A fresh look at herbs

CONNECT’s green gardening expert, NELL WILLIAMS, says that the sheer variety of herbs, and their many uses, makes them some of her favourite plants.

HERBS are easy to grow and have been used for centuries for their culinary and medicinal properties.

Herbs have always been some of my favourite plants. There is an enormous variety, many of which will tolerate the neglect of being stuck in a pot by a back door and rarely watered, which makes them great for the temporary accommodation of student or shared housing.

Herbs by the back door or on the kitchen windowsill provide one of life’s great pleasures - the opportunity to pick a few fresh sprigs to flavour a meal or make a cup of herbal tea. No shop-bought freeze-dried powder can ever compete with the aroma of the real thing!

Herbs fall into a number of different categories, depending on their growing requirements, and there are herbs to suit most conditions. However, most of the popular or better known ones will prefer a sunnier spot.

The Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, thyme and basil, require a well drained sunny location. Coriander and perilla also require sunny spots, although not such well drained soil. Mints and angelica are much more tolerant of shade and moister conditions.

For the more adventurous (with somewhere to over-winter them), tender plants such as lemongrass, lemon verbena and ginger can be grown in pots.

The uses of herbs are probably as endless as their variety.

They can of course be used fresh for cooking or herbal teas, in salads, etc. And dried they provide flavouring for months when they aren’t available fresh. Common medicinal uses include treatments for headaches, colds, skin problems, bruises and sprains (consult a qualified practitioner before using herbal remedies - see page 12 of this issue).

Herbs can also have practical uses in the garden. If they are interplanted with other crops, they can provide very effective pest control, from attracting predatory hoverflies to discouraging flea beetle, carrot fly, etc - for example, chives planted in a ring under apples trees are supposed to discourage scab. Whether they do or not I can’t guarantee, but the two trees on my allotment, both under-planted with chives, are flourishing!

Some herbs, such as chives and coriander, can be used to make sprays to discourage fungal diseases and pests on plants. Others are good for attracting bees - essential pollinators in the fruit and vegetable gardens. Borage, lemon balm, lavender, oregano, hyssop and thyme are all particularly good at attracting pollinators.

Herbs can be planted in pots, hanging baskets, window boxes, or other containers, or in dedicated borders in herb gardens. They can also be grown among the vegetables or flowers in your garden. They can be grown from seed, cuttings, and using layering or root division, depending on the plant.

When drying herbs, pick them on a sunny morning. Hang up in bunches somewhere warm and dry airy, away from light. Dry for up to a week or so, upside down - you are aiming for still green leaves which are brittle but have not reached the point where they disintegrate on contact! Herbs can also be dried in the oven - put it on the lowest setting, with the door ajar, for a couple of hours.

Herbs can also be used in oil, in vinegars, frozen - the list is endless. If you have been inspired, consult a cookbook or herb book for more detailed info.

For more unusual herbs visit:
www.vidaverde.co.uk or www.jekkasherbfarm.com


A brief guide to common herbs and their requirements

Basil: tender annual - start seed inside on a windowsill.

Coriander: annual; sow seed in spring, likes sunny well- drained soil

Dill: sow seeds each year in a sunny spot.

Borage: sow seeds in sun or semi-shade, well-drained soil.

Pot marigold: well-drained soil; sow seed each year.

Rocket: well-drained semi shade; sow seed in succession for on-going supply.

Parsley: biennial; moist but well-drained soil; sun or semi- shade; sow seed in spring; must be fresh seed.

Chamomile: hardy perennial; likes sunny areas.

Lavender: well-drained and sunny; takes from cuttings.

Oregano: well-drained and sunny; take cuttings in late spring.

Sage: full sun; take cuttings in mid-summer.

Rosemary: sunny, well-drained soil; take cuttings in mid- summer.

Thyme: well-drained, sunny position; take cuttings in mid- summer.

Fennel: perennial; sow in early spring.

Lovage: moist soil.

Mints: plant in pots in the ground to slow down their invasive tendencies; moist soil, sun or semi-shade.

Lemon balm: sun or semi-shade.

Sorrel: sun or semi-shade.

Chives: well-drained, sun or semi-shade; sow seed, or divide established clumps every three years.