11.06.2019
City gardeners can also grow herbs and spices easily on balconies or roof terraces. Those with insufficient space can simply plant them into a vertical system such as the NatureUp! by Gardena.
They are an attractive shade of green, fragrant and don’t just taste good to humans: herbs and spices and their flowers also attract useful insects. These plants are easy to grow in flower boxes, planters or pots – on window ledges, balconies or roof terraces.
Herbs and spices all year round
Obviously, the fresher your herbs and spices are, the better. With your own homegrown herbs and spices, you can season meals, refine sauces, dips and pestos or prepare healthy smoothies and teas. Medicinal herbs with their valuable ingredients can even enrich your home apothecary. And you can have fresh herbs outside the spring and summer months, too: herbs also develop their effect when they have been dried or frozen.
In addition, native wild herbs have many advantages when grown as balcony plants: they are undemanding and robust, able to withstand fluctuations in temperature and humidity. They also offer nutrients for butterflies, wild bees or bumblebees.
Cultivating herbs – this is how it works
Today, herbs are generally planted in gardens for their fragrance or for decoration. Yet they are and have long been useful and popular as medicinal and kitchen herbs during the preparation of medicine and meals – even in the Stone Age.
A herb garden was generally a fixed component of monasteries and noble households. The famous herb garden on the country estate of Sissinghurst Castle in the English county of Kent, featuring over one hundred different types of herb, is said to be the most extensive herb garden in England. And its former owner, the writer and garden designer Vita Sackville-West, is said to have been able to identify each herb through its smell with her eyes closed.
But not all herbs go well together. Those who are uncertain how to combine, cultivate and care for the different plants can find detailed information in the Gardena Garden Guidebook and the Plant Library. They can also find delicious recipes using wild herbs in there.
Follow the wall
If a balcony is too small for plants, a vertical system such as NatureUp! by Gardena represents a great solution. This system is not only suitable for herbs, but also for flowers, vegetables and berries – at eye and nose height! When positioned in front of the balcony railings, this vertical garden system can provide privacy and act as a screen. Suitable watering sets provide water-saving irrigation in line with requirements – and can be extended with a water control or a transformer with integrated timer.
By the way: The shorter the time period between harvesting and use of the herbs, the higher the content of valuable essential substances. Lavender, for example, is harvested just as the plants start to flower; many other herbs such as estragon, oregano or thyme are picked before they flower. Otherwise they may taste bitter.
About Gardena
For over 50 years Gardena has provided everything passionate gardeners need. The broad assortment of products offers innovative solutions and systems for watering, lawn care, tree and shrub care and soil cultivation. Today, Gardena is a leading European supplier of high-quality gardening tools and distributed in more than 100 countries worldwide. Gardena is a brand of Husqvarna Group. Gardena Division has 3,450 employees worldwide. Further information on gardena.com.