Thyme is on your side
round, so get started today. Don’t forget that good- looking and deliciously scented herbs do not have to be eaten – you can simply step back and enjoy the variety of wildlife and aromas these plants bring to your outside spaces.
SUPER SCENTS
Rosemary grows rampantly with mini sword-like leaves joined together on a main stem – a beautiful green on the top and slightly silvery beneath.
The most common variety – Miss Jessopp’s Upright or rosmarinus officinalis – will tolerate almost any position and arid conditions.
The big bush, with mauve flowers in the summer, can grow over head height so you need to trim it. It is evergreen, perfect for a container and excellent with lamb. When bruised it emits a beautiful fragrance.
Like rosemary, mint is another no-brainer but I would advise putting it in containers as it spreads like a weed in a garden. If you do put it in a border, sink down some plastic edging around it to stop it taking over.
It’s tough, low maintenance and dies back in winter but returns every year. And, like rosemary, it emits a beautiful scent when brushed or pinched. There are many types: apple mint, spearmint, peppermint, and even a chocolate one that smells a bit like After Eights.
Parsley is another great grower in tubs or a border, if you can use enough to keep on top of it. By regularly cutting back its crinkly leaves, it will produce more and more without getting leggy.
Fresh, it is a lovely garnish for hot buttered new potatoes and soups. Bay trees are a brilliantly adaptable and decorative evergreen perfect for a tub or container. The leaves are fantastic in curries and stews.
The same goes for oregano. Perfect for container planting, it will come up year after year and tastes fantastic over a just-cooked pizza. There is even a variety called hot and spicy that has a lovely kick.
COOKING COMPANIONS
Just a dash of homegrown herbs will easily boost the nutritional content of your meal. Start by choosing herbs that accentuate your food.
Thyme, another easy-to-grow herb, is an excellent source of vitamin C and perfect with fish or chicken dishes, while vitamin A-rich rosemary goes
well with beef. Look to peppermint for antispasmodic and antibacterial nourishment when sprinkled over chocolate desserts – a wonderful way to introduce herbs into your diet that also goes down well with children.
Combine spices like ginger with salmon and watercress for a supper that will improve digestion and circulation, and assist with inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Edible herbs are also a popular garnish to drinks, lending a fragrant twist to cocktails and iced teas.
Rosemary and thyme taste sweet with berry- flavoured drinks, and lavender can be added to glasses of wine or bubbly for an elegant touch. Likewise, they can be combined with chamomile for a calming tea infusion.