A Complete Herbal Backyard Landscape Garden Design

A complete herbal garden design for your backyard garden. There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of different herbs to choose from. This design consists of five different gardens in one landscape area. The larger kidney shape bed is considered the main focal point. The three round herbal gardens behind the kidney are nice accents. An existing bed was in front of the kidney shape. This front bed is kept very simplistic with a bench, two container pots and two evergreen shrubs. Below is the design for an Herbal garden along with the design key. This is only a small variety of different annual and perennials herbs that can be planted. The design coincides with the landscape article Simple Step By Step Guide In Doing Several Herbal Gardens.

Complete Herbal Design Garden And Key

Kidney Shape Herbal Bed
1. Rosemary - Letter A - Fantastic evergreen herb. This plant specimen is a member of the mint family. Grows two to three feet high and can spread up to four feet or more. Fragrant leaves and striking white flowers. Rosemary is great in a herbal garden in mass planting. Can be an evergreen in milder climates. If temperatures drop below zero degrees, it is best to bring inside in a container for the winter. This is also a great culinary plant and can be used fresh, dried or frozen. Rosemary can take full sun. I put the Rosemary as a center focal point in the main kidney shape garden.
2. Lemon Balm - Letter B - Perennial herb with a nice lemon smell. Lemon Balm is also a member of the mint family. Grows two to three feet high and eight to eighteen inches wide. Tiny white flowers appear in July through September. Does great in full sun. Lemon Balm can be dried and great in potpourris of sachets. If you cut the stems they will stay fragrant in dried arrangements. Honey Bees will flock to the Lemon Balm and this plant acts as a soothing agent to the bees.
3. Thyme - Letter C - A great perennial ornamental herb. Many different varieties and nice in herbal rock gardens and as a ground cover. Thyme only grows to around one foot. This is a very durable plant and can be stepped on and mowed over. An extra layer of mulch is necessary in the colder winter climates to protect the leaves. The flowers can be white or purple depending on the variety. Cut back in summer heat to prevent woody growth. Thyme is a great culinary herb and used in many Italian and French dishes. This plant can take full sun or part shade.
4. Oregano - Letter D - Upright perennial herb. Oregano grows one to three feet tall. Wonderful culinary herb and does well in full sun. Purple flowers appear in the late spring and early summer months. The flowers along with the leaves dry easily. Oregano and Marjoram are very closely related. This plant specimen works in mass planting in an herbal garden or can be used for border planting. Bees love the flowers. Try a little fresh oregano in an omelet in the morning.
5. Lavender - Letter E - One of the most scented herbs in a garden. There are four basic varieties, English, French, Spike and Spanish. The English is the most popular and grows four feet tall and four feet wide. Beautiful lavender flowers appear in late spring and the flowers have as much aroma as the leaves. This herb does great in full sun. Lavender can become leggy, so you can cut it back after the flowers are gone. Lavender is an excellent herb for sandy soils but will do well in clay base also. These four varieties are wonderful planted in a mass setting in an herbal garden.
6. Bird Bath - Letter F - For some reason I can't get away from putting some type of bird feature in a garden design. The birds love the different colors of herbs and also their fragrance. Great added outdoor feature in the main kidney bed.
7. Rocks Letter G - A series of three to five rocks works well with thyme flowing all around them. Look for rocks around your property to use or purchase a few decorative stones to place in the garden.

First Round Herbal Bed


8. Chives - Letter H - Chives - Perennial herb that is one of the first to appear in early spring. The smallest member of the onion family. Chives grow up to one to two feet. Chives will reseed themselves so a good idea if you are putting out in a open garden, is to make some extra room for them. Regular chives have purple tone flowers in the spring. Garlic chives produces white flowers in the summer months. Both of these varieties are wonderful to cook with. Chive flowers can be eaten and are great in salads.
9. Sage letter I - Sage is a hardy perennial herb and another member of the mint family. There are a number of varieties available and the most popular are Garden, Blue, Clary, and Pineapple. Sage loves full sun and can take drought once the root system is established. Trimming back once a year will enable the plant to become fuller the next year. Oils from the sage leaves are in perfumes. Fresh or dried leaves are great for culinary use. Grows two to three feet high. Purple tone flowers appear in the summer months. A very popular herb for planters or gardens.
10. Orris Root - Letter J - This is a perennial herb and grows two feet high. This plant does like a little bit of shade. I like to add this to an herb garden for its different shape and texture. This is the powdered rhizome of an Iris. There is no odor when it is fresh, but drying it brings out a sweet smell. Orris Root is one of the main ingredients in potpourris. Soil must be kept moist. A neat addition to any garden.

