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Mediterranean Herb Garden
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Posted by lavender_lass WA zone 4 (My Page) on Mon, Oct 26, 09 at 13:00
| 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? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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? |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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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. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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. :) |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| A rosemary bush in a large pot would also be a good addition. Chives (perennial) and fennel (annual) would also be good additions. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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. |
RE: Mediterranean Herb Garden
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| 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 :) |
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