On 3/30/07 7:46 AM, in article ,
"FragileWarrior" wrote:

Cheryl Isaak wrote in
:

On 3/30/07 6:49 AM, in article
, "FragileWarrior"
wrote:

Jangchub wrote in
:

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:09:10 GMT, Phisherman
wrote:

On Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:08:21 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:

I was thinking of putting a checkerboard herb garden on an area of
"lawn"(right off the edge of our driveway) that is mostly
hard-packed rock/lime and a bit of grass. The blocks I will be
using for the checkerboard are 4" deep so the soil where the herbs
will grow will also be 4" deep. Do you think I can get an annual
crop of herbs to grow in that? Or is that just too shallow? I
won't be watering them since water costs a small fortune here.

That should work. Most herbs do not need much soil, little water
but plenty sun. Resist the temptation to fertilize, but if you
must, feed small amounts of diluted fish emulsion.

This is not really all the correct. Herbs have deep roots, shallow
roots, need fertilizer, don't need fertilizer, need water, don't
need water, need sun, don't need sun...all depends on what you plan
to grow. If it is Coriscan mint, it will work. If it's dill, it
won't. Roots need to have more room than that to stand upright and
not be dragged down by its own weight in rain, not in rain, wind,
etc.


Hmmm. I was going to go for some low growers except for maybe the
back row which would face the west so they would block the wind.
Maybe I can just go for low growers overall.

Any suggestions for plantings? The whole garden is triangle shaped
with a checkerboard block pattern. I'll have nine, foot square
openings to fill and seven half foot (triangle shaped) openings on
the edge. The edge triangles can be used or not -- that doesn't
matter so much.

Sounds like a great time to check out knot gardens variations


I thought about a knot garden but the places I would have to put it all
had this layer of super-packed #6 rock and lime with a trace of grass on
it. You couldn't get through it with a pick-axe and I'm not about to
try.
Actually, I was thinking of plants used in a knot garden to complement the
shape and openings.



I looked out this morning and my neighbor has already delivered a pallet
of blocks for me! Isn't that nice? He said they are from a mall
somewhere. (I hope he means they were LEFTOVERS. Maybe I should check
into that...)



I might even bring in some herbs that aren't considered herbs as an
educational type experience for the folks who will be seeing it.
Things like plantain or self-heal (heal all) or even dandelion.
I figure if they get out of hand during this season, they'll be easy
enough to clean out and start over next year.

Thymes spring to mind. Maybe mints. Comfrey can bust through the
hardest soil (for the back of the bed)...

Are all thymes small or is there a miniature version? I seem to remember
something with teeny little leaves from a long-ago garden...

If Comfrey can bust through this pavement-imitation, I'll give it a place
of honor in next year's garden.

I've heard it can....


It's really the watering part that worries me most. If we get into
some sort of massive drought, I *might* be able to haul water from a
neighbor's well but it wouldn't be high on my list of things to do.

Any way to harvest gray water from the house? Wash the dishes in a tub
and use that?

C

That's not a bad idea but is that safe to use on stuff you might eat?
Gray water is SUCH a lousy name. Ugh.
Should be - I'm talking about rinse waters.

I was thinking I could put a barrel under a downspout but the only
available one is front and center of the yard. I'm going to have to find
a pretty nice looking barrel to pull that off.

You're up to the challenge!
C