The Herbal Research and Development Institute (HRDI) at Mandal in Gopeswar has developed the concept of ornamental herbal garden that introduces people interested in growing herbs for flavour, fragrance and medicinal properties including the value of ornamental attributes of the herbs.
The director of HRDI, Chandra Shekhar Sanwal states, “An ornamental herbal garden is a unique garden having brightly coloured flowers and foliage that has been aesthetically landscaped, exclusively with attractive medicinal plants.” It exhibits herbs in decorative garden settings, using their exquisite foliage, flowers and scents blending artfully with other annuals, biennials, and perennials.
Blending and contrast of colour as well as choice of forms are important aspects to consider in planning an ornamental herb garden. Depending upon the choice of species, there may be single-colour, muticolour and scented garden.
For a single-color garden one can plant lavender and wormwood while for a scented garden one can plant ocimum, mint, scented geranium, lemon balm, silver thyme and rosemary. For a multicolour garden, the plants to be used are geranium, chamomile, echinacea, digitalis, salvia, yarrow, pyrethrum and chives. Sanwal further informed that the herbal garden is designed in such a way as to give a maximum display of colour and flowers round the year without requiring much maintenance in light of the choice of the species.
Using the beauty of herb in landscape and to enhance the pattern of the garden; circular, rectangular, triangular, diamonds, compasses, and knots are among the most popular designs. “Popular fascinating herbs planted in recently developed ornamental herbal garden at Mandal include lavender, rosemary, geranium, chamomile, echinacea, digitalis, salvia, common yarrow and pyrethrum among others.” In light of the choice of the species, garden has been developed in such a way that the garden remains blooming by one or other species round the year.
These plants needn’t be confined to designated herb gardens, but can be used to fill in cracks and crevices, to wander along bed edges, and to punctuate perennial borders.
