Herbs
Jane Wrigglesworth suggests five herbs that will perform in partial shade
Five herbs that cope with shade
We all have shady corners in our garden where most plants would not perform. But these five herbs will survive – and even thrive – in low-light conditions.
Parsley
Parsley is the plain Jane of the herb garden, but it’s incredibly versatile and useful in the kitchen. I’ve grown mine in full sun, full shade, part shade, rich soil and not so rich soil – and the best spot, I’ve determined, is part shade with average soil and a little compost dug in. In these conditions, and when kept reasonably moist, my parsley thrives and readily self-sows.
That’s a good thing, because although parsley is biennial – and can, in fact, be grown for three or four years if you remove the flower stems – it’s best grown as an annual, as the leaves tend to become slightly bitter in their second year, and more so in following years. I harvest only from first-year plants and let my second-year plants go to seed. When in flower, they attract all manner of beneficial insects, including bees.
Parsley is packed full of nutrients, including vitamins A, C and K, iron, folic acid and calcium. Half a cup of parsley gives you far in excess of the recommended daily vitamin K intake (this vitamin plays an important role in blood clotting and building strong bones, which is why parsley may be recommended as a natural ingredient to help increase or maintain bone density), half of your recommended daily vitamin C intake, 14% of the vitamin A intake, 12% of folic acid, 10% of iron and 4% of your recommended daily calcium.
There are two types of parsley: curly leaf ( Petroselinum crispum var. crispum) and Italian or flat
leaf ( Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum). Both taste pretty much the same, but have different textures. Both require the same growing conditions.
If you have trouble getting your seeds to germinate, soak them in warm water overnight, then pour boiling water into your drill before you sow them. You can also try keeping your plants in a warm spot.
Mint
There are many different varieties of mint ( Mentha spp.): apple mint, pineapple mint, basil mint, ginger mint, spearmint (also known as common mint and garden mint), peppermint, black peppermint, Corsican mint and pennyroyal, to name a few. All of these grow well in part shade. In fact, if you’re looking for an aromatic ground cover for part shade, low-growing pennyroyal ( Mentha pulegium) or Corsican mint ( Mentha requienii) are ideal. With their tiny leaves, they grow readily between cracks in pavers and look lovely as a border alongside pathways.
Peppermint ( Mentha x piperita) and spearmint ( Mentha spicata) are widely used for medicinal purposes, peppermint more so. It contains high levels of menthol (spearmint contains only a minimal amount), which is extracted for medicinal and cosmetic use, and to a lesser extent to flavour food (mostly tea and confectionary). Spearmint is used extensively in food preparation, and is the mentha of choice for discerning mint julep drinkers.
Aside from the taste, the two mints can be distinguished by their scent. Peppermint has the characteristically stronger odour of menthol, whereas the scent of spearmint is dominated by carvone, a natural chemical that also has medicinal properties. Both types of mint can be used to relieve digestive disorders such as nausea, indigestion and flatulence. I love pineapple mint ( Mentha
suaveolens ‘Variegata’) for its ornamental value, but you can also cook with it. It’s a variegated cultivar of apple mint ( Mentha
suaveolens) and also looks spectacular as a filler in bouquets.
All mints have wide-spreading underground runners, so they generally need to be contained or they’ll take over your garden. They like moist, fairly rich soil, or goodquality potting mix. You can easily propagate mint from cuttings or by dividing clumps.
Wondering what to plant in that shady spot? Although most culinary herbs do best in full sun, some also thrive in part shade
Lovage
If you like parsley and you like celery, there’s a good chance you’ll like lovage ( Levisticum officinale). This perennial herb has an intense parsley/celery/yeast-like flavour that can be used to enhance practically
For fancy-pants presentations, use the hollow stems of lovage as straws for tomato-based drinks like bloody Marys
any dish. The leaves can be used to create a simple broth or stock when infused in water, or add them fresh to salads and soups. Collect the seeds and use them crushed in bread and pastry, or mix them through mashed potato or rice.
Lovage adds a strong flavour to dishes, so use only a little at first to determine your preference. For fancy-pants presentations, use the hollow stems as straws for tomatobased drinks like bloody Marys.
Lovage can be grown in full sun, but in my opinion it does best in part shade. It grows in similar conditions to parsley, lapping up a fair bit of moisture in average to mildly rich, free-draining soil.
The flower heads are topped with umbels of yellow blooms, typical of members of the Umbelliferae or Apiaceae family. The seeds ripen in late summer or autumn and can easily be collected for sowing or eating.
Pick whole flower heads as soon as they change colour from yellow to brown, then hang them upside down in a paper bag. As the fruit ripens, it will split open and the seeds will fall out. Collect the seeds and store them in an airtight container. Lovage conveniently self-sows, but if you don’t want any more plants, snip off the seed heads before the seeds form.
A hardy perennial, lovage dies back in winter and emerges again in spring. If you want to use the savoury leaves throughout winter, dry them or freeze them in water in ice cube trays for adding to stock, soup and stew.
Coriander
This love-it-or-hate-it herb is best grown in the cooler seasons of autumn and spring, but if you do grow it in summer, position it in shade or it will rocket to seed. Even in autumn and spring, I grow mine in part shade to keep it growing longer and stronger before it throws up flowers. I like to let it flower because it self-sows, and in time many new plants emerge.
I also like to collect the seeds for cooking. Commercially, they’re used in curries, as well as desserts, sweet pastries and beer. Even Gordon’s gin is flavoured with coriander seeds.
The roots can be eaten too. Many Asian dishes utilise them as well as the leaves, as they have a stronger flavour and are especially good for curries. Pull the whole plant out if you wish to use the roots – it takes only 30-50 days after germinating to get good-sized roots for cooking.
Don’t leave roots in the ground for too long if you’re planning to collect them, as they’ll become woody. When your largest stem is about 5mm in diameter, your roots should be ready to harvest. At this stage, the roots should be 7-10cm long.
If you want to keep some coriander roots for use later in the year, cut the stems down to about 1cm, wash the roots, pat them dry with a clean tea towel or paper towel, place them in a container and freeze.
Lemon balm
Because coriander has a taproot, the plants are best sown directly where you want to grow them. If you’re growing them in pots, choose a fairly deep container to accommodate the roots. Sow seeds every two to four weeks for a continuous supply of this herb. Feed regularly with liquid fertiliser to promote luscious leaf growth. The leaves of lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis) are citrus scented and make a deliciously refreshing tea, which is used medicinally for calming the nerves. It has soporific qualities and has long been used by herbalists for relaxation purposes, to promote restful sleep, improve mood and reduce digestive distress. It has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic and carminative properties too.
The leaves can be used fresh, or you can dry them for use in winter. Tie a few stems together and hang them in a well-ventilated room out of direct sunlight. Once they’re dry, strip the leaves from the stems and store them in an airtight container.
To make lemon balm tea, loosely pack a teapot with fresh leaves, add boiling water and steep for 10-15 minutes. Or use 1 teaspoon of dried lemon balm per cup of boiled water.
Lemon balm grows and spreads easily. Even when it’s grown in pots, you may find small seedlings popping up in nearby spots in the garden. But thankfully, it’s very easy to weed out. To reduce self-sowing, cut off the flowers before they go to seed.
Lemon balm plants grow 60-80cm tall, though in winter the stems die down, only to re-emerge in spring. Moist but free-draining soil and part shade will provide the optimal conditions for growth. During summer, plants should be protected from the midday sun, or they’ll wilt.