As we have established, I have a fairly large herb bed. I have the perfect location for herbs, a hot, south-facing well-protected raised bed in a zone 8b/9a (usda hardiness zones) garden. The soil is very dry and sandy, and the herbs love it. In fact, they love it so much that after three years I had to rearrange the bed! 

The herb garden contains mostly common cooking herbs. I have rosemary, regular oregano and golden oregano, lemon thyme, silver thyme, regular thyme, summer savory, sage, tri-coloured sage, parsley, chives and garlic chives.

This year I divided the thyme plants and one of the oregano plants, as well as pruning back the rosemary bush. Although rosemary is usually very hardy here, I find that if I don’t cut it back the plant gets broken in our wicked winter winds (from the south, of course). This winter we had unusually heavy snow cover and there was some die-back on my rosemary plant.

I let some of my parsley go to seed, and thus have volunteers all over. I pull them out where I don’t want them, and leave them where they don’t bother me.

I use most of the herbs in the summer, as additions to cooking and fresh in salads. The parsley, rosemary and thyme last through the winter, so I have access to those plants all year.

One of the most delightful benefits of a herb garden is that it attracts a large number of bees and butterflies when in bloom. In particular the oregano and sage are so full of bees when in flower that you can hear the buzzing clear across the yard.

Herbs always call to me in the nurseries, although I think the current herb bed is now full. (I do however put herbs in my vegetable beds!) I love the ease and scent and beauty of a herb garden. May be why I was married in the middle of one …