garden design shown here contains 20 different herb plants. Since this is a formal garden, the paths can be paved or mulched to provide the axis for the garden. The paths should be at least three feet wide for easy walking. Make sure all the plants can be accessed, both for harvesting and maintenance, without walking into the beds. So focus on texture and foliage color to bring a sense of fullness to your herb garden design. Most herbs used for culinary purposes won't be allowed to flower early in the season. Put more aggressive herbs, like mints and lemon balm, in pots either above or below the ground. Place low creepers, like thyme and chamomile, on opposite path edges to complement each other. When selecting plants for a formal herb garden, consider the growth habits and mature sizes of the plants. The more precise the lines, the more any wayward plants will stick out like a sore thumb.Ī less labor-intensive approach is to give your herb garden the bones of a formal layout and then fill it with exuberant herb plants that can be allowed to mature, fill in and spread without constant supervision. Just don't lose sight of the maintenance involved with keeping order in your herb garden. Designing a formal herb garden is easy enough. But to create a simple formal herb garden, all you really need to do is choose a geometric shape, like a circle or a square, divide it into sections of equal size and fill each section with similar or complementary plants. The Spruce Home Improvement Review Boardįormal herb gardens-with their symmetry, knots and interweaving textures-can look intimidating.

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