Plant up a…

Louise Golden, gardening guru of Dobbies Garden Centres, explains how...

Herb pyramid

Choose your herbs

What gets your juices flowing? If you love cooking, choose herbs that go well with lamb, chicken and beef, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley. If you’re a cocktail fan, go mojito mad with mint, while lemon verbena is great for teas. If you love a good detox, try camomile – it’s a great grower and you only need to pop a few sprigs into a teapot or diffuser to make tea. Pineapple sage is divine for desserts – try it in baking, on ice cream or to make cordials. Herbs are easy

1What you will need PLANTS

■ 9 of your favourite herb plants

OTHER MATERIALS

■ 3 terracotta pots: small, medium, large.

■ Multipurpose compost ■ Horticultural grit

■ Plant labels (optional)

TOOLS

Watering can to grow from seed on a windowsill, or buy some young plants for instant planting.

Prepare your pots

Make sure your terracotta pots are clean and have no cracks. Tip multipurpose compost into the largest pot until almost full, then firm it down with your hands. Sit the medium-sized pot on top and repeat the process, then follow with the smallest pot.

2Get planting

Use five plants on the bottom ring of soil, three in the middle and one in the top. Plant herbs that enjoy free-draining soil, such as thyme, near the top of the pyramid, and herbs that like more water, such as mint and basil, at the bottom. Plant several of the same herbs over the pyramid so you don’t have to keep picking from the same one. Apply a layer of horticultural grit to the surface for a smart

3finish and to deter slugs. Add plant labels too if you need help identifying the different herbs.

Give them some love

After planting, water your pyramid, then position it in a sunny spot as herbs prefer warm conditions. Water regularly, but make sure the compost doesn’t become saturated. Pick the herbs little and often, taking care not to cut too much from one plant as it’ll take a while to grow back.

4‘Herbs are easy to grow and don’t need lots of care, so give them a go’

Keep the pyramid tidy Make sure you pull out any weeds or they’ll steal nutrients from the herbs. Dig up and replace the herbs when they’re past their best. The mint may overrun the others, so be sure to keep it in check. Herbs are vigorous growers, so if you find you have a glut of them that you can't use, toss them into salads by the handful or freeze into ice cubes to drop into summer drinks.

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