DIY Spiral Gabion Herb Garden

by The Micro Gardener

I've been admiring stone walls and spirals for a while now, but I never realized until recently how easy they are to make on your own. The mesh wire baskets are referred to as gabions. They are designed to hold rocks or other decorative material. They give the illusion of a wall of rocks without all the labor of stacking and securing a rock wall.


Anne from The Micro Gardener shares tips and instructions for making the spiral herb garden, but doesn't provide details for making the gabion spiral. This can be accomplished by cutting two identical lengths of wire mess and then cutting strips to form a boxed end on both ends of the wire mesh. These strips determine the thickness of your wall - typically four to five inches. You can attach them with wire or garden ties. You can also create a bottom by attaching a strip of wire mess (to the width of the strips for the ends) to form a boxed edge to the bottom. This provides more stability and makes it easier to maneuver the spiral, but is not necessary.

• Once the gabion spiral is made, follow the instructions for making the spiral garden, positioning the gabion spiral as indicated. 
  
• You will also need to 'cut down' the sides of the spiral to create the proper slope. Use wire cutters to cut the mesh, following the grids of the mesh wire. 
  
• Secure the bottom of the spiral with soil or garden stakes and fill the gabion with rocks. 
  
• Fill in the center cavity with fresh soil and plant your flowers or herbs.
  

I don't know about you, but I'm dreaming of other projects using this simple method to create a faux wall or cube of rocks. If you ask me,  "Gabion's Rock!"


                                                                        Until Next Time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!