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Herbs are some of the most useful culinary plants that you can grow, giving added flavour, aroma and visual impact to your cooking. They can be grouped into three main groups:-

Annual herbs, such as Basil (best grown in greenhouse as it requires quite high temperatures), Borage, Dill, Coriander, Rocket.

Sow the seeds, 1 cm deep directly into the ground or into pots. Keep moist and well weeded and use as required.

Storage. Best used fresh but will keep for a couple of days in a closed container, to help retain moisture, in a fridge.

The bi-annual herbs such as parsley, are usually treated as annuals, but with a bit of over-winter shelter, will also provide an earlier crop the following year, though they then quickly go to seed. Sow all the herbs 1 cm deep directly in the soil, or in pots, keep moist and well weeded and use as required.

Storage. Best used fresh but will keep for a couple of days in a closed container, to help retain moisture, in a fridge.

Perennial herbs, such as Chives (add flowers as well as leaves to salad), Lovage, Sweet Cicely (traditionally used to add sweetness to cooked Rhubarb), prefer moist conditions, while Fennel (dry the seeds), Mint, Bay tree, Horseradish, Marjoram, Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme, prefer a dry, sunny position. Mint and Horseradish are “thugs” and are best put into a large clay plant pot before planting in the ground, to prevent the roots running amok! For ease of use, plant all herbs close to your kitchen.

Sow seeds of perennial herbs, such as chives, Lovage, Sweet Cicely, Fennel, Sorrel, Thyme.  Sow such herb seeds 1 cm deep, directly in the soil, or in pots, keep moist and well weeded and use as required.

Splitting the plants, such as Chives, Mint, Marjoram, is an easy way to propagate new plants.

Taking root cuttings of herbs such as Bay, Horseradish is an easy way to propagate new plants.

Layering branches of herbs such as Rosemary, Sage, Thyme is an easy way to propagate new plants. In the Spring, cover a low growing branch of the herb with soil, and weight down with a stone to keep the layered branch moist. By the Autumn, check carefully to see if the branch has grown roots. If it has rooted, cut off the new plant and plant it in the new location.

Storage. Best used fresh but will keep for a couple of days in a closed container, to help retain moisture, in a fridge.

Many herbs come in named varieties with variations in colour, form, aroma and flavour.The choice is yours.

Edible flowers. The main use of edible flowers is to provide colour in a salad. You could use nasturtiums or chives for example.

HERBS