Above is a photo of one of the my gardens in mid summer. Mostly herbs but a few roses and native flowers, it is a good example of what you can create in a small space that will yield a bounty of material for dried floral projects. The time that you spend selecting a location with the right amount of sunlight and preparing your beds will reap rewards with healthy and fast growing plants that will give you a beautiful and bountiful garden. Soil here in the Midwest is heavy clay so some amendments will need to be made before planting your herbs, flowers, and bushes.
Location Location Location: Let the Sun Shine!
Most herbs and flowers are sun loving plants and will be happier if giving a good amount of sun for most of the day to produce the best results. All of the 14 plants selected for this series tutorial (see Part 1 for the list) will benefit from sun exposure. Hydrangeas may do better with dappled shade and if you need to place all of the plants together try to place these near the shade of a tree. The rest of them will tolerate full sun.
What’s In My Soil?
If you have an existing bed that will be the home for your new garden you can check the PH of the soil to determine exactly what is needed to improve your soil. Most garden centers carry PH kits to test the soil. Soil that is either too alkaline or too acidic can hinder plant growth. Soil PH runs between 1 and 14. Maintaining a neutral PH of 7 will benefit most plants. Most garden soil has a neutral PH of 6 or 7. Herbs run a bit contrary to that rule though. Herbs will flourish in very poor soil. If you can place herbs in a dedicated garden bed. Herbs tolerate a wide variety of soils but a sandy soil is a good place to start. You can add well rotted compost and garden lime and you should be good to go.
Lavender, Rosemary and Roses will all benefit from some additional bone meal. Bone Meal will help create a more alkaline soil that those plants prefer. If you can amend the soil 30 days ahead of planting it will give the soil a chance to settle in. I wouldn’t worry too much though if you must plant right after amending the soil it’s OK. I have done it many times with good results.
Month 1 Protect Those Tender Plants
Deer and Rabbits love to nibble on the new menu items added to your garden. Once established it won’t hurt to lose a few leaves but in the beginning it can kill tender plants that are depending on just those few leaves to survive. I have fenced off entire garden sections high enough to prevent the deer from entering the space. I have also created domes over small plants out of wire or wood mesh, used tomato cages wrapped in chicken wire, and created moats around them with deer repellent with mixed success. Stringing fishing wire across the perimeter works well too. Once the deer touch it they are spooked and usually leave the area alone. Do whatever is needed to protect the plants until they gain some momentum or they won’t survive.
Month 2 Weed and Aerate Regularly
I don’t use herbicides since I have edible gardens in the same area. This means that controlling weeds is necessary and must be done regularly. Hand tools for weeding can make the job easier, especially for weeds with stubborn roots. I keep a garden fork type spade or hoe handy and try to turn the soil around the plants a few times a week once the weather turns warm. It helps keep the weeds upended and the plants seem to benefit from the aeration of the soil. Weeding regularly will keep the space around the plants open so they can expand and grow freely.
Month 3 Harvest Begins
Not all plants will be ready to harvest in month 3 but you should harvest the flowers as soon as they bloom for best results. Many plants will reward you with a second harvest in early fall if this is done properly. Herb flowers especially are very forgiving. You should cut them down within a few inches of the ground. This should give you long stems to dry and also encourage new growth. We will cover harvesting the herbs and drying them in Part 3 of the 4 part series.