A New Herb & Pollinator Garden at Vintique Alley.

One of the best kept secrets in Riverside is this great vintage and antique retailer called Vintique Alley located on Magnolia Avenue near Van Buren. I often find treasures there for my garden and also quite a bit of jewelry.

It is with great excitement then to announce that we now have our own pop-up pollinator and herb garden in front of the store as of today. I had so much fun setting this up and I hope other customers will enjoy the sensory experience of fragrant herbs as they walk inside to shop.

Plants from Parkview Nursery on Jackson Street. Sign made by Printing Connection in Riverside. Cedar planter from Home Depot

Herb gardens are a great addition to any patio or small outdoor space. Here, in one 8-square-foot garden I was able to plant three floral gem peppers, two yarrow plants (which are medicinal flowers), and seven herbs: rosemary, Greek oregano, lemon thyme, dill, African basil, and sage. Not only is this entire planter full of edible plants, but it smells incredible and the combination of herbs and flowers will attract a wide array of pollinators. It’s a win all around. All of these plants have similar watering requirements, with the peppers centered more inside so they stay a little more moist. I like to use Kelp it Real (which you can find in our shop) during the transplant process to reduce root shock and to add micronutrients to the soil.

The other great thing about an herb garden is that you can really start one any time of year! This planter will get some afternoon shade, a blessing when we start hitting triple digits during summer. Most herbs come from arid, dry climates and so they do well in a shallow planter like this where they will be able to dry out in between waterings.

Herb gardens can also save you time and money. By having an herb garden near your kitchen like this, you always have fresh herb at hands for cooking and bbqing, which means one less thing to buy at the store, and the one-time amount you would spend on a potted herb ($3.99) is the same price or less that you would spend on a container of fresh herbs at the grocery store which would only last a week in your refrigerator.

So what are you waiting for? We can help you get your herb garden set up if you’re not into DIY. It’s as simple as booking a consult.