Thyme is on your side
Healthy herbs are low-maintenance, easy-to-grow plants that will not only improve the flavour of your food but can boost your wellbeing
Sow seeds inside or under glass now for seedlings in 2 weeks
Fresh herbs grow effortlessly, enhance the flavours of even the simplest of dishes and are highly nutritious too. Grow your own to access a wealth of ingredients that will help to sustain both you and your prized plants.
They make terrific container plants on a sunny balcony or windowsill. So even if you don’t have a garden, there’s no reason not to have a go.
HERBS THAT HEAL
Herbs, with their antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory powers, will see to a number of ailments.
Think of lemons – we know that these are great for kicking colds but soothing lemongrass and lemon verbena can also be used in this way.
When infused with other immunesupport buddies like echinacea, you will be on a home run for better health due to its ability to raise the body’s resistance to infections.
As well as providing a 24-hour pharmacy at home, herbs add full flavour, texture, colour and aroma to all kinds of meals.
They are incredibly versatile in the kitchen, and just a pinch of herbs towards the end of cooking a meal will ensure better nourishment.
CLEVER COMPANIONS
Most herb gardens tend to be very low-maintenance and won’t require crop rotation like other harvests.
In fact, these scented splendours are perfect for companion planting.
Chamaemelum nobile, commonly known as chamomile, is a nurse herb to many other plants and will collect potassium, calcium, and sulphur, returning it to the soil when used as a mulch. Roman chamomile will attract aphid-eating hoverflies and ladybugs, so it’s great planted next to cabbage.
A dandelion’s deep tap roots will break up heavy soils and release the chemical ethylene, which stimulates the ripening of fruit, the opening of flowers, and the shedding of leaves.
Other plant-boosters include borage, which deters tomato hornworm, clover, which encourages nitrogen into soil, and spearmint, which helps to discourage aphids when planted near roses.
PERMANENT PLANTING
Annual/biennial herbs like parsley, dill and basil will grow quickly and need to be sown every few weeks throughout spring and summer.
Perennial herbs like chives and sage are slow-growing and best sown in a permanent area offering full sun and well-drained, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter worked in.
Alternatively, herbs work beautifully in a window box, grown in a container or in an attractive hanging basket display.
For planting now, sow inside or under glass, situating seeds 0.5cm deep for seedlings to appear in two to four weeks. They’ll give you a continuous harvest to stock your kitchen and medicine cabinet – just think about how much you’ll save.
Growing seed is great fun but for quick results pre-potted herbs can be bought in garden centres all year
round, so get started today. Don’t forget that good-looking and deliciously scented herbs do not have to be eaten – you can simply step back and enjoy the variety of wildlife and aromas these plants bring to your outside spaces.
SUPER SCENTS
Rosemary grows rampantly with mini sword-like leaves joined together on a main stem – a beautiful green on the top and slightly silvery beneath.
The most common variety – Miss Jessopp’s Upright or rosmarinus officinalis – will tolerate almost any position and arid conditions.
The big bush, with mauve flowers in the summer, can grow over head height so you need to trim it. It is evergreen, perfect for a container and excellent with lamb. When bruised it emits a beautiful fragrance.
Like rosemary, growing mint is another no-brainer but I would advise putting it in containers as it spreads like a weed in a garden. If you do put it in a border, sink down some plastic edging around it to stop it taking over.
It’s tough, low maintenance and dies back in winter but returns every year. And, like rosemary, it emits a beautiful scent when brushed or pinched. There are many types: apple mint, spearmint, peppermint, and even a chocolate one that smells a bit like After Eights.
Parsley is another great grower in tubs or a border, if you can use enough to keep on top of it. By regularly cutting back its crinkly leaves, it will produce more and more without getting leggy. Fresh, it is a lovely garnish for hot
buttered new potatoes and soups. Bay trees are a brilliantly adaptable and decorative evergreen perfect for a tub or container. The leaves are fantastic in curries and stews.
The same goes for oregano. Perfect for container planting, it will come up year after year and tastes fantastic over a just-cooked pizza. There is even a variety called hot and spicy that has a lovely kick.
COOKING COMPANIONS
Just a dash of homegrown herbs will easily boost the nutritional content of your meal. Start by choosing herbs that accentuate your food.
Thyme, another easy-to-grow herb, is an excellent source of vitamin C and perfect with fish or chicken dishes, while vitamin A-rich rosemary goes
well with beef. Look to peppermint for antispasmodic and antibacterial nourishment when sprinkled over chocolate desserts – a wonderful way to introduce herbs into your diet that also goes down well with children.
Combine spices like ginger with salmon and watercress for a supper that will improve digestion and circulation, and assist with inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Edible herbs are also a popular garnish to drinks, lending a fragrant twist to cocktails and iced teas.
Rosemary and thyme taste sweet with berry-flavoured drinks, and lavender can be added to glasses of wine or bubbly for an elegant touch. Likewise, they can be combined with chamomile for a calming tea infusion.