TEN TOP HERBS

Photo: Lavender attracts butterflies.

This week’s wet weather has returned my back garden to its familiar waterlogged state. With my movements restricted I’ve been paying attention to my more tender plants in the polythene tunnel to see what damage the recent frosts have caused. I have no form of heating in there as yet so even after my attempts to protect them with bubble polythene, most of the pots were totally frozen through for a week. Now they have thawed , a lot of top growth has perished. I’ll be keeping a close eye on things for the next few weeks to see if root damage has set in. This year a tunnel heater is high on my wants list.


HERBS.
The definition of a herb is any aromatic plant, some part of which is used for cooking or medicine. Generally herbs are easy to grow and undemanding. Most herbs will thrive in an open, sunny position with well-drained soil; some will even grow in moist shady soil such as marjoram, tarrogon, chervil, anjelica or bergamot.

Grow herbs that you like and will use, for example if you take herb teas, grow mint or lemon balm or fennel, for cooking grow Rosemary for lamb dishes or fennel for fish and chicken.
Herbs can be planted in the borders or the vegetable patch or if used in cooking then pick a spot outside close to the kitchen. Herbs grow well in containers so these could be placed near the house for easy picking.

Mints are best grown in containers as they could take over your garden if left unchecked.
Shrubs such as lavender and rosemary benefit by being trimmed back, this stops them becoming leggy and promotes fresh new growth.

Herbs attract a large amount of beneficial insects. Lavender attracts butterflies and marigolds attract hoverflies which helps keep your greenfly population in check.

Salads and desserts can be flavoured and made more decorative by adding nasturtium leaves and flowers and pot marigold flowers.

The fragrance of herbs can help relieve stress and be relaxing. Home made pomanders, pot pourris and scent bags can be made by experimenting with herbs you have in the garden. Try mixing them with rose petals. Avoid herbs such as chives as the scent would overwhelm the others.
Fresh herbs can be used all year. finely chopped and frozen in ice cubes. Hanging sprigs upside down or placing leaves on tray and putting in a warm, dry place can dry most herbs. When they are totally dry the herbs can be put in airtight containers until needed.


TEN GOOD HERBS TO GROW.

BASIL ¬ Tender annual, grow on a sunny windowsill. Good with tomato dishes.
BAY ¬Evergreen, fairly hardy good in pots and topiary.
CHIVES ¬Hardy bulbs with onion flavour, purple flowers in summer.
FENNEL ¬Bold feathery perennial green or bronze. Good in flowerbeds.
MARJORAM ¬Hardy perennial for light soil . use in stews
MINT ¬Adds flavour to spuds and peas. Grow in a container.
PARSLEY ¬Full of iron . Use in sauces and garnishes.
ROSEMARY ¬ Fragrant shrub. Adds flavour to lamb.
SAGE ¬Sprawling, hardy and evergreen, some variegated. Use in stuffing.
THYME ¬Shrubby perennial with dense aromatic foliage.