Gardening: Herbal treats,
Fragrant herbs bring charm and f lavour to plots big and small
YOU can’t beat fresh herbs. Test the aroma of justpicked rosemary, thyme or sage against dried versions, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s like comparing a live orchestra to 78 rpm gramophone records. And pots of supermarket herbs cannot beat home-grown sprigs for flavour or fragrance.
Herbs also make charming garden plants — sage with its grey-green foliage and enchanting blue flowers, thyme in its many varieties. Rosemary is a much-loved shrub, as is lavender, myrtle and bay.
A single half- tub can hold several herbs and would meet most cooking needs. They’d also look good on the patio.
Containerised culinary plants can be bought and planted at any time. Annuals, such as basil and coriander can be sown in pots now and will emerge within days, while parsley takes longer to germinate.
If you don’t already grow herbs, why not give it a try? A sunny garden spot is best, but windowboxes or balconies are good places, too.
PICK OF THE BUNCH
MOST herbs prefer full sun. Soil should drain freely but need not be too fertile. Shrubby herbs are easy to propagate from cuttings. Annuals — basil, coriander, parsley, dill — must be grown from seed.
For best results, sow between April and late May. Basil and coriander can be sown any time but must be kept frost-free.
To root cuttings, take young shoots of rosemary, sage, lavender and other shrubby herbs while they’re still young.
Remove lower leaves and push the cuttings, several to a small pot of free- draining compost. Heat the base of pots — as in a propagator — to speed rooting. Remember, certain herbs can be thugs. Most varieties of mint are horribly invasive, as are tansy, lemon balm, chives and bear’s garlic, Allium ursinum. Plant with caution.
You can learn more about herbs through Jekka’s Herb Farm, near Bristol. It sells seeds by mail order and holds two open days a month between now and September.
Herb genius Jekka McVicar’s Complete Herb Book, in association with the RHS, is still the best available guide, jekkasherbfarm.com.
HERB HEROES
ON THE smallest scale you can grow individual herbs in pots anywhere sunny.
A mix of herbs can be planted in a single large container. Taller plants, such as rosemary, could form the high point, add sage for medium height, and put creeping thyme at the front.
If you keep trimming your plants to supply the kitchen, they’ll continue to produce new, tender shoots. Yields are limited but you can still enjoy plenty of fresh pickings.
If there’s more space, a little herb garden will offer much more scope. Traditionally, these are formally laid out, often with low hedges of lavender or boxenclosing small beds.
Your herb garden need not be just for edible material. You can blend kitchen staples with silvery artemisias, ornamental alliums, and pinks or pretty annuals such as candytuft, pansies and pot marigolds.
Speaking of miniature plots, I once saw an antique cart-wheel, laid flat on the ground. Different herbs had been planted between the spokes, creating attractive sectors with softly contrasting colours. It was deliciously aromatic and quite charming.