Be Inspired Blog - Arizona
Landscaping with Herbs: Fresh Ideas for Arizona Gardens
Herbs aren't just for the kitchen! With their variety of colors, textures, fragrances and flowers, herbs can make beautiful additions throughout your Arizona garden. Tuck them into landscape beds, grow them along pathways, mix them with flowers and vegetables, or use them to add fresh flavor and fragrance to patio containers.
And there's another benefit: when allowed to flower, many herbs can also provide food and habitat for visiting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Whether you're creating a dedicated herb garden or simply looking for new ways to incorporate a few favorites into your landscape, there are plenty of possibilities.
Why Landscape with Herbs?
One of the things that makes herbs so much fun to grow is their versatility. Depending on the variety, herbs can bring:
- Fragrance – Rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena, mint and other aromatic herbs add another sensory element to the garden.
- Texture – From the fine foliage of thyme to the upright form of rosemary and grassy texture of lemongrass, herbs can add visual interest among other landscape plants.
- Flowers – Many herbs produce attractive blooms when allowed to flower.
- Pollinator Appeal – Flowering herbs can provide nectar and other resources for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Fresh Flavor – Of course, many herbs can also be harvested and enjoyed in your favorite recipes.
Fresh Ideas for Landscaping with Herbs
Create an Edible Border
Low-growing and mounding herbs can add texture and fragrance along the edge of a garden bed or pathway. Depending on the variety and growing conditions, thyme, oregano and other compact herbs can work especially well in these areas.
Planting herbs where they're easy to reach also makes it convenient to snip a little fresh flavor whenever you need it.
Mix Herbs with Flowers & Other Landscape Plants
An herb garden doesn't have to look like a traditional vegetable garden. Herbs can be mixed among flowering plants and other landscape favorites to create layers of color, texture and fragrance.
Rosemary, lavender, sage, oregano and thyme are just a few herbs that can bring ornamental qualities to the garden while still offering the benefits we love about growing herbs.
Add Herbs Around Patios & Outdoor Living Spaces
Fragrant herbs are especially enjoyable near the places where you spend time outdoors. Consider adding aromatic favorites to containers or garden beds near a patio, seating area or walkway where their fragrance and texture can be appreciated up close.
It's also a convenient location for culinary herbs when it's time to bring a few fresh sprigs into the kitchen.
Grow Herbs in Raised Beds
Raised beds aren't just for vegetables. Herbs and flowers can be mixed with your favorite seasonal edibles to create a garden that's productive, colorful and fun to explore.
Raised beds can also make it easier to control soil conditions and drainage while creating a defined growing space that's easy to tend.
Add Herbs to Containers
No garden bed? No problem. Many herbs grow beautifully in containers, making it easy to create a small herb garden on a patio, balcony or near an outdoor kitchen.
Containers can also be a great solution for herbs such as mint, which can spread enthusiastically when planted directly in the landscape.
Try combining herbs with different heights, forms and foliage for a container that's as attractive as it is useful.
Herbs That Can Do Double Duty
Looking for herbs that offer plenty of landscape appeal? These are a few favorites to consider.
Rosemary
With its evergreen foliage, distinctive fragrance and woody growth habit, rosemary can add structure and texture to Arizona gardens. Depending on the variety, rosemary may have an upright or trailing habit, opening up lots of possibilities for landscapes and containers.
Lavender
Lavender is loved for its silvery-green foliage, fragrant flowers and unmistakable scent. Its flowers can also attract visiting pollinators. Good drainage is especially important for lavender, particularly during Arizona's hot summer months.
Thyme
Compact thyme varieties can be useful near pathways, at the front of garden beds and in containers. With culinary and ornamental selections available, thyme offers an assortment of foliage colors, textures, fragrances and growth habits.
Oregano
There's more to oregano than its culinary uses. Its mounding growth habit and small leaves can add soft texture to garden beds and containers, and flowering plants can be attractive to pollinators.
Sage
Culinary sage brings distinctive foliage, fragrance and flavor to the garden. Its softly textured leaves can provide a beautiful contrast alongside other herbs and flowering plants.
Lemon Verbena
The wonderfully fragrant leaves of lemon verbena release a bright lemon scent when touched or crushed, making it an especially enjoyable addition near patios and walkways. Given enough room, it can develop into a substantial plant, so consider its mature size when deciding where to grow it.
Lemongrass
Tall, arching lemongrass brings a completely different texture to an herb garden. Its fountain-like growth can add height and movement to large containers, raised beds and mixed edible gardens.
Basil
During its growing season, basil can add lush foliage to edible gardens and containers. If some flowers are left on the plant rather than pinched off for culinary production, those blooms can also attract visiting pollinators.
Herb selection and availability vary by season and location. Visit your local SummerWinds Nursery to see what's currently available.
Let Your Herbs Flower for Pollinators
If you're growing herbs primarily for cooking, you may be accustomed to harvesting them before they flower. But letting some of your herbs bloom can add another layer of interest to the garden.
Basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage and other flowering herbs can provide resources for visiting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
You don't have to choose between an herb garden and a pollinator garden—you can enjoy a little of both.
Explore Herbs That Attract Pollinators
A Few Things to Consider in Your Arizona Garden
Arizona's climate creates some unique growing conditions, so where an herb is planted can make a big difference.
Sun & Heat
Many herbs enjoy plenty of sunshine, particularly during our cooler months. As temperatures climb, however, some herbs may benefit from afternoon shade or protection from intense reflected heat.
Drainage
Good drainage is important for herbs, especially Mediterranean favorites such as rosemary, lavender, oregano and thyme. Whether you're growing in the ground, a raised bed or a container, well-draining soil can help create a healthier root environment.
Water
Different herbs can have different watering needs. Grouping plants with similar needs can make watering easier and help you care for them more effectively as temperatures change throughout the year.
Room to Grow
Consider the mature size and growth habit of each herb. Some remain compact, while others can become surprisingly large or spread beyond their original planting area.
Start with Healthy Soil
Whether you're planting herbs in the ground, in a raised bed or in containers, the soil you choose can make a difference. Arizona's heat, fast-drying conditions and challenging native soils can make good drainage and moisture management especially important.
Not sure what to use? Our Top 4 Soils guide makes it easy to compare some of our favorite soil and planting mixes and see which are best suited for in-ground gardens, raised beds and containers.
Find More Herb-Growing Inspiration
Ready to grow more herbs? Explore our Herbs page for seasonal growing information, popular herbs for Arizona gardens, varieties to look for, container-growing tips and more.
Whether you're creating an herb garden, adding a few favorites to your landscape or simply growing fresh ingredients for your kitchen, our Trusted Garden Advisors can help you find herbs and gardening solutions well-suited to your space.
