You don’t need to be a trained horticulturist to grow herbs and make the most of what they can offer you. Easy to grow and like most home grown produce, taste fresher and better than the shop bought ones. Oh and convenient as well, and you need only minimal space to plant up a few varieties.
Planting a herb garden or container is a must for every garden – not only looking and smelling good, but they also do you good! Most herbs are pretty easy to grow with the right conditions and care, and of course will provide an excellent addition to your cooking.
As with ornamental plants, herbs are annual or perennial. Annuals are herbs such as basil, coriander, marjoram and parsley. Perennials include fennel, mint and thyme whereas lavender, rosemary and sage are classed as woody perennials and of course chives are a bulb from the onion family.
Most herbs thrive best in full sun which helps them produce the highest levels of essential oils but some, like rocket, parsley and chervil are fine in shade. There is always a wide choice of herb plants to buy from garden centres and nurseries, or even in pots from the supermarket. Or you can try growing your own from seed.
Growing Herbs
You can grow them in containers or pots on the patio, in a formal herb garden or even among your ornamental plants in a bed or border. They also make great hanging basket plants. It’s great to grow a few near the back door, they smell wonderful on a hot summer’s day and they’ll be handy for use in the kitchen.
Watering
Once established they need regular watering and you can also give them a liquid feed once a week during the growing season.
Make sure you pick from them regularly to encourage new growth of fresh leaves.
Fast Growing
Some perennial herbs are fast growing and very vigorous and can take over the herb garden or container, so it’s a good idea to actually plant them in their original pot to contain them. Mint and lemon balm particularly can benefit from this treatment.
Perennials
In the autumn the annual herbs will die off and they can be discarded. The perennial herbs such as chives, mint, oregano or thyme will die back also, but will grow again in spring and they should be protected from frost during the winter.
Tea Time
As well as looking attractive when planted up and having many uses in the kitchen, you can also use your own herbs to make herbal teas with lemon balm, mint and sage leaves or camomile flowers.
Pick about 5 or 6 leaves and gently crush them in a clean paper towel and then add to a cup or a teapot. Pour on boiling water and cover – this will ensure that the beneficial essential oils don’t evaporate off with the steam. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes and strain if necessary – you can use honey to sweeten if necessary.
Who can resist planting a herb garden
Purchase some great bedding plants from Dobies
