Dyer’s Gardens are intended for growing herbs and plants traditionally harvested to be used in producing dye supplies to color wool, cotton and silk fibres, fabrics and crafts. The problem in growing this type of garden is that you will generally need a lot of one particular dye plant to make just a little dye. For this reason most dye gardens look mostly like cut-flower gardens. It is a lot of fun deciding what plants to use. The design and planting is very simple, strait rows of specific dye plants and a walkway running in between each row for easy access. Rather than planting large dye gardens of their own many gardeners will concentrate on 3 to 4 dye plants and look for wild plants as source of material easily gathered from sunny meadows such as goldenrod for a source of yellow dye.

A dyer’s garden is a place where nature, dye plants, time and human history meet. Relatively large plots are necessary to produce the amount of material required for a practically usable amount of dye. The interesting part is in knowing the right formula for each batch of fiber since the amount of plant dye, mordant (color fixer) and amount of fiber will differ according to the type of dye plants available. Plant a dyer’s garden with a collection of herbs and plants such as Bloodroot to dye reds, pinks and orange colors. Burdock; for a yellow dye. Hollyhocks blossoms to get pinks, red, mauve and tan colors.

Dyer’s garden

visit my other sites

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

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

visit my other sites

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

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

Visit my other sites

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

The quadrant garden design is very old, but also very popular way to display herbs. It is a simple square or rectangular space with paths cutting the area into four equal parts. This garden design usually, outline each of the four equal parts with a fence and the perimeter boarders inside each fence is planted with perennial herbs such as lavender, chives, mints, lemon balm or thyme.

The inner squares are used to grow annual herbs such as parsley, basil, chervil or chamomile. These can be rotated with deferent herb beds each year.

Very small spaces can be effectively planted using a guardant plan. The design was very popular with Colonial gardens.
A quadrant garden can be rather plain in design. However, it can be decorated, by using color paving for the paths and by placing an ornament such as a Sun Clock in the center of the garden, and transform it into a head turning herb garden.

Quadrant Garden

visit my other sites

Fruit and Nut Trees

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This

Paving on sand can create ideal conditions for herbs that prefer a sunny and well-draining ground. Herbs such as Thyme can creep and spread out through the cracks. A Chequerboard pattern of slabs with plants in the spaces between is a simple design but effective showpiece for herbs, planted to create blocks of colors that highlight the design. Paving slabs come in a wide range of shapes and colors which makes it easier to blend your design with the surroundings and the herbs you are going to plant.

You can have several different materials, colors and/or shapes to create an informal effect or keep your design uniform. Slabs are usually square or rectangular but other shapes are available. First you will need to mark out the perimetry (use some pegs and string), level the area and with a rake smooth out the space. Take some planks make a frame that will surround the edges of the designated area and firmly hold to the ground using some wooden begs on the inside corners and middle of the wooden frame but, make sure you spirit level the frame as you go along.

Cover the base inside the frame with 6cm sharp sand, level and smooth out, and check with the spirit level to get a level surface. Lay all of the slabs in place leaving a gap equal to the length of a slab between each one. Make some sand-cement mixture with sufficient water for a stiff mortar. Lift slabs, one at a time, and place sufficient mortar in the center and each corner then replace the slabs back. Now place some mortar along the inside edge of each space to secure the slab. Tamp each slab with the handle of a club hammer against some piece of wood and make sure the slab aligns with the frame. Check again with your spirit level.

When you have finished with the slabs scoop the sand from around their edges and seal with mortar to keep the sand under the slabs secure. When the mortar is fully set fill the planting area with soil and plant your herbs such as Lemon balm, Marjoram, Nasturtiums, Tansy, Mint and/or Thyme.

Chequerboard Herb Garden

visit my other sites

Fruit and Nut trees

everythyng herbal at herb-garden world

Share This