HERBS IN GARDEN BORDERS

Summery vibe

From thyme (Thymus) to rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and from sage (Salvia officinalis) to lavender (Lavandula). Herbs will give your garden a lovely, fragrant summer vibe. Enhance this by combining them with colourful perennials that bloom profusely in summer, such as phlox (Phlox paniculata) and sneezeweed (Helenium). Ornamental grasses that sway in the breeze also add a touch of summer.
 

Tea from your own garden

It’s so nice to pick herbs from your own garden! You can use them as seasoning in salads and hot dishes, as well as for a fresh cup of tea! Flavourful herbs for tea include: mint (Mentha), water mint (Mentha aquatica), anise hyssop (Agastache) and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). Anise hyssop combines particularly well with other perennials, for example coneflower (Echinacea) and stonecrop (Sedum).
 

Butterflies & Bees

Many herbs bloom in the summer and have delicate white, pink or purple flowers. They are magnets for butterflies and bees, so it’s a good idea to let some of them bloom. For even greater effect, combine them with other bee and butterfly-friendly plants such as purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis), a short-flowering perennial that self-seeds, making it reappear in unexpected places.

Tips & Ideas

• Mint grows quite prolifically, so plant it where this will not cause any problems, such as in a wild, natural border or a large pot.
• When harvesting herbs, don’t cut the plant down to the ground. It needs a base of green leaves to continue growing.
• Visit www.perennialpower.eu to find more tips and inspiration for an attractive (edible) garden with perennials.