The herb spiral is something of a holy grail for beginner permaculturists. The first time you come across it in a book by Bill Mollison (co-founder of permaculture), you immediately think: this is what I need.
At Ermitaj, back in 2021, a group of young people we hosted wanted one so badly that we ended up building it. Fifteen people, a full day of work, and several cubic meters of materials later, we had a beautiful living sculpture that… isn’t so easy to maintain.
Image: Herb spiral at Ermitaj
The First Promise of the Herb Spiral: All Microclimates in a Few Square Meters
The idea behind the herb spiral is to concentrate all possible microclimates in a small space — from dry to humid, from shade to full sun, from scrubland to fertile plains.
In theory, it sounds brilliant.
But in a real garden, these microclimates often already exist without having to pile up rocks and haul in fill dirt: in the shade of the house, at the bottom of a downspout, against a south-facing wall…
And most aromatic plants are flexible enough to grow just fine in less-than-ideal conditions.
The Second Promise: Saving Space
Another argument: saving space. Bill Mollison promises that a three-meter-wide spiral gives you nine linear meters to plant. Sounds great, right?
Well… except with the thickness of the walls, those nine meters have a width of only 30–50 cm. In other words, the space gain is purely theoretical.
In practice, you end up with 7 square meters of footprint for just 4 square meters of actual planting space — and a structure that requires special care.
Even if you reduce the wall thickness and use the vertical sides, the gains remain minimal.
The Herb Spiral: Pretty, but Not Worth the Trouble
A herb spiral can look beautiful, especially if it’s well-maintained and the plants are thriving.
But to be honest, the effort to build and maintain it often outweighs any real benefit you get from it.
So, build one if it makes you happy — but keep in mind that it’s more of an aesthetic exercise than a practical one.
Herb Spiral and Permaculture: An Invitation to Observe
At Ermitaj, this experience reminds us of one essential thing: don’t take everything you read at face value.
Start by observing your garden’s natural microclimates — and use them.
Permaculture is an invitation to observe, experiment, and adapt every design to its unique context.
It’s also about achieving the most with the least amount of effort.
And if you still want to build one, there are plenty of tutorials online. For example.