Unusual herbs to try
Although we love growing masses of the more common herbs, there are so many other interesting plants for you to try. Here are a few of our favourites
◼ Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Scarlet Pineapple’)
Aromatic and rich in flavour, pineapple sage really comes into its own in the latter part of the year. Its bountiful nature and striking red flowering spikes give off rich pineapple scents and flavours and a colourful display when most other plants are beginning their decline. A half-hardy perennial, it’s best kept inside, especially in the winter. Cuttings take well and you’ll easily find stems trying to root themselves. We look out for these as cuttings to build up our stock throughout the season. Use it to make pineapple-scented herbal sugars and syrups that can then be added to drinks and desserts.
◼ Foxley thyme (Thymus pulegioides variegated)
Our most popular thyme, this highly aromatic and peppery variety is like no other. The rich depth of flavour can’t be matched. Its striking variegated leaves also add a point of interest and mean it’s great as a garnish, too. An easy-to-grow perennial that likes well draining soil and sun, it spreads by sending out runners, so taking cuttings is simple. Cut back flowering stems to encourage more growth and stop it becoming too woody.
◼ Peruvian black mint (Tagetes minuta)
This is a plant that takes me back, because it smells and tastes like fruit salad sweets. It’s also our most requested herb from chefs, who use it to create sauces, syrups, flavoured salts and more. We grow it as an annual both inside and outside. It struggles with our cold, wet clay in the winter, but in some situations it can be grown as a true perennial if kept warm enough. We let it flower and collect seed for the following season.
◼ Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata)
Also known as laksa leaf, after the popular laksa noodle soup dish, this herb is a key element in Southeast Asian cooking for its unique flavour, boasting hints of mint, lemon and a spicy kick. It’s a tender perennial that will do well inside and in a container to keep its spreading habit at bay. Use towards the end of cooking, as it loses its flavour if cooked too long. Being botanically different from coriander (Coriandrum sativum), it’s a good alternative for those not fond of coriander; it won’t trigger the soap-like taste many coriander-haters are keen to avoid!
◼ Rose mint (Agastache pallidiflora)
The first time I came across this plant I was in awe, and then when it began flowering, I was mesmerised yet again. Its sweet rose scent is captivating, and it makes the most wonderful rose-flavoured syrups. Producing wonderful spikes of rich, deep pink flowers, rose mint is popular with the hummingbird hawk-moth and bees. This one has surprised us – it has survived our very cold, wet farm outside, though we do take basal cuttings, which are plentiful in the autumn, and keep stock inside over the winter in case of any casualties.