I’ve wanted to build a herb spiral since I first read about permaculture 20+ years ago (wow, how is it 20 years?), after our first visit to the Sustainability Centre in East Meon Hampshire.

The idea is simple, you build a spiral with rocks, you put the sun-loving plants that thrive in well-drained soil at the top and the shade-loving plants that like it a bit damp at the bottom.

Perhaps a pond at the bottom with watercress growing in it!

You just need a quick web search for ‘herb spiral‘ to see amazing herb spirals these days.

Our sensory garden needs a herb spiral, no question, but our wheelchair user has limited mobility. Her chair needs to get close to objects and at her height, for her to access it.

The rock garden versions are beautiful, but not necessarily accessible for a wheelchair user, plus at the height we would need to make it, probably not safe for pawing/grabbing hands either.

Then there’s the cost. We don’t have rocks or bricks in those numbers easily available and they’re expensive to buy!

What we do have is a few pallets! So a bit of Pinteresting and a few scribbles on paper and a design was born!

Design here when I get around to taking a picture of my scribbles.

How to Make a Pallet Herb Spiral

First we took the useful wood off the pallets, I then measured where I would like the lowest and highest heights to be then spaced the in-between measurements with a rise of 3cm between each piece of wood, with five at the same height at the end to form the base of the spiral.

Next we used galvanised wire and staples to join all the pieces in two places, 3cm from the bottom and 3cm from the top of the shortest piecies, running right the way across all planks.

We then positioned it in-situ and spiraled it into place. It tries to pop out so we filled the bottom with gravel. Our spiral is filled halfway up with gravel. It’ll help drainage and we have lots of it! We don’t have lots of compost in these lockdown days.

We made a change to the base at this stage and Mr T used surplus pallets to make a flat ‘end’. I didn’t take a picture, but I will tomorrow. This gave us more spiral space and made a more firm end to the spiral, which should keep the soil in better.

I totally forgot at this stage that I had intended painting it like a rainbow! Couldn’t be arsed removing it all to paint it so it may well (or not) be a future project.

We filled it with peat-free multipurpose, placed the herbs according to permaculture design then watered the whole thing (before planting, to allow it to settle). You should leave it 24 hours to relax, but I’m inpatient. I may well come to regret that but hey.

We planted it up then stood back and admired. What a thing of beauty! And a lovely entrance to our home sensory garden.

It will bush out and fill the space beautifully. Hopefully!

We’re now looking again at paths!