Prepare the site for the herb garden by digging the soil to a spade's depth. Lighten heavy soil by incorporating peat, wood ash or compost at the rate of two buckets per sq. yd. Herbs grow best in warm, still air, and a hedge of rosemary, lavender, sage or roses will provide a good shelter. A good temporary shelter can be made by planting annual sunflowers for a season or two.
Sow parsley. If the weather is dry and not too cold, sow a first batch of parsley in the open. Sow in seed drills 10 in. apart, in a damp, shady position.
Mint runners. Propagate mint by the long, rooted runners which form immediately below the soil. Uproot them, separate them from the parent plant, and plant them out on their own in rich, moist soil. If you plant mint with other plants in a window box, place a barrier of wood or tile near the plants to check the runners.