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Herbs Add Spice to Garden Designs
| Article
# : |
11160 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
3 / 1986 |
1,415 Words |
| Author
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Eric Rosenthal
Eric Rosenthal is a free-lance writer living in New York
City. He writes for various national and international
publications. His expertise is in horticulture. |
The cultivation of herbs is as old as civilization itself. Over five thousand years ago the Sumerians had already described the therapeutic properties of thyme, caraway, and many other plants employed in the healing arts. The Greeks and Romans used herbs not only as medicine but also to make food seasonings, cosmetics, dyes, and even aromatic room fresheners.
It took the artistic sensibility of the Elizabethans to recognize herbs as worthy garden ornaments. Neatly trimmed dwarf lavenders, sages, and other compact-growing herbs were weaved into intricate landscape embroideries, called knot gardens, that became the rage of sixteenth-century Europe.
Nothing so elaborate is required of modern gardeners. Indeed, part of the appeal of herbs as garden plants is their versatility. They can be grown in rows within a vegetable patch or may be grouped into formal or casual clusters throughout a home landscape. Rest assured that with their delicate flowers, as well as their attractive leaves in myriad shapes, textures, and colors, herbs can hold their own against conventional decorative plants.
Since herbs deserve to be showcased like garden flowers, why not do so in a prominent bed or border? A flair for design is a plus but not a must. The selection of herbs and the layout of the bed is largely a matter of personal taste an common sense. Although there are no firm rules of design, it certainly is sensible to spot different sized herbs where they can be best appreciated. Clumps of tall-growing varieties, such as sweet Cecily and artemisia, should go toward the bed's rear. Parsley, winter savory, or other low-growing types make pretty front edgings.
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