ADD SOME TASTY HERBS TO A CORNER

Perennial herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, French tarragon etc) survive the winter and can be planted in a corner of a vegetable garden and for convenience, near the kitchen door.

Other herbs like coriander, dill and chervil are softer and more shortlived.

Chervil is a fantastic herb with multiple uses as a garnish, a salad leaf or an herb.

One of its advantages is that it doesn’t attract slugs.

Nobody wants to see slugholes on their produce but even if chervil is damaged its frilly leaf will disguise it. It has an aniseed flavour which is lovely in soups and salads. It can be sown first in pots and when grown big enough it can be planted into the ground. Basil is another herb that is worth growing even just for its amazing smell. The Walled Garden at Ballymaloe has lemon basil and lime basil. Savory, a member of the mint family, is an unusual herb with a very distinctive taste.

It is one of the less well-known herbs that is grown in Ballymaloe as a mainstay of many of the kitchen’s signature vegetable dishes. Winter savory has a strong, almost clove flavour and is served with carrots. Summer savory, which is hotter, is a frequent accompaniment for runner beans .