Second Round Herbal Bed


11. Basil Letter K - This is one of my favorite culinary herbs. This plant is also a member of the mint family. Many different varieties make up the family. Most basil grows two to two and a half feet tall and also in width. The dazzling green leaves are about one to two inches in length. Pick in whole bunches before bloom time for the best results in flavor. Basil does great in planters and loves full sun. This is an annual but if you dry or freeze the leaves, basil can be enjoyed year around. Dry the flower heads and sat out in a dish, and you will smell the aroma for weeks.
12. Marigolds - Letter L - Pot Marigolds are an annual herb that adds so much color to an herb garden. The orange and yellow flowers last a from spring through fall. The flowers and leaves are a little bitter but can be used in salads. Does well in full sun and adaptable to almost any climate. This is one of the most favorite plants in cooler climates. They will reseed in cooler months.

Dill Letter M - Annual herb that grows to about three feet. Has a long stem with tiny clusters of flower heads. The leaves are soft and feathery looking. Leaves have the best flavor just when flower heads are opening. Dill is best known putting with cucumbers to make dill pickles. Loves full sun and needs to be watered regularly. Great in many culinary dishes.Rocks - Letter N - In this round bed a separated three rocks and placed them throughout the garden. Doing them individually in one of the gardens gives a different look and feel. I did three for this round area.

Third Round Herbal Bed


13. Parsley - Letter O - This is a bi-annal herb producing leaves the first year and flowers the second year. This plant grows in mounds and will reach six to twelve inches high. The leaves are rich green in color and the flowers have a green -yellow tone. Parsley will do fine in partial shade but can take some sun. This plant is great in any part of a garden as well as a pot indoors year around. It is hard to germinate from seeds, but can be done by soaking the seeds for 24 hours before planting.
14. Horehound - Letter P - This is a hardy perennial herb. It grows one to two feet and you won't see the flowers until the plant is two years old. Does great in full sun and and sandy soil and is drought resistant. This plant makes an excellent border plant. Its aroma has been known to distracts flies. It has curly shaped leaves and good as an accent plant.
15. Hyssop - Letter Q - This is an evergreen herb that is also one of my favorite. It can grow eighteen to thirty inches high and spread out to twelve inches. Beautiful blue - purple tone flowers bloom in summer throughout the fall. Loves full sun but can take a little shade. Trim back in the spring and can grow in almost any soil as long as it is well drained. Can be drought resistant after roots are established. Hyssop leaves are long and skinny and have a dark green color. Looks great next to Basil.
16. Chamomile - Letter R - This is one of the oldest herbs known. It is an evergreen plant. It will grow two to four inches in mounds. Over the years the height will increase up to a foot. Does well in full sun and can take a little shade. Chamomile loves a moist soil and is best known for the leaves in making tea. Flowers from Chamomile are best picked when they are open. The flowers can be used fresh or dried. Great in mass planting or used as a ground cover.

Front Bed Before Garden


17. Bench Letter S - This front bed was already defined and I added a bench. The bench is facing the herbal gardens for a great view any time of the day or evening.
18. Pot of Mint Letter T - This container of mint serves its purpose as any type of mint will spread and sometimes will get out of control. Mint is a perennial herb and grows two to three feet tall. There are a number of varieties and one of the most popular is spearmint. This plant family will grow in almost any type of soil and does well in full sun or part shade. Mint should be pruned back often and replanted every two or three years to keep healthy. Mint is also a nice touch in an open pathway.
19. Pot of Lamb Ears - Letter U -This is a perennial herb know for its ornamental beauty. The stalks of the Lamb Ears grow twelve to eighteen inches high and produce purple flowers in the summer months. Loves full sun but can survive in part shade. This is another plant that will grow out of control and does great in a planter or container. The flowers can be cut for dried arrangements or some people cut the flowers before blooming to enrich the smell of the stalks.
20. Steeds Holly Letter - V- an evergreen shrub that adds a deep rich green color year around. Grows great in zones six through nine. This Holly grows six to eight feet tall and three to four feet wide. It will take full sun or partial shade. Small clusters of leaves form through the branches. The new leaves take on a lighter green tone, making the shrub look two toned at different times of the year. In an open area the Steeds Holly makes a good looking entrance plant.
21. Bird Feeder Letter W - If you have a bird bath it is also a good idea to have a bird feeder. I placed this feeder in between two of the round beds. The birds can eat and fly right over to the main kidney bed for a drink or cool bath in the hot summertime months.
22. Sun Dial - Letter X - A sun dial in an herb garden has been popular for many years. This is a great added feature to an herbal garden. I placed the sundial in between the other two round beds. Putting the bird feeder in one area and the sundial in another balances out the entire look of the garden.
23. Quarry Stone or Decorative Stone - Letter Y - now for the final touch. The quarry stone or decorative stones line all the pathways throughout the herbal garden. Any type of material can be used but I like the look of stones in an herb garden.

This is just one example of a complete herbal garden design. There are so many different plant specimens you can use. In each bed there is some type of evergreen plant to make sure you have color year around. You can create a total perennial herbal garden but I like the idea of intermingling annuals, perennials and evergreens. Herbs provide so much in culinary, ornamental and richness of colors and textures. Coming up in a few weeks will be a much smaller scale of an herb garden for a small space using different types of annual and perennial herbs. I hope this design has given you some ideas for your very own herbal paradise.