What shouldn't be missing in any garden? That's right, herbs! Creating a simple herb bed is far too boring. A herbal spiral makes a lot more.
Rosemary, chives, thyme, sage - herbs simply belong in a kitchen garden. Many garden owners even have a separate herb bed or a real herb garden on their property. Not least because herbs do not require a very large area. Even a culture in pots on the windowsill is possible. So even people who don't have a garden can enjoy fresh herbs.
If you like it a little more unusual, put on a herb spiral in the garden. This is a kind of three-dimensional bed that allows herbs to be grown on different levels. This not only has the advantage of the small area, but also that you can meet the requirements of the different types of herbs.
Structure of a herb spiral
The herb spiral resembles a tower that winds upwards in the form of a spiral. This creates different areas that you can also equip with different surfaces. In this way you do justice to the herbs from the most diverse climate zones, which all have slightly different requirements in terms of their location.
The sides of the herb spiral are best secured with stones so that they can also store the heat of the sun and give it to the herbs. There should also be a small pond in the lower area of the spiral, where you can then grow the particularly moisture-loving herbs. Accordingly, the water zone is at the very bottom. This is followed by the wet zone, the normal zone and the Mediterranean zone.
Instructions for building a herb spiral
➥ Step 1 - find the right location
You can create a herb spiral all year round. But you have to wait until spring to grow the herbs. First of all, choose a suitable place for the herb spiral. A sunny place in the garden is ideal, because the Mediterranean herbs in particular need a lot of sun so that they can develop their full aroma.
» Important: One is expectedSpace requirement of about three square meters, the herb spiral rises about one meter in height. You should take this into account when choosing your location.
➥ Step 2 - Sketch Spiral Shape
Once you have found the ideal spot, you need to mark the shape and stake it out with sticks. It is important that you align the mini pond to the south.
➥ Step 3 - Build Wall
From the pond you can now start building the walls. Work from the outside in. It is best to use bricks or sand-lime bricks for this.
To reach the height of the spiral, use rubble, which you don't even have to spend a lot of money on. If you use round natural stones to build the walls, you must remember that you still have to fill the gaps with earth or clay.
» Important: The distance between the individual walls of the spiral should be around 60 centimetres.
➥ Step 4 - Create water source
It is best to use a foil for the pond, because this way you can design it freely. You can create transitions with a gentle incline, not only keeping the soil moist, but also allowing birds to drink from it.
» Recommended reading: Creating a garden pond - step-by-step instructions.
You can also sink a mason's bucket into the ground. But then the edge should also be under the ground so that there is a connection to the water. Then fill this bucket about a third full with gravel or sand.
➥ Step 5 - Fill in the soil
Now fill the herb spiral with soil. It is best to add mature compost to the soil in the lower area of the herb spiral and add some lime and sand to the upper area.
Tips for planting the herb spiral
Tip 1 - choose the right herbs
In the spring you can then start planting the herb spiral. You should always refer to the information on the seed bags when the ideal time for sowing is.
It is important to know that not all herbs are suitable for planting in a herb spiral. Herbs that can grow very tall, such as lovage, horseradish or comfrey, should be planted outside of the spiral. Wormwood is also not suitable for the herb spiral because its roots excrete substances that can negatively affect the growth of other herbs. Tarragon and mint form longRoot suckers, which also makes them unsuitable candidates for the spiral.
Tip 2 - plant these herbs in a pot beforehand
Perennial herbs that are only partially hardy, such as rosemary, should be planted in a clay pot and placed in the spiral. This allows you to move the plant to a warmer location in winter.
Tip 3 - also use spaces
If there is enough space in the gaps between the walls and you have filled them with soil, you can also place roofleeks or creeping thyme in them.
Tip 4 - Plant the edge of the herb spiral
If you want to decorate the edge of the spiral nicely, then you should plant nasturtiums around the edge. It then spreads outwards, which looks very nice.