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Food & Herb Garden (Narrow)

A 3×20 ft single-focus herb strip — basil in summer, greens in spring and fall

With only 3 feet of width, this is a single-crop-at-a-time strip. Summer is all basil — 3–4 plants fill the entire usable space. In spring and fall, cool-season greens take over. Thyme edges the strip year-round. No room for simultaneous crops, but the simplicity is the strength: one thing at a time, done well.

Bird's-eye view — scale: ~3 ft wide × 20 ft long
← Sidewalk
SIDEWALK EDGE
🌿Thyme (year-round)
CENTER (rotates seasonally)
🥬Spring: Lettuce/Radish
🌿Summer: Basil ×3–4
🥬Fall: Spinach
STREET EDGE
🌿Thyme (year-round)
← Street / Curb

Taller plants in the back (street side) stay below the sight-triangle height limit.

Month-by-Month Calendar

March

  • •Sow lettuce and radish seeds in center strip
  • •Check thyme edges — trim dead growth

April

  • •Harvest radishes
  • •Continue lettuce
  • •Late April: plant basil transplants after frost risk passes

May–June

  • •Pull all lettuce by late May
  • •Basil fills the center — begin weekly pinching
  • •Water 2×/week

July–August

  • •Peak basil — pinch and harvest weekly
  • •Water consistently, hell strip is brutally hot
  • •Late August: pull basil, sow fall spinach

September–October

  • •Spinach and fall greens producing
  • •First frost ~Oct 10–15: harvest remaining greens

November–February

  • •Thyme overwinters in place
  • •Light mulch around thyme edges
  • •Late Feb: trim thyme

Plant List

Basil

Height
18–24 in
Spacing
12–18 in
Bloom / Harvest
Summer (pinch flowers)
Care Notes

3–4 plants fill the entire center of a 3-ft strip. Plant after last frost (late April). Pinch flower buds weekly. Harvest everything before first frost in October.

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris
Height
6–12 in
Spacing
8–12 in
Bloom / Harvest
Tiny flowers, May–June
Care Notes

Year-round edge plant. Handles foot traffic, heat, and drought. Stays green in winter. The permanent frame for your rotating center crops.

Loose-leaf Lettuce

Height
6–10 in
Spacing
6–8 in
Bloom / Harvest
Harvest in 30–45 days
Care Notes

Spring only: sow March 15–April 15. Pull all lettuce by late May — it WILL bolt in hell strip heat. Succession sow every 10 days.

Radishes

Height
4–6 in
Spacing
2–3 in
Bloom / Harvest
Harvest in 25 days!
Care Notes

Interplant with lettuce in spring. First harvest before basil goes in. The gateway crop for beginning gardeners.

Spinach

Height
6–10 in
Spacing
4–6 in
Bloom / Harvest
Harvest in 40–50 days
Care Notes

Fall crop: sow September 1–15 after pulling basil. Handles light frost. May produce into November in Springfield.

Maintenance Schedule

  • 1

    Weekly (summer): Pinch basil, water deeply 2×/week

  • 2

    Seasonal transitions: Swap crops — spring greens → basil → fall greens

  • 3

    Late February: Trim thyme edges

  • 4

    Year-round: Thyme stays in the ground as permanent edges

Springfield, MO Tips (Zone 6b)

  • 1

    A 3-ft strip gets even hotter than a 4-ft strip — less soil mass to buffer the pavement heat. Water frequently.

  • 2

    Single-crop focus is a feature, not a bug. One thing at a time means less to manage.

  • 3

    Thyme edges do double duty: culinary herb + weed suppression + pedestrian buffer.

  • 4

    Call 811 before digging. Narrow strips often have utilities closer to the surface.

  • 5

    Springfield's last frost: April 15–25. First frost: October 1–15. Plan your basil window accordingly.

  • 6

    Wash all produce — road runoff is closer in a narrow strip.

Get Free Expert Help

The Master Gardeners of Greene County offer free gardening advice to Springfield residents. They can help you adapt this plan to your specific strip — soil type, sun exposure, nearby trees, road salt exposure, and more.

Contact Master Gardeners →

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