We had a brilliant afternoon in the Garden looking at how to grow some of our more common herbs and the types of conditions they like. We had grown some young herb plants and everyone was able to choose their favourites and plant up a container with herbs to take home.
Top Tip- Keep the pot handy near the kitchen door so you don't have far to go to harvest them when you are cooking.
Most herbs are relatively easy to grow and adaptable for all sorts of growing spaces. If you are able to grow herbs in a dedicated herb garden harvesting is easier and it also creates a wonderful colourful and aromatic display. If you don’t have the space to dedicate to herbs, then they can be planted in containers or in flower beds and borders, which not only look attractive but will also attract many pollinating insects including bees and butterflies to your garden.
I like to divide herbs up into 3 categories.
The Mediterraneans- They love heat and good drainage, eg. Rosemary, Bay and Lavender. These have a powerful flavour so need to be used with other strong flavours or used in very small quantities. They will tolerate dry conditions and like plenty of grit added at planting.
The Softies- I think these are the most popular herbs. They need to be grown from seed every Spring: Basil, Dill and Coriander.- Sow seed at regular intervals throughout the growing season. The are easily kept on a windowsill if you don’t have outdoor space. They must have good light. I sow these in 9cm or 1L pots, scattered thinly on the surface of the compost. Then I sit them on a sunny window sill and I let them grow into bushy little potfuls. There are so many cute colourful pot and saucer sets available there’s no excuse not to have the pot colour coordinated with your room! Don’t over pot them though. Then I use them in cooking but in the meantime, I have started another pot off about 2-3 weeks behind the first one. As I use up the first pot the second pot is just becoming ready. The strength of flavour and smell is amazing if you grow them like this. If you don’t keep cutting the Coriander it will go to seed, although the flowers and the seeds are all edible.
The Hardys- These can be left growing outdoors over Winter. The likes of Chives, Thyme, Sage, Mint and Lovage. I clear out the old stems and last year’s growth about now and make sure I repot them if they are in containers. They will grow well in pots as long as the compost is replaced and they are fed. Chives and mint will happily split up into smaller clumps and will grow stronger as a result.
Sage, rosemary and thyme will all provide good cutting material just now before they flower. Take the cuttings from strong shoots, then place under cover in the warmth, and pot them on once they are rooted. They can take a few weeks to root but once they have strong roots they can be planted straight out in their final positions.
Herbs in pots look great if you top dress the compost with a layer of sharp grit. It also acts as a mulch to stop weeds and reduce water loss.
Nicola Macnee.
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