Herb Garden Layout Plans
Planning the layout of your herb garden before planting saves time and leads to healthier, more productive plants. The key principles are: group by water needs, arrange by height (tall in back, short in front), and provide enough space for each plant's mature size. Here are a few layout ideas for different spaces.
Layout 1: The 4x8 Raised Bed
A single 4-by-8-foot raised bed can hold a surprising variety of herbs. Here is one arrangement (north/back to south/front):
- Back row: 1 rosemary (corner), 2 basil, 1 dill
- Middle row: 1 sage, 2 cilantro, 2 parsley
- Front row: 3 chives (clumps), 2 oregano
Note that the drought-tolerant herbs (rosemary, sage, oregano) are concentrated on one side, and the thirstier herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley) on the other, making targeted watering easier.
Layout 2: Container Collection on a Patio
For a container garden, arrange pots in a cluster. Place the largest pots (with tall plants) in the back:
- Back: Large pot with lemongrass, large pot with curry leaf plant
- Middle: Medium pots — basil, Thai chili peppers, rosemary
- Front: Small pots — chives, oregano, mint (contained!)
Clustering pots increases humidity around the plants, which benefits tropicals.
Layout 3: The Kitchen Door Garden
A small, informal planting right outside the kitchen door — so you can grab herbs while cooking without a trip to the main garden. Plant the 5 herbs you use most. A common set:
Design Principles
- Height: Tall plants (rosemary, dill, lemongrass) on the north side so they do not shade shorter plants.
- Water zones: Group by water needs. Mediterranean herbs together, tropicals together, annuals together.
- Access: Leave pathways or stepping stones so you can reach every plant without stepping on the soil. See What to Do with Old Straw Bales for pathway material ideas.
- Succession: Leave open spaces for cilantro and dill succession plantings every few weeks.
See Companion Planting with Herbs for ideas on which plants benefit from being near each other.