Medicinal garden or cricket wicket?

Having asked the opinions of my nearest and dearest, what seems apparent is they would be more interested if I announced I was building a cricket wicket rather than a herb garden!

This doesn't put me off or surprise me really, so I shall press on with my plans to make a medicinal herb garden as it feels like I've spent far too much time in the thinking stage and now need to get on with the doing stage.

The herbs in this garden need to have benefit for all the family. As a whole we need herbs to help with general stress and relaxation, sensitive digestive issues and hormonal uprisings! So what has emerged is a list of perennial and annual herbs that make up a 'prescription garden'.

A very rough idea - perennials like Rosemary and Sage on the left
and annuals like Marigold and Chamomile on the right.

This small circular space needs a simple design with an element of all year round structure. So having dismissed a formal knot garden and various star and spiral designs, I've opted for a smaller circle within the circular shape which forms an internal crescent. 

St Johns Wort - Hypericum perforatum

Within the smaller circle there will be structural herbs like Rosemary, Sage and Lavender and also softer herbs like Marshmallow,  St Johns Wort and Lady's mantle. Around the edge of the large circle will be the great and glorious Thyme.

Beautiful Borage - Borago officinalis

Within the crescent shape will be annuals and bi-annuals like Chamomile, Marigold, Borage and Hyssop - so far, there could be others. The crescent can evolve through the year from the glorious blues and yellows of the summer annuals to the cheerful smiling faces of Violas and Pansies in the winter months.   



In the next installment I will give more detail on the herbs and their medicinal qualities, how to get the best out of them. There also has to be a certain amount of hard graft to prepare the soil for planting and of course the good bit, which is finding and planting the herbs.

Have fun
BotanicalBird