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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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)...

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

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.

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.


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.

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.

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

C

Easy way to do that is to take the S shaped piece out from under the
sink, and put a 5 gallon bucket under it... use sink as normal, just
remember to check bucket level often...

"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
.. .
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.

They will dry out too quickly. Not all herbs are drought tolerant. Some get
to be large plants and need more root space, more depth than 4".

"Sarcum" wrote in :


"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
.. .
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.

They will dry out too quickly. Not all herbs are drought tolerant.
Some get to be large plants and need more root space, more depth than
4".



I'm not going to get any that are over a foot high. And there IS ground
underneath, it just has the consistancy of pavement. I guess I'll find out
who the survivors are.

The nice thing about this is I can move it somewhere else next year if this
doesn't work. It won't be a permanent installation.

On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:19:40 +0000 (UTC), FragileWarrior
wrote:

"Sarcum" wrote in :


"FragileWarrior" wrote in message
.. .
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.

They will dry out too quickly. Not all herbs are drought tolerant.
Some get to be large plants and need more root space, more depth than
4".



I'm not going to get any that are over a foot high. And there IS ground
underneath, it just has the consistancy of pavement. I guess I'll find out
who the survivors are.

The nice thing about this is I can move it somewhere else next year if this
doesn't work. It won't be a permanent installation.


You'll be successful if you pick herbs that like your conditions. Some
plants respond quickly, others take time or become invasive. My sage,
rosemary, lavender, oregano and thyme have been growing well in full
sun without care except for an occasional trimming. (The oregano
keeps spreading fast, draws bees.) The odor can be overwhelming. We
have had up to a 7-week draught.