Your Herb Garden. Barbara Segall

Propagate

      Take cuttings: chicory, sea holly

      Divide: chives, costmary, ginger, sorrel

       Harvest

      Flowers: sweet violet

      Leaves: winter purslane

       Routine maintenance

       Divide herbs such as chives and hyssop – which begin to lose vigour when they form large, congested clumps – into small, healthy sections. Cut back stems by about one-third to one-half and replant. Firm the new plants in and water well

practical project

       PATHS THROUGH THE HERB GARDEN

      Herringbone

       YOU WILL NEED

       builder’s square

       brick-laying trowel

       spirit level

       lump hammer

       lines (strings and sticks)

      At the most basic level, a path is for access and to ensure that as little of the growing area as possible is damaged by people walking over it.

      In a small herb patch a path may not be necessary: you may be able to reach the centre easily and weed, plant, water, mulch and harvest without having to step onto the soil at any point. If you cannot work the herb garden in this way, then you need to lay a path of some sort. The simplest pathway is made by placing stepping stones across a square-shaped bed to divide it into quarters. In a circular bed, arrange the stepping stones as an inner circle a convenient distance in from the edge.

      In a large herb garden, the path may provide the main route from kitchen to compost heap, and must therefore be suited to heavier use. Such paths become integral features of the herb garden as they weather and plants grow to soften the hard edges.

       PATH TYPES

      There are many different materials which can be used for paths and the choice will depend on your budget and taste. If you are cutting a bed from a grassed area, it is simple to leave strips of lawn in place to form the paths. Make sure that the width is adequate to allow your lawn mower through or you will have a problem keeping the paths mown.

      Gravel or washed pea-shingle are relatively low-cost materials that look effective in a hot, Mediterranean-style herb garden. Lay black polythene over the base to suppress weeds. Cover this with a layer of pea-shingle 3cm (1¼in) deep: any deeper and it will be difficult to walk on. Edge the path with narrow battens of treated wood, so that the gravel does not spread into the herb beds.

      Brick looks very attractive laid in patterns and is the most traditional material for herb garden paths. It is more expensive than gravel, but is very hardwearing. If you live in a cold climate, make sure that the bricks you use are frostproof.

      Other materials include setts and cobbles, reconstituted and natural stone pavers, log rounds, woodchips and bark. The paths in the project are made from reconstituted stone pavers and divide the herb garden into four. The central area can be left empty to allow for a plant or a container, sundial or piece of garden statuary.

       MATERIALS

       NOTE

       If the weather is very cold or frost is forecast you may still be able to do the ground work for the path, but don’t mix or use the mortar until conditions are more favourable

       LAYING THE PATH

       Mark out the site, using the builder’s square to ensure straight edges, and sticks and strings as guides for the excavation.

       Where the path is to be laid, dig out the soil deep enough to allow for a layer of hardcore, the dabs of mortar mix and the thickness of the path material. In this case allow 10cm (4in) for hardcore, 3cm (1¼in) for sand, 2.5cm (1in) for mortar dabs and 5cm (2in) for paver – a total of 20.5cm (8¼in).

       Compact the base of the trench either by walking back and forth along it, or rolling it with a lawn roller.

       Put a layer of hardcore into the base of the trench and tamp it down.

       Cover with a layer of sand 3cm (1¼in) thick.

       Mix up some mortar. Prepare it in batches as you use it. Mortar stays workable for up to two hours, depending on temperature. Always use clean water to be sure of a soft and easy-to-apply mix.

       Place five dabs of mortar where the paving slab is to sit.

       Lay the slab against the string, with the smooth side down (rough surface is non-slip) and use the spirit level to check that it is level.

       Carry on laying the rest of the slabs in the same manner.

       Mix up a fresh dry batch of mortar but don’t add water to it. Brush it in between the paving slabs and water in using a watering can.

       Allow the mortar to set before using the path. Mortar takes up to 36 hours to dry depending on temperature and humidity. It is best to leave the