The Accidental Herb Garden

Today I tackled what has become known as the Accidental Herb Garden.


It started out last spring as the beginnings of a garden room. I’m re-designing my backyard into a series of garden rooms. I want to eventually eliminate the lawn completely and instead have paths through different areas or “rooms”. I started by extending the bed where the butterfly bush anchors the corner of the shed. I stopped after only a few feet because I realized that I had no idea what I was going to plant there!

It became the bed where I put things I didn’t know what to do with. First it was the hyssop. I don’t remember where I planted it originally, but it got moved here. Next were a Golden Sage and a Tricolor Sage that I bought at the same time I purchased the Pineapple Sage for my Butterfly/Hummingbird Garden. Then I moved some Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot) from a too-shady spot where it was really languishing to the new catch-all bed. When some dill popped up probably thanks to the birds, I realized that I had an informal herb garden and christened it the “Accidental Herb Garden”.

The weeds have taken over, especially at the end where I never really finished removing the turf. I also had to throw caution to the wind and dig up some more lawn. I have to laugh at myself. I brag about my aversion to lawns and how I want to eliminate mine, but I am finding it difficult to actually dig up the lawn. I am a child of the suburbs where lawns reign supreme. The men (and now women) compete to have the best looking lawn. It actually hurts me to destroy mine. But I persevere.

After digging, weeding and trimming, it was time to move some plants. Moving in from the now defunct Green Garden were six Lady’s Mantles.


From the same bed, came St. John’s Wort. The Wild Bergamot got moved to the end of the bed because it had done so well in its new home and was crowding the sages which also did well.

Before
After
The St. John’s Wort is difficult to see in the above picture because at this stage, it is just stems with no foliage.

Then I moved on to the Purple Garden. The Lamb’s Ear is concentrated in one spot and I wanted to start spreading it out.


This bed is round. Next spring, I will square it off. Eventually, it will be extended to enclose another room. While I was digging up the Lamb’s Ear, I found some catnip which was moved to, you guessed it, the Accidental Herb Garden.

I started out my day by transplanting three peonies from the border along the Ugly Green Fence to the Entry Garden in front. I’m counting on the fact that peonies are tough. I’m having difficulties finding things that do well in that bed.

All of this frantic transplanting is being done because it is supposed to rain tomorrow which should get everything off to a good start.