Then there are lettuce, chillies and green peppers, which are not herbs but which would grow really well in a herb garden.

Herb gardens can have various shapes. They can be rectangular or circular (in the shape of a wagon wheel), or planted in pots near the kitchen.

You could even grow herbs all over the garden among flowers and vegetables. We recommend a rectangular bed with interspersed cement tiles that serve as stepping stones. It's easy to put together, and you will be able to reach all the plants with ease. The size of the bed in our example is 8 x 1m. A herb garden should not be smaller than 2 x 2m.

Lay out a herb garden
Prepare the soil by digging it over to a depth of about 30cm. Add sufficient cow manure or compost and dig it in thoroughly. Rake the soil until it is even so that you can lay the tiles. We used 45 x 45cm cement tiles in a terracotta finish, and laid them in a diamond pattern, to make it easy to reach the plants.

Decide beforehand where you would like to position the different plants. Bear in mind the height to which each plant will grow and plant the taller ones at the back (such as chillies and thyme), and the smaller ones in front (such as parsley and basil). You can also plant according to type, for example common and flat-leaf parsley in one block, and common and Lollo Rosso lettuce in another.

Make spacious holes in the soil and carefully place a plant in each hole. Fill the holes with soil and gently press down around each plant to expel any trapped air. Sprinkle a handful of manure or compost over the soil and water thoroughly.

Gardening tips for May
Winter rainfall region
1 Sow annuals such as Namaqualand daisies, delphiniums, foxgloves, gazanias, varieties of Helichrysum, sweetpeas and Schizanthus pinnatus (poor man's orchid).
2 Lift dahlia bulbs and store in a cool, dry place for replanting later.
3 Plant Ranunculus bulbs and anemones about two weeks later to extend the flowering period.
4 Plant vegetables such as beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, baby spinach, garlic, green salad, onion, parsley, peas, radishes, parsnips and turnips.

Summer rainfall region
1 Cover susceptible young plants with Hessian or shade- netting to protect them against frost.
2 Thoroughly water the lawn once a month.
3 Thoroughly water azaleas, camellias and shrubs that naturally occur in winter rainfall areas once a week.
4 Thoroughly water fruit trees and grapes once every three weeks.
5 Plant Ranunculus and anemone bulbs two weeks apart to extend the flowering period.
6 Sow vegetables such as broad beans, lettuce, peas, radishes and parsnips.
Source: Gardening with Keith Kirsten (Struik)