I'm a new herb gardener and I am looking for the taller herbs, smaller herbs, and cascading herbs.
I know that basil can sometimes grow to be about 3'. I also heard that Oregano is a cascading plant so it can be grown on the outside of a pot.
Please supply me with information.
-
joshbuchan
- Senior Member
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:40 pm
- Location: Clevedon, UK
-
joshbuchan
- Senior Member
- Posts: 178
- Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:40 pm
- Location: Clevedon, UK
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Oregano will cascade over the side of a pot, but it will also rapidly fill up and take over the pot. Thyme is another creeper that will cascade and it is slower growing and not so likely to take over.
As you mentioned the basil is an upright grower. I often make a container with a green basil and a purple basil growing together in it, they look beautiful together.
To make a mixed container of herbs, dill is nice to add. It is delicate and feathery, a good textural contrast. Dill and basil in temperate climates are grown as annuals, which means you start over each spring so they don't keep getting bigger and bigger and filling up your container. Parsley is nice for the middle ground between the tall basil and the cascaders, being smaller. Sage would be another middle ground plant. It's perennial, so gets bigger than the parsley but its growth habit is kind of sprawly. It also comes in colors--gold, purple, or a very ornamental tricolor with variegated green, white and pink/purple leaves.
That's a few suggestions to start with. I'm sure other people will have more ideas.
Here's a nice little article about growing culinary herbs: https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/culinaryherbgarden.htm
As you mentioned the basil is an upright grower. I often make a container with a green basil and a purple basil growing together in it, they look beautiful together.
To make a mixed container of herbs, dill is nice to add. It is delicate and feathery, a good textural contrast. Dill and basil in temperate climates are grown as annuals, which means you start over each spring so they don't keep getting bigger and bigger and filling up your container. Parsley is nice for the middle ground between the tall basil and the cascaders, being smaller. Sage would be another middle ground plant. It's perennial, so gets bigger than the parsley but its growth habit is kind of sprawly. It also comes in colors--gold, purple, or a very ornamental tricolor with variegated green, white and pink/purple leaves.
That's a few suggestions to start with. I'm sure other people will have more ideas.
Here's a nice little article about growing culinary herbs: https://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/culinaryherbgarden.htm
-
MysticGardener67
- Senior Member
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:31 am
- Location: Lexington KY
I have done many herb pots for clients and customers. I like using thyme as the draping creeping element, Sage especially purple sage for a medium height element, Basels of many and all varieties.
There is nothing saying that you can't have flowering annuals in your cuminary containers either as a color point. Many annuals are als o considered edible herbs... such as Nasturtiums, the Violet family ( Pansies, Violas, ect) Marigolds and Chamomile...
Herbs do so well in containers simply because most of our culinary herbs all like the same hot , bright and often dry conditions common in container gardening. These are exactly the 'mediteranian' conditions they evolved in.
There is nothing saying that you can't have flowering annuals in your cuminary containers either as a color point. Many annuals are als o considered edible herbs... such as Nasturtiums, the Violet family ( Pansies, Violas, ect) Marigolds and Chamomile...
Herbs do so well in containers simply because most of our culinary herbs all like the same hot , bright and often dry conditions common in container gardening. These are exactly the 'mediteranian' conditions they evolved in.