This is a modern alternative garden that uses mostly flowering herbs to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. This type of garden is usually planted in a warm sunny area and away from strong wind. A wall or hedge offers a good protection. Paths are formed to separate pre-made beds that have been filled with herbs. These beds can be planted in an orderly fashion to create a more formal appearance or encourage the herbs to knit into each other and spill into the pathways for an informal look.

Bees are useful to help pollinate plants and manufacture honey but they can also contribute a little of old-fashioned touch as they searching for pollen and nectar. They are attracted to most herbs. Butterflies are highly attracted to herbs such as oregano, mint and basil, violets, rue, foxgloves, evening primrose, Echinacea and lavender. The purpose here is to attract as many as possible of these beautiful insects for our pleasure but also to provide them with an extension of the ever decreasing habitat. Tubular red flowers such as pineapple sage, bee balm, nasturtiums but also hyssop, Korean mint, salvia and catmint are a magnet for hummingbirds.

An additional attraction to hummingbirds that should be included in your herb garden, though without herbal qualities, is a hummingbird vine or trumpet creeper such as ‘Madam Galen’ that has large flowers and stays in bloom for some time. The vine makes a lovely addition to the garden and, there is nothing else more certain to attract hummingbirds.

bee/butterfly/hummingbird garden

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Parterre is French for “on the ground”. The popularity of Parterre garden is dating to 17th-century France. The garden is similar to formal Elizabethan knot garden; however, knot gardens are more elaborate, with hedges of different varieties crisscrossing to appear as though they are knotted. Parterres can be much simpler in design, and often planted with a single hedge material in a pattern and with the spaces in between filled with herbs of different colors. The garden simply is a layout of symmetrical, geometrically raised beds bordered with boxwood and separated by brick paths providing a case of kaleidoscopia. As with knot gardens, parterres are best when located in a leveled area that can be viewed from above. A fence or wall surrounding the garden covered with some type of vine, such as ivy, ensures privacy and enhance the feeling of serenity.

Parterre Garden

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2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

4 tablespoons (one each) of the following chopped herbs:

Thyme, parsley, marjoram and chives.

1 crashed clove of garlic (optional)

1/4 cup of olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Whisk in a glass bowl the mustard with the vinegar and herbs.

Gradually whisk in oil (a few drops at a time), until the mixture thickens.

Season with salt and ground pepper.

Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Makes 250ml

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The following list of herbs is not the only ones you should use in your compost heap. However, these herbs are very rich in minerals and elements that make for a good rich compost to use later in your garden. All kind of herbs will add some nutrients to your heap.

Dandelion – It adds sulfur, potassium, iron and copper.

Chamomile - Rich in calcium which helps to alkalize the heap.

Comfrey - Rich in nitrogen, calcium and potassium. It accelerates the breaking down of the heap matter.

Nettle - This is another rich in minerals herb to add to your compost heap. Copper and iron are the main minerals.

Yarrow - This is my preferred compost heap accelerator. The herb is rich in phosphates and copper

If you do not have compost heap trim herbs and scatter the clippings around your garden to act as mulch and fertilizer while they break down.

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Fruit and Nut Trees

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by steve stamos

French Tarragon is a native of southern Europe. It is used today as culinary herb although had been used for the treatment of toothache in the past. It has a delightful flavor when fresh or dried. Given the right conditions and some attention it can be quite productive plant. Propagation is by rhizomes. It grows to90 cm tall and produces clusters of grey green or white flowers. French Tarragon is easily killed by heavy frosts. However, it does not seem to thrive in very hot summers either. Tarragon likes mild cool climate, full sun and good drainage. It makes a great addition to the home garden.

French tarragon has an impostor. The Russian Tarragon is not worth growing. Fresh French Tarragon has a strong aniseed flavor while the Russian is vaguely aromatic. Russian species are more vigorous and they will set seeds while French Tarragon never does.

Harvest the plant before the flowering stage. Drying the herb is difficult as the young tips will discolor if dried too slowly and the leaves of the drying herb will turn brown if exposed to even slight moist. Artificial dry heat of no more than 35C will achieve the best results. At the end of harvest cut stems near ground to encourage new vigorous regrowth.

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