Mediterranean Herb Garden

14 years ago

Does anyone have any suggestions for a mediterranean herb garden for zone 5? It's for my Mom. She has a bed in front of her kitchen window that is 13' x 4' and on the south side. Very sunny in the summer, with temperatures in the 80s an 90s in July and August.

The bed is on a slight hill, so the west side will be raised a few feet, which will provide some drainage. She would love to include a few roses, some lavender, sage and is open to other herbs (especially culinary) that would be appropriate for her zone. She doesn't mind a few annuals, but would like to stay with perennials as much as possible. Any suggestions on types of sage or other herbs that would give her that Mediterranean feel and still work with her winters?

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Comments (9)

herbalbetty
14 years ago
You've already got a great start Lavender Lass. Maybe add some thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, basil (annual), parsley (biennial). How about an olive tree or a lemon tree in a pot that she could bring indoors for the winter?
lavender_lass
Original Author
14 years ago
Herbalbetty- Thank you for the great suggestions. Lemon thyme is a great idea (she loves lemon) and I wish she had room for a lemon tree in the house :)

Any suggestions on what type of rose would do well in zone 5, be fragrant and go well with her Mediterranean theme? She has a yellow house and she loves old rose/damask fragrance.
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Amato's advice is good, but I would like to suggest you to plant the perennials in the autumn better than in spring, if possible. That will give your plants some extra months for their roots to grow. The longer they are, the deeper they can search for water. That makes them more resistant to our hot and drough summers, and you won't need watering them so often. The best month is usually October. Plants like rosmarinus, lavandula, salvia or thymus are stressed by excess water (they will rot) and they dislike wet leaves. Planting aromatics is better than seeding them in general, and for rosemary, lavandula, salvia and mentha in particular. Mentha, melissa,and basilicum need watering sometimes. You better don't mix them with the other aromatics. If you seed instead of planting, then I would do it in spring. The plantlets don't grow much in winter anyway and some will die from cold or fungal diseases unless you keep them in a greenhouse. I had good results seeding thymus, origanum, basilicum and melissa. I hope you enjoy your aromatics and let us know about your progress.
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cyrus_gardner
14 years ago
Check with some nurseris in the area about the types of roses. They may have dwarf ones to put in a corner in the bed. To be meditearanean, I think it should be fragrant so you can use rose pettals in tee or cooking.
Also plant some nastutiums on the boder, train them to grow outside the bed. They are edible(all part) with nice mustard-like flavor. Plus the frowers can decorate a nice salad.
flora_uk
14 years ago
Regarding the space for a lemon tree in the house. Maybe you sre thinking of the kind of lemons which grow outdoors in some climates. I have a dwarf Meyer lemon which is at least 15 years old and is about two feet tall in a 12 inch diameter pot. It only needs to be kept just above freezing in the winter. Another possibility is a baytree in a pot. They can be kept small by pruning.
herbalbetty
14 years ago
I grow lots of roses in my zone 5 garden. Rugosas are wonderfully hardy. Many David Austin roses thrive in zone 5. Apothecary rose (Rosa gallica)does very well. The Canadian Explorer roses like William Baffin do great. Paul's Himalayan Musk, Salet, Konigin Von Danemark, La Reine Victoria, Constance Spry, Sweet Briar Rose, Hattie Burton and Grootendorst are some others that do exceptionally well for me. No mulch, no mounding of dirt, just lots of air circulation, organic feeding and love.
lavender_lass
Original Author
14 years ago
Herbalbetty- I wish I could grow as many roses. It sounds like you have a beautiful collection :)

Mom has warmer winters than I do, so even most of her hybrid teas are okay the next spring. She wants a rose that will stay fairly small, at least in width. Five feet tall would be okay, but no more than three feet wide. Does Salet rebloom? She might like a moss rose.

I have decided to stick with the older roses, like Albas, Damasks and maybe a Gallica or two. Rugosas are also good, but I haven't had much luck with the repeat blooms. It's too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. My hybrid teas (I couldn't resist a few on sale this summer) would open up and drop in one day. They had afternoon shade, but it was in the 90's for much of the summer.

Thank you all for the great suggestions! Naturtiums are a great idea and she might like a small bay or lemon tree. :)
promethean_spark
14 years ago
A rosemary bush in a large pot would also be a good addition. Chives (perennial) and fennel (annual) would also be good additions.
herbalbetty
14 years ago
Lass, Salet does rebloom (not as robustly as the first blooming). And the smell is wonderful. It is getting bigger than your three foot wide limit, but you could always prune it to stay in the amount allotted.
lavender_lass
Original Author
14 years ago
Salet sounds like a nice choice. I've decided to take Mom to Northland Rosarium next year and let her choose her favorite....gift certificates make great Christmas presents :)

Mediterranean Herb Garden

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Mediterranean Herb Garden

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herbalbetty

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