Mint source
They taste good, smell good and can look stunning in your borders. So maybe it’s thyme you considered a herb garden...
They provide a continual harvest, so think about how much you are saving
Herbs are the very heart of cooking – but they can also be a key ingredient in your garden design. There’s nothing like opening your back door and snipping fresh mint for your roast lamb, some gorgeous basil for your pasta sauce, or even a little fresh parsley to flavour an omelette.
Besides their culinary uses, herbs like rosemary and lavender can look stunning in your borders and will fill your garden with fragrance.
Water them in the evening especially and they’ll release clouds of the most incredible scents.
They are also beneficial to insects, providing sustenance and a home for a range of garden bugs.
Growing herbs can be just as satisfying as using them in the kitchen. And with careful planting, you can enjoy fresh supplies all year round.
Herbs can be grown in the ground, in containers or pots, and even on an indoors windowsill. There are two types to think of when planning your herb patch. Annual/biennial herbs grow quickly and will need to be sown every few weeks through spring and summer to ensure a continuous supply. These include basil, borage, coriander, dill, lemon grass and parsley.
Perennial herbs like chives, fennel, horseradish, mint, oregano, sage and thyme are slower growing and will need to be sown in a permanent area.
They will give you a continuous harvest for your kitchen – so think about how much money you’ll save in the supermarket.
Do your research on the herbs you wish to grow so that you can establish their soil requirements and care.
And remember, mint and horseradish can grow and spread rapidly, so if you want them contained, it’s best to grow these in pots.
If you are planting outside, think about position. Nearly all herbs need plenty of sunshine and well-drained
soil. So whether planting in a border or a window box, you need to make sure you can provide that sunlight.
If your soil is heavy clay, you’ll need
to incorporate organic manure or compost to improve it. Break it up using a fork, add well-rotted compost or manure and mix well. Herb wheels are a nice way to grow lots of different herbs in a small space while keeping them apart.
They look much like a wooden wagon wheel flat on the ground with herbs growing between the spokes.
Make your own herb wheel using cast-off wood, or buy them in varying sizes from your garden centre. Either way, each wheel segment should have a different herb, but remember to label each section.
Personally, I find raised planters or larger containers beneficial for drainage – and you won’t break your back bending down to harvest them.
Growing produce in pots and containers is a superb way to make the most of the available space. And pots can be placed on a patio by the back door for easy access when cooking.
Choose pots that are relatively deep and make sure there are drainage holes to stop water-logging. Over winter, protect container-grown herbs by bringing them into a porch or greenhouse or placing them against a wall. If they’re going to remain outside, consider wrapping pots in horticultural fleece to guard them from frost.
Indoor herbs on a bright windowsill give you the benefit of being able to grow tender annuals all year long.
If growing from scratch, sow the seeds, then cover the pot and put it somewhere bright and warm to germinate. One sprouted, you can uncover and let the herb flourish.
Placement is still quite important for indoor herbs. They do require a decent amount of natural light, at least four hours of sunlight a day.
The typical indoor temperature is comfortable enough for most herbs too, but don’t stick them above a radiator or they’ll dry out.
Herbs are a wonderful addition to any home or garden.
Few plants can look so beautiful, taste delicious, and smell enchanting all at the same time.
So go on, get planting.