Taste of the Med – in your back yard
It’s difficult to beat home-grown rosemary, oregano and thyme. And the best thing? You barely have to bother watering them
NOTHING compares to the taste of freshly harvested herbs. Their flavour is far superior to those wilted sprigs sold in air-filled plastic bags by supermarkets, and they even look and smell more appealing. Of course, they are a world apart from those fading, dried remnants stored in spice racks that have long passed their sell-by date.
As a lover of good food, I’d highly recommend that any other gardeners with a penchant for cooking grow a few of their own ingredients. However, pick your herbs with care. Many traditional favourites are fussy so-and-sos that require lots of close attention and frequent watering to keep them in good shape over summer.
My advice for those wanting all of the pickings but none of the aggravation is to choose perennial herbs that come from the sunkissed climes of the Mediterranean. This group includes bay, fennel, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme, along with
Some herbs love the sun, are drought-tolerant and almost thrive on neglect
lesser-known tasty treats, such as tarragon and winter savory.
On the whole, these herbs are a doddle to maintain. They love to bask in the sunshine, are drought-tolerant and best of all, they almost seem to thrive on neglect. The latter attribute is a godsend for those who usually spend their summer hols worrying about how their plants are coping in their absence.
Largely native to hot, dry parts of southern Europe, thyme has pungent leaves that are used to flavour many dishes. Apart from the common one (Thymus officinalis), there are more than 300 varieties, ranging from ground-huggers to small, upright shrubs, with leaves that vary in appearance, aroma and flavour.
They are prized not just for their foliage. In summer, thymes are topped by tiny flowers in shades of pink, purple, red and white, depending on variety. These blooms are a magnet to bees, and thyme honey has long been valued by gourmets – in fact, it was praised as long ago as 29BC by Roman poet Virgil.
Rosemary has been cultivated for thousands of years and was revered by the ancient Greeks, who believed its aroma helped improve memory and concentration. It arrived in Britain with the Romans and is steeped in folklore, with our ancestors thinking that sniffing the pungent foliage would keep them young.
Common rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is the one you’ll find most often in garden centres, but there are well over 100 named varieties. A few have flashy foliage, such as R. officinalis ‘Aureus’ with its dark green and gold splashed leaves.
Famed as part of a double act with onion in stuffing, sage (Salvia officinalis) can actually be used to flavour many dishes. The bogstandard green one tastes great but there are showier varieties, such as S. officinalis ‘Icterina’ with green and yellow leaves.
Bay trees have aromatic, strongly flavoured leaves that are a key part of a French bouquet garni, a bundle of herbs that’s added to soups, stews and sauces.
Apart from common sweet bay (Laurus nobilis), look out for yellow-leaved L. nobilis ‘Aurea’ and ‘Sunspot’, which has green and gold-splashed foliage.
These evergreens are easily clipped into topiary shapes and are ideal for adding structure to borders. Another option is to raise them in containers. In my opinion, a pair of standard bay trees in pots either side of a front door makes an elegant entrance to a home.
Mediterranean herbs prefer sun and will do best in well-drained soil that’s naturally sandy or stony – unfortunately, plants will rot in clay soil that’s saturated with water over winter.
Either dot plants among ornamentals in beds and borders, or consider hiving off a corner and making a dedicated herb garden.
Those with heavy ground should raise plants in containers filled with John Innes No 3 compost with a handful of extra horticultural grit. They’ll make an impact in galvanised steel, glazed earthenware and frost-proof terracotta pots.
Combine several pots in different shapes and sizes to create an attractive display.