14/03/2017
Looks like a great idea
Avantgardens. Herb Spiral Garden.
The Permaculture design of Herb Spiral maximises the natural force of gravity, allowing water to drain freely and seep down through all layers – leaving a drier zone at the top and a moist area at the bottom for water lovers. The design also creates micro-climates allowing us to plant a diverse range of herbs in a variety of positions (sunny, sheltered and shady). In a typical garden bed or pot, all plants are grown on the one level, so the growing conditions are the same. This design offers us multiple options in a compact space.
The stones, rocks, bricks or blocks used to build the spiral retain heat absorbed during the day and insulate the garden at night, keeping it warm when temperatures drop.
These materials form the backbone of the spiral structure which is filled with organic matter and nutrients to plant into. The spiral is watered from the top and moisture filters down to the bottom, creating different moisture zones. The bottom of the spiral can be closed off with bricks/rocks/blocks or left open to allow water to flow into a small pond or bog garden at the bottom, ideal for frogs or edible water plants that prefer a wet environment. The niches in between the bricks/rocks can be planted with shallow rooted ground cover herbs like oregano or pennyroyal.
Herb Spirals can be orientated so they are built in the same direction that water flows down a drain. Water rotates down a drain in a clockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere, and anti-clockwise in the Southern hemisphere – likewise in the herb spiral garden.