Aromatic plants can be pleasing to the nose and the eyes alike. This colorful herb garden plan mixes foliage of different colors and textures to create a stunning and fragrant display. Rosemary planted in a beautiful container is the focal point of this design, but you can add even more flair to it by shaping its needlelike leaves into an attractive topiary. Containers of spearmint and peppermint flank the rosemary, which further help to give the garden a little height, while also keeping these rambunctious plants from getting out of hand. Weeds are limited and soil is protected by fragrant, low groundcovers such as curly parsley, lemon thyme, golden sage, and variegated oregano.
Plants for Creating the Colorful Herb Garden Plan
- 4 Curly parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Annual
- 3 Variegated lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus 'Variegata'): Zones 5-9
- 1 Spearmint (Mentha spicata): Zones 3-11
- 1 Variegated peppermint (Mentha piperita): Zones 5-11
- 2 Golden sage (Salvia officinalis 'Aurea'): Zones 6-9
- 2 Variegated oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Variegatum'): Zones 4-9
- 1 Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Zones 4-8
- 4 Purple basil (Ocimum basilicum purpurescens): Annual
- 2 'Pesto Perpetuo' basil (Ocimum x citriodorum): Annual
- 2 Bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'): Zones 4-9
- 2 Dill (Anethum graveolens): Zones 2-11
- 1 Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Zones 8-11
If you aren't able to find the exact cultivars listed above, substitute with others that have similar colors, shapes, and sizes. And because some plants can become overly aggressive and spread out of control in certain climates, always check which species are considered invasive in your area before planting. For example, fennel is problematic in many coastal areas of the country, but cutting off flower clusters before seeds ripen helps keep it contained.
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