Even herbs can succumb to unusual weather - here's my plan to replant the herb garden after a particularly hard winter.
Hello, friends! I recently began the replant of our back door herb garden that was pretty much decimated by our -10 degree weather we had this last winter, and I thought I'd take you along on a little tour with some details of the replanting plan.
I actually was pretty surprised at the losses, since this herb garden is located up agains a southern-facing wall of the house. But the only things that survived without any damage were the chives (and really, what can kill them?) and a variety of low-growing thyme called Lime.
Just to help you feel my pain (ha!) above is a look at the garden last October - lush and slightly overgrown. After cutting back and looking at everything, here's the final tally of the perennial herbs that were lost:
- Two 5-year old rosemary bushes
- A 3-year old French tarragon
- Two French lavender plants
- A 4-year old lemon verbena
- A potted sweet bay (this was iffy - not surprised by this)
- Two spearmint plants
Herb Garden Replant
I was able to cut back and replant a start from the huge oregano plant, and it's doing well, and I'm attempting to see if the common thyme and variegated thyme will regrow from the two sad-looking partial plants above (the Lime thyme is in the foreground).
Looking at this picture, though, makes me think I really just need to replant these, too. Sigh.
The Updated Layout
As long as I need to replant, I've decided to go with a different layout, which I've tried to illustrate in the picture above.
The biggest thing I want to do is to find a fountain that is self-contained because when we removed the huge deck we found a pipe for something in the ground under the terra-cotta lid you can see to the left of the middle pot (which is just there as a place marker). So, no planting there and no diy bubbling pot fountain like I thought we'd do. UPDATE: Go here to see the herb garden with it's fountain!
I want to provide some vertical interest with a couple of small trellises in the pots where I'm growing spearmint and peppermint (I learned many years ago to NEVER plant mint in the ground...). I'd also like to get some narrow lattice for the side of the deck and house foundation, which I'll just lean it against to cover the not-so-nice stuff going on there. UPDATE: check out the garden tour here with finished deck sides.
And of course I'll need to finish purchasing the replacements. The garden center where I bought the mint, sage, parsley, and lavender did not have any rosemary or Italian parsley. I have three basil seedlings hardening off this week to fill their spot and I would like to find a small herb to plant in front of the future fountain - do you have any suggestions for me?
Jenlbear says
My herbs didn't do so great here in Ohio either. I lost one lavender, but it wasn't in a protected area. The lavender in my herb bed i thought I lost and when I decided to go dig it up there were brand new shoots coming up from the base at the ground. So apparently the roots survived and spared the plant. My small leave oregano is just fine and my potted chives on the deck are only half coming back. But I know they'll multiply (which is why they're up on the deck in a pot!). I just bought a mint plant last summer and planted in a pot on the deck, but it didn't survive. I'm hoping that it'll survive more normal winters so I've bought a replacement. My alpine strawberries are just thriving! And my garlic is also coming up extra strong and large.
My lemon thyme, a creeping variety, i thankfully had a large patch of, because half of it died. 🙁
It's just about my favorite herb! I use it any time thyme is called for in a recipe, and with chicken or turkey, gravies, stocks, etc. thankful i don't have to start completely over with that!
Donna Heber says
It was a tough winter, but at least up north we are more prepared for it. I look forward to seeing your herb garden thrive again and the new layout you have designed. I had to cut back my rose bushes more this year than I had liked, but at least they survived.
Toni Brock says
So sorry you have to start over. Last years herb garden was BEAUTIFUL. What is on the right of your lime tyme? The tall bush.
I live a little north of you and I lost a few things also. I have only one little branch left of my 7 year old Rosemary. I am going to let it go and see if it will come back. You have a great start on what is going to be even a better herb garden this year 🙂
Jami says
That is a boxwood, Toni - I have one at either end of the garden for evergreen decoration. Sure hope your rosemary comes back!
Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow says
Oh that is awful to have lost so much! 🙁
Melinda George says
Beautiful plan, yummy herbs, sorry you are starting again. I'd include some cilantro and some dill somewhere. I use those so much. Would cilantro go in your empty spot? I also love grilling lemon thyme chicken each summer so lemon thyme is one of my favorite plants I use often. Most springs I heavily trim my sage and thyme plants so I can't see why your little guys won't make a good comeback. I live where it regularly gets very cold and I just trim back all the scraggly frozen stuff in early spring and it all comes back. I can't see why yours wouldn't, with regular water and some good sunlight. You will have a great herb garden, your plan is lovely!
Jami says
Thank you, Melinda for the encouragement - I sure hope they'll come back. I'm not a big cilantro fan and I've let the dill reseed in the main veggie garden, so I don't need it here. I do like lemon thyme - that's a good suggestion and a low-grower, right? May be just the thing for in front of the future fountain. 🙂
Shelly says
Your herbs got hit hard. 🙁 My spearmint and peppermint survived along with the greek oregano. But sad to say the chives didn't make it. I know, it's hard to believe. I had a thyme plant that looked like yours and it limped along for a year but then died. I hope yours does better than mine. I have parsley, thyme, and catnip to transplant to a pot, once I get them hardened off.
We are in the process of replacing our rotting boards for our raised beds. Not the best timing I know, but it really needs to be done before they collapse. Last weekend we managed to get one replaced and we are hoping to tackle the next one soon. We have three beds so it's not too bad but we want to salvage the huge screws to hold them together which has turned out to be a bigger task than we anticipated.
Jami says
Wow, I am shocked about your chives, actually - ha! And we really need to replace raised bed boards, too, Shelly, but REALLY don't want to, so we keep adding pieces of wood here and there as a stop-gap. Not pretty as you could probably guess! I hope you'll blog about it, 'cause I'd love to see your strategy. 🙂
Derek Yarnell says
Happy cooking!
Mindy says
Well, if it's any consolation, I even lost my thyme. The chives are the only one that made it in my yard. The regular ones that I had in a pot and some Chinese ones that are in the ground. Oh wait, I lied. My potted spearmint and pineapple mints made it. Of course. It sucks that you lost everything, but on the flip side, it's kinda fun to start over no? If I were to add to your list, I'd say definitely a pineapple sage. I've always grown the regular green one that gets about 2 feet small and wide, but I also added a golden leafed one this year that stays small. I LOVE that plant, and so do the hummingbirds. I still need to replace my tarragon - I love that, too.
P.S. I got your email and my goal is to get back to you during naptime today. Just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.
Jami says
So right, Mindy - I had been thinking about rearranging the herbs anyway. 🙂 Tell me more about the pineapple sage - years ago when I grew it, I loved the smell and look of it, but it was a monster at 4+ feet tall, plus I tried it 2 years running and lost it each winter (and they weren't unusual winters like this last one). You must be growing different varieties - happen to remember the names? I'd love to grow it again, but can't fit a large plant here.
Green Bean says
I love the idea of the fountain in your herb garden. I've been looking for places to add one forever!! We were hit hard by the cold snap but not as bad as you. I guess at least it is an excuse to start fresh.
Jami says
Yep, a true gardener's perspective! 🙂
Stoney Acres says
Oh man! I'm sorry you lost so much stuff last winter. We had a similar situation a few winters ago only ours was cause be a very sudden cold snap. We went from 60 to 15 in the space of 24 hours and the plants weren't ready for the change even though it was November. We lost a lot of perennials that year!
Jami says
Ouch, that would be tough on anything! I actually didn't lose too many perennials - mainly bushes and the herbs.