Start sowing now for flavour packed parsley
It’s been a tough few weeks being battered by storms and drenched by torrential rain. Opportunities to work on the plot have been limited. But on the bright side, hopefully better weather lies just round the corner.
It’s a few weeks yet before much seed sowing takes place directly in the ground but some seeds can be started off on the windowsills.
This is a good time to sow some herbs. Nothing on the supermarket shelves will come near the flavour of what you can grow yourself and you can pick what you want, when you want and save some money into the bargain.
Parsley has a long history of cultivation.
It was one of the herbs used by the Greeks and Romans before making its way to Scotland in the sixteenth century.
It’s one of the most useful culinary herbs being an essential flavouring in so many dishes. I love it as a parsley sauce with broad beans.
Historically parsley was also used as a medicinal herb.
In the past infusions of parsley were used as a diuretic and it’s rich in Vitamin C.
Those of us brought up on Beatrix Potter stories will remember that, feeling sick, Peter Rabbit hunted for parsley after he had over-indulged in Mr Mcgregor’s garden.
It’s one of the prettiest herbs all the year round and looks really attractive as an edging to your plot or a raised bed.
It’s a hardy biennial plant into the bargain so what you sow now will still be around next spring.
It can be awkward to germinate but with a packet of 500 seeds costing less than a £1, it’s not a disaster if you have to re-sow if the first sowing doesn’t thrive.
Some plotters like to soak the seeds overnight before planting in moist but well-drained fertile soil.
However, I prefer to drench the drill with a flask of hot water before sowing. Popular varieties of parsley are Champion Moss Curled and Bravour.
Exhibitors at shows often grow a heritage variety with tightly curled fronds called Faulds.
Turning to more culinary questions, some recipes call for plain-leaved parsley.
The flavour may be good but it can’t compete on appearance.
Sage, thyme and basil are among some of the other easy herbs for growing from seed.
Sage and thyme are perennials and take a bit longer to get to a pickable size but once you have them growing away they will reward you for years to come.
Basil is a tender herb easily grown from seed but you need to wait until the weather warms up before sowing it.
I prefer to drench the drill with a flask of hot water before sowing