Sustainable living is more than just about growing herbs and spices, but providing our own local, organically grown food and flavours using Permaculture principles is not only intensely satisfying but also makes great economic and environmental sense. We live on 600m2 in Sydney’s greater west and for many years I have contributed to the family larder by growing herbs and spices and this is an overview of how we do it.
Herbs
When I started out growing our own food, I also wanted to start growing herbs as well. I didn’t have a ‘herb garden’ as such, I just planted them in various areas around the place and with varying degrees of success. I planted mint under the tap because of its need for water, but it didn’t do very well in our dry climate but rosemary on the other hand has prospered in a few places in the front yard and even today grows near the letterbox and at the apex of the herb spiral.
The Herb ‘Spiral’
Back in 2009 as part of a permablitz at our place by Permaculture Sydney West, we constructed what was theoretically a herb spiral to expedite my herb growing objectives. A friend of mine who was a roof tiler turned up with some excess roof tiles which we could use to construct it. They worked well but due to their peculiarities the spiral became a two-tier ‘wedding cake’.
2009
This has been home to many herbs over the years including –
Angelica, Basil, borage, calendula, chives, coriander, dill, feverfew, lavender, lemongrass, lemon verbena, nasturtiums, marjoram, oregano, mint, parsley, pennyroyal, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme, wormwood and yarrow. Plus probably others I can remember. Obviously not everything at any one time, but over time all of them have had a place in the herb spiral.
2010
In 2013 we had a second blitz during which the original herb spiral was pretty much pulled down and rebuilt and a third tier was added to the top, which has housed our main rosemary plant ever since.
2013
Just recently, due to prolonged wet weather, the lemon balm tried to take over, but it has been cut back severely and the herb spiral is now home to – Basil (perennial), basil (spicy), chives, lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon (French), and thyme. I will probably add to this when we are coming into spring, later in the year.
2023
Tree herbs (spices?)
2010 when the Makrut and Curry Leaf Tree were installed
We have three trees that we harvest leaves from to flavour our cooking and one medicinally –
Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis) – This is a slow growing tree, which we have had hanging around for a very long time. It predates all our other herbs, being bought in over 35 years ago. It started out in a pot near our front door after I first bought it, but then about 30 years ago I transplanted it into the north eastern corner of our front garden. It is easily accessible to passers-by but I don’t know how many would know what it is. It has become the lynchpin of our longitudinal food forest in the front yard and would probably be able to supply all of St Clair with by leaves!
Makrut Lime or Kaffir Lime (citrus Hystrix) – It was one of the original plantings of our so called ‘fruit tree circle’ that I put together in 2010 to replace the carob tree (which turned out to be a non-productive male tree). It is in the northernmost part of the circle, adjacent to the path, and continues to grow well, just requiring the odd prune to open it up and keeping it free of bronze orange bugs during the hotter months.
Curry Leaf Tree (murraya koenigii) – This also was part of the original ‘fruit tree circle’ plantings in 2010. It is pretty hardy and does not require much care, just a bit of water during really dry times. It is exceptionally handy when I am cooking a curry to be able to walk out my front door and three metres away is our own curry tree.
Tea tree (melaleuca alternifolia) – these were placed across the front of the front garden as tubestock we got from the Easter Show almost 40 years ago. They just about define the boundary of the front yard these days. They produce a wonderful medicinal oil (tea tree oil) and it has been on my ‘to do’ list to steam distil some of it from the foliage of my tea trees. They do drop twigs (and occasionally branches in high winds) which we use to start the fire in winter and power rocket stoves.
The Lavender Hedge
Back in 2012 I built a long but narrow raised bed, filled it with mushroom compost and installed a series of twelve lavender plants along it. I then set up a simple but effective watering system to keep them hydrated. In the intervening years we have had scorching hot, dry and then supremely wet conditions. Of the original twelve we still have six plants existing, but I need to redo the area and replace the lavender plants that have passed on.
2012 when they were first put in
2015
2023 - A bit sparse, needs a revamp!
Spices
In 2010 I came across the concept of the earth box, a self-watering container made from a rectangular plastic tub or bin, where the top was fitted half way down the tub, the growing medium being heaped on top and the water reservoir sitting below. I made four and grew a random series of veggies in them until it occurred to me that they could be used to grow spices of the Zingiberaceae family.
Turmeric, galangal and ginger
These plants are really tropical but because the containers are black and absorb the suns heat, and have their own water reservoir for those really hot days, I thought they would do the job, and in fact they have! First was ginger (zingiber officinale), being the spice I use the most, over 10 years ago and for the most part we have been able t get by with the ginger I grow since. Then over the years came turmeric (curcurma longa) and galangal (alpine galangal) and then finally cardamom (elletaria cardamomum).
Cardamom
Cardamom was only added to this gang of four within the last year. While of the same family as the others it is the fruit that is used not the rhizome, although the leaves can be used to give a cardamom-like flavour to dishes. I have been growing it for years near the back steps but it has not produced flowers or pods, I hoped that by transplanting some to the black box it would get enough heat/light to flower. The experiment continues!
Turmeric harvest
They all grow well during the hotter months but during winter (we get some frost) they will die back partially or fully back to the rhizome, to then come on again as the warm weather returns in late spring.
Winter takes its toll!
A new tree spice has just come in during the last couple of weeks – cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum). Cinnamon is a true tropical tree so it is really an experiment to see if I can grow it in a pot in my greenhouse to the point where it is big enough to actually harvest some cinnamon. At the moment it is only about 30cm high, so it remains to be seen how it will go.
Our brand new cinnamon tree!
I have also had some experimentation (in the herb spiral) in growing both coriander (Coriandrum sativum) for the seed/spice only not the leaves (yuk!) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum). I have had some slight success with the coriander and harvested about 10 grams of seed this year, but was hardly able to get the cumin to germinate so a lot more work is required.
Conclusion
While we do still buy spices (although we will be buying less if I am successful in the longer term) we don’t buy that much in the way of herbs and I hope to continue that trend. As with lots of aspects of living more sustainably, the adventure continues!
Links for More Detail
Making the self watering containers used to grow spices (Article)
Revamping the Self Watering containers after years of use (Article)
Making the self watering containers used to grow spices (YouTube)
