Setting Up a New Garden

I am in the planning stages of trying to setup a herb garden. Do you have any suggestion on where would be the best place to get a design or specifically as a new gardener what to plant. I would like to establish it off the back patio so that it would be part of the landscapes, just outside my kitchen on the north side of the house. I have lots of room and a bare yard to work with.

Unfortunately the best place for your herb garden would be the front of the house since the bed would then be facing south. Most herbs like full sun and excellent drainage. If north facing is all you are willing to give your plants!!! Then place the most shade tolerant ones closest to the patio edge and gradually work outwards with more and more sun loving plants.
To find out what exposure your chosen plant needs, go to our web-site www.richters.com go to "News&Info" on the left hand side and click on "Richters InfoCentre", then click on "Richters Herb Growing InfoBase" and type in the common name of the plant you are researching and then click on "Search".
Put taller plants on the west side and shorter plants on the east side of your path way. That way the taller plants will shade the shorter ones during the hot afternoon sun and not during the cooler mornings. If your garden is on clay make sure you work lots of sharp builder's sand into the soil before you plant any herbs.