Turning Your Patio into a Herb Garden

I began by looking on the internet for herb garden plans and then drew one I liked. Then I looked at the patio. It is down a level from the deck and I never sit down there as it is not private and is overlooked by neighbours. I have an espalier apple tree and red currants and raspberries on one side.  My herbs are in the potagers and in pots about the gardens so I won't need to buy many new ones, I can transplant these.
I began by taking up tiles and as they had been laid like bricks they made a pattern I noticed.
FIRST DAY:
Took up tiles to form a wide rectangle. This was not on the original plan, but worked better than the diamond shape. Made an urn  feature and glass beads. Planted two miniature roses, lavender, geranium and lemon verbena.
Started to take up tiles for second bed. Decided to make pathways two tile widths. Forgot about plan!

 

DAY TWO

I completed the second bed. It was a smaller one and I put two halves of a broken pot into it and planted a thyme bush between them.

To the left of the thyme, I decided to make a long thin bed. Into this went geranium, parsley and sage.

I then brought two ornaments down from the front garden. I put the little boy figurine in the large bed and placed the goose girl on a weathered pot in the right hand corner. So far so good.

     

DAY THREE

Today in the drizzle I put in the fourth herb bed in front of the feature bed I did first of all. I transplanted Oregano from the potager garden and added Italian Parsley, an Emerald Thyme and Pot Marjoram which I had bought this afternoon. I put a wooden half barrel at the back of the garden and filled it with Pansies and Lobelia.

So ends day three. Another day and I should be finished.

DAY FOUR

I had a few days off due to stormy weather and had a little clearing up to do before putting in the fifth and final bed in the top left hand corner of the garden. I left no path young this bed and planted a Rosemary in the corner with a lavender transplanted from the main garden. 

I decided to move the goose girl figuring into the corner of the bed and moved the tub of pansies where it had been. Then I placed a chair in the middle.

I found a patterned pot in the back garden and planted yellow Iceland poppies in it. It will give some colour when all the herbs stop flowering for the winter.

I plan to do some wall art on canvas using elements such as Tudor Roses from my family coat of arms.

In the meantime I am happy with my new Herb Garden.

Little Miracles of Creation

I have spent most of today in the garden, mainly clearing the patio which I am going to turn into a herb garden. Then I took out my camera and had a look round to photograph the garden before I start replanting herbs out of the potagers. I also looked at the newly planted Beauty's Wildflower Garden and there I spied a Monarch Caterpillar on the tiny Swan Plant. I hope its mother knew what it was doing as the plant is very small.

Next, I came across another tiny creature, a bee,  busy in the Oregano flowers.

I moved on to the deck, where I have some plants. First, I found some beautiful roses.

Then I was struck by the lovely contrasting colors of the blueberries just starting to ripen.

After this I looked at the newly planted fruit trees replacing the trees that had died and been felled and discovered these juicy limes almost ready to harvest.

I ended my tour at the potagers. The harvest is late coming in this year but everything looks luscious.