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Herb gardening is a simple and easy skill to learn. Compared to things like roses and orchids, herbs are easy to care for. They do well in poor soil, hardly any fertilizing and little watering. Compare that to many other garden plants, learning how to build an herb garden is a breeze.

That being said, you can’t just throw some seeds in the ground and expect a great garden. You need to have some basic herb garden plans before you start planting.

Herbs thrive in poor conditions, and as a result, can become overgrown. Yarrow will completely take over large areas, and lavender will also begin to spread. Chives will even become overly crowded and bushy. There should be enough space in your garden or pot for the amount of plants you plan on growing.

Herbs will thrive contentedly as long as they have a foot of space or so betwixt the main sections. For example, chives have a nice appearance and grow well together - but their roots need space for nutrition and water. Other plants nearby will provide competition for the nutrients so be sure to keep that in mind when making your herb garden plans.

Soil preparation for herbs is important when learning how to build an herb garden, but it is not difficult. A wide range of herbs will thrive on a mix of clay and sandy loam or a good compost. Be sure to provide sufficient drainage. A good amount of herbs originate from the Mediterranean, so they can thrive in somewhat dry and rocky soil. Their evolution occurred in areas with adequate drainage, but all herbs need watering. Be sure the soil is moist, but not soaking wet.

For example, sage and lavender can thrive with nearly no manual watering. Natural rainfall can satisfy these herbs. Peppermint needs some more attention, but this can be easily accommodated by an automatic drip watering system.

Landscape fabric is a great way to keep weeds from growing in your garden, ruining the beauty of your garden and choking out your precious herbs. Digging up weeds later can be tiring and frustrating, while using herbicides might kill your herbs since they have a similar makeup. You also do not want to spray poison on your future food supply.

Despite herbs natural resistance to insects, you may want to consider adding a few sacrificial plants to your herb garden plans in order to save the ones you want the most. Dill plants can serve as a ‘trap crop’ that bugs will enjoy over your ripening tomatoes you have waited so long for. If you are hoping to use the produce of your dill plants for eating, try to use as little insecticide as possible to save them.

The final thing to consider when learning how to build an herb garden is to know when to plant your herbs. Some thrive at different times of the season, some should be planted every 4 weeks. Knowing when to plant will insure a great crop.

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