Pungent Herbs?

[Stuart Hill]

Hello all and firstly, many thx for all your wonderful and informative posts. This newbie is loving them!

So to my question..

I have a covered patio area ( 12' x 12' corrugated plastic roof) between my kitchen and the garage. The garden patio is designated as an "if I can't eat it, we're not growing it area" and works well, but I (and Her that must be obeyed) wants some growth in this covered area that adds aroma.

Obviously we are both thinking about herbs but will accept some flowers if they work to what we want.

And so, for an area that gets about 4 hrs "shaded" sun per day. gets VERY warm as it's sheltered but can only take container/potted plants....... do any of you wise sages have any suggestions as to what we could successfully grow in those conditions with a view to creating a nice aroma?

Many thx in advance for any and all suggestions.

[muddled]

lavender, rosemary and thyme.
In a large pot you could grow a fig tree. They give off a scent that puts me in mind of sweet basil.

Personally, I would sneak in a hardy jasmine for that beautiful, heady scent in the evening.

[Scarlet]

Welcome to the vine Stuart

Hmm, when you say "shaded sun", is it in the shade most of the day? Or just not sunny? I have a "porch" that is east facing so it doesn't really get sun but it's light. I can grow pretty much anything in there. Toms in the summer (slower than the GH) But I've got parsley, rosemary, garlic chives and chives in there at the moment. Saves me trooping up the garden in the dark .

[veggiechicken]

Hi Stuart and welcome to the Forum
Lavender, rosemary and thyme, as Muddled suggests. I'd add some of the scented mints. I have one, maybe Basil mint or could be eaudecologne, but every time I brush past it, it gives of the most gorgeous perfume. Even the dogs can set it off.
Fennel is lovely too.

[Stuart Hill]

Welcome to the vine Stuart

Hmm, when you say "shaded sun", is it in the shade most of the day? Or just not sunny? I have a "porch" that is east facing so it doesn't really get sun but it's light. I can grow pretty much anything in there. Toms in the summer (slower than the GH) But I've got parsley, rosemary, garlic chives and chives in there at the moment. Saves me trooping up the garden in the dark .

Thx for the welcome and here's the explanation..

1pm the sun hits the poly roof until around 4pm. the rest of the time it is in shade but still getting heat from the the walls around it. we regularly sit out there past 10pm with no other heating (even now in November).

I have NO idea (yet) about the relationship between "direct-sunlight" and "light" as this is my first year as a "Veg Grower" but......... my greenhouse is un-heated and tomorrow I will pick some more plum tomatoes and the other two oranges along with red,green and yellow peppers and assorted chillis.

[Stuart Hill]

Hi Stuart and welcome to the Forum
Lavender, rosemary and thyme, as Muddled suggests. I'd add some of the scented mints. I have one, maybe Basil mint or could be eaudecologne, but every time I brush past it, it gives of the most gorgeous perfume. Even the dogs can set it off.
Fennel is lovely too.

Pots with something aromatic would be good as we have 4 cavapoos to brush past it!!

[veggiechicken]

Know the feeling Stuart, I have a Cavalier, a Cavachon and her 2 pups.

[Stuart Hill]

cheers all but....... whilst i have your attention....

can anyone explain the concept of container growing please?
what i mean is, whilst some guides will say that a plant/veg requires free-draining ie: perlite/vermiculite or whatever along with gravel/broken pots in the base to allow drainage..... "they" also may say to stand the container in a saucer/trough full of water!!!

to me, either you let something drain or you don't!! am I missing something?

[Scarlet]

You stand the pot in a saucer of water until it's drunk enough and won't take any more. Then you tip it away. Its definately a no no to let any plant sit in water for too long, it can kill the plant/cause the roots to die away.

[veggiechicken]

It may depend on what plant is in the pot. Some herbs like rosemary, thyme, lavender would prefer well drained compost as they come from the Mediterranean - hot and dry, rocky.
Aim for compost that is neither too wet or bonedry. I don't sit pots in trays of water but water them when I feel they're about to wilt. A bit like houseplants.

[Stuart Hill]

thx for that, I'll try it with my new pots.

This year has been very experimental but I'm always open to ideas as nothing beats being able to pull something out to eat.
We never intend to be Tom and Barbara but do enjoy having fresh stuff.

[Small pumpkin]

I would plant ( along side everything else that has been suggested) pineapple mint, Moroccan mint, cinnamon basil, Thai basil. The flowers I would plant aren't scented but they are edible and very pretty ( I think they are). Nasturtium, viola & pansys.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I'd invest in a tall strawberry type thingy and plant a good selection along the lines of ^^^^^^^^^^^^ through the planting holes.

[Bigmallly]

whilst some guides will say that a plant/veg requires free-draining ie: perlite/vermiculite or whatever along with gravel/broken pots in the base to allow drainage.....

I believe that Vermiculite is used for water retention whilst Perlite is used to aid drainage, Perlite does not absorb water to the same degree as Vermiculite.

[roitelet]

The soil in pots for things other than Mediterranean herbs should be as 'damp as wet wool', or so Fred Loads once said. That shows my age!!!!!!