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Planting an Herb and Flower Garden

April 20, 2026

pinterest pin herb and flower garden
seeds packets

I love this time of year! The dull grays of winter give way to the almost neon greens of spring as new life sprouts, and I want to plant every flower seed I possibly can.


One blessing of living in the South is the early plant time. Usually, folks start planting seeds and plants around the middle of April when the danger of frost is generally gone. My kids and I are right in the middle of planting our raised beds.


It's time to plant, and today I want to share what I'm planting in my herb and flower garden! As we finish up the homeschool year, we are trading books for outdoor sunshine and pencils for shovels.


woman weeding garden

I finally got smart about my garden…


With a new baby in the house, I had already determined that some things would be different about my garden this year. For one, I decided not to stress and would just enjoy planting seeds impromptu. Who knows, maybe the garden will turn out better than before! I love the relaxed cottage look, and perhaps a more relaxed approach to the planting process will speak those whimsical vibes into my little plants.


Another big change that I’m finally allowing myself this year is simply planting what I actually like to plant. May I be honest with you? I don’t like planting and tending vegetables! There--I’ve said it. Veggies are a ton of work, mine hardly ever turn out well in the crazy heat and poor soil, and I just don’t want to invest the time required to tend them. I’d much rather do other things with my time.


So this year I’m planting herbs and flowers, and my heart is so very happy about this. I have released myself from the bondage I felt to “grow my own food” in exchange for doing what I actually love—nurturing beautiful blooms.


To all my farmer friends who grow their own food: I admire you, I really do. I dream about being like you.


What I’m Planting This Year


Flowers


Zinnias—these are my favorite standbys. I even grew two crops of them last year because of our long growing season and zinnias incredibly fast growth rate.


zinnias

Sunflowers—who doesn’t love a sunny sunflower?


sunflowers

Cosmos—I love the tall, wispy look of this flower—perfect for indoor arrangements.


Blue Sage—this one is new to me. Supposedly, it dries very well and is even more hardy as a dried flower than lavender! Still sad about my lavender fail last year, I am excited to give this plant a try. I will just pinch myself if I get enough of a crop to dry.


Marigolds—these flowers are practically indestructible. They are so hardy and will grow in areas that other flowers will not. These flowers are honestly not my favorite looking plants as I prefer cooler petal shades. But I’ve learned in SC not to stub my nose at hard-working plants that can survive the sun.


Herbs


Blue Hyssop—this plant is new to me. But it’s blue and it looks “cottagey” so I’m all in. My children and I read about hyssop recently when we were reading the Easter account. We were intrigued about the plant and wanted to try growing some.


Chamomile—this delightful herb looks like mini daisies.


Sage—in the spring, sage produces beautiful purple blooms.


sage with purple blooms
The purple blooms are sage, and the white blooms are cilantro.

Thyme—this diminutive plant produces tiny pink blossoms in the spring. I feel like a farmer grabbing some thyme from my garden to add to a chicken dish.


raised bed with chamomile and thyme
The daisy-like blooms in the back are chamomile, and the tiny white/pink blooms on the right are thyme.

Cilantro—don’t be fooled—I plant cilantro for its beautiful white blooms, not to make salsa!

 

Adding to the Raised Beds


raised garden beds

My husband built simple but beautiful raised beds for me on the front side corner of our acre lot. Inspired by Lisa Bass’s raised beds, we followed her directions for simple frames built from cedar fence posts. I love how the wood ages over time, adding a depth of character to our garden space.


This year my husband added a bit more space for me by simply running boards between two of the middle raised beds. Not only does this give me more planting space, but it also makes mowing easier for my husband. Before, he could not get the mower in the very middle of the garden and would have to weed whack this area. Now we will have beautiful blooms in the center of the garden and less maintenance for hubby.


Composted Topsoil


For the 2nd time I have ordered excellent composted topsoil from a local provider. This company produces their own proprietary blend of soil and mushroom compost, and I’m happy to just start planting in this easy-to-use soil.



So that’s the start to my garden this year, friends! It’s nothing extremely fancy, but I hope to grow enough flowers to make my yard pretty and also have enough for indoor bouquets. Neighbors have commented on my garden space recently, and I really hope to create a lovely area that the whole cul-de-sac can enjoy watching grow (the raised beds are actually in our front yard, visible from the street).


-Ashley


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