Andrew’s Garden May 10

After every growing season my roommate Andrew transplants his potted plants onto the back slope of the property. This small slope rises up to a rock wall that supports the property above. Here several herbs, some strawberries and blue fescue grass have taken root.

Left to right: lavender, rosemary oregano, parsley, rosemary, mint, strawberries and blue fescue grass.

Throughout the last winter we have used the herbs: parsley, rosemary and oregano, but there is also a mint and lavender. The herbs thrive in a small area of the slope, about 12x5 ft., that get sun most of the day (we live in Portland, Oregon, so that’s not very often). The herbs measure about 12-18 in. in diameter and 12-36 in. high, all bunched together to the one side of the sunny area.

Left to right: rosemary, oregano, parsley, rosemary, mint and pansies bottom right corner of the picture.

I consulted my Garden Guru Steve of Green Thumb Garden Coaching. He suggested creating an edible ornamental garden using the parsley as the center (since it is the tallest plant). I drew up a plan placing the herbs in a “W” shape centering the parsley.

Then placed two lavenders (I had one that was hanging out in a basket on the porch) at three o’clock and nine o’clock from it. Then placed the two rosemary just down and in from them and the mint and oregano below the parsley.

Lavender

Lavender in hanging pot on Andrew's Porch. Pansies line the wall in the background.

Rosemary.

Oregano.

This season Andrew had grown some nasturtium from seed and I bought lots of pansies to plant in the containers that line the porch wall. The nasturtium (soon to have red and orange blooms) stood about 6 in. high and four of the pansies didn’t make it into containers along the porch wall and were planted around the herbs. He also planted something new this season, an asparagus root.

To start I removed the three mounds of blue fescue grass. These I moved and replanted along the sides of the front walk leading up to the building. Then I started moving the herbs towards the fence line (the right side of the garden). The strawberries were moved and placed to the left of the herbs to create a border. After all of the herbs were moved I replanted the four pansies, which were scattered about, to line the bottom of the garden as a border. I took the nasturtium plants, one of each color, and placed them to the sides of the parsley to create color spots. I then bought two six packs of calendula (orange and yellow) and spread them throughout for added color.

From left to right. Top row: strawberries, lavender, nasturtium, parsley, nasturtium and lavender. Middle row: strawberries, rosemary, oregano (w/brick support) calendula, mint (w/ brick support) and rosemary. Bottom row: strawberries, pansy calendula, pansy, calendula, pansy (w/ asparagus root above it), calendula, pansy, calendula and pansy.