Where and How to Grow Herbs
Herbs will grow just about anywhere: indoors on a window sill or outside sharing a bed with vegetables. However, to get the best from your herbs give them a bit of shelter and plant them in soil which offers good drainage. Heavy clay soil is not suitable for growing herbs. Traditionally herb gardens were walled areas which protected the plants from too much wind and gave some shade where needed.
If you don’t have a garden, put a window box on the sunny side of your house and grow basil, chives, and lemon thyme. Water daily and snip off as much as you want as soon as the plants begin to flourish. If your window box gets a lot of shade, grow fresh herbs for salads, like rocket (arugula) and red mustard or parsley. Apart from buying seedlings, you can buy herb seeds, grow herbs from cuttings or buy a herb growing kit. Growing your own plants ensures organic herbs.
Three Favourite Herbs
For fragrance and pretty silver leaves you cannot beat lavender, rosemary and sage. They will grow in full sun and can be trained into borders or hedges.
Herbs for Tea
Mint grows easily in a shady area. It comes in a number of varieties and they all smell wonderful. Try peppermint, spearmint and orange mint. It’s best to grow mint in a container as it tends to take over an open bed. Keep the varieties separate to enjoy their individual scent, and make sure they have plenty of water. Mint teas can be made with fresh or dried herbs.
Decorative Lawns
To create a small decorative lawn try chamomile, with its apple scented leaves. Plant the variety which does not flower, as it is easier to maintain. Wild Thyme is a hardy creeping plant with small purple flowers.
Chamomile and thyme will also grow between paving stones, giving a waft of fragrance with each step as the leaves are crushed.
Herbs that Attract Bees
Sweet marjoram, bergamot and catmint will all grow in sun or partial shade and are favoured by bees. (Beware of cats who love to roll in catmint!)
With the herbs mentioned in this article you can make lavender ice cream, or lavender sachets to tuck into your pillow for a good night’s sleep; pop some rosemary in with the roast potatoes to make a tasty difference; and make a herb butter with parsley and chives to melt over steamed vegetables.
Reference : Herbs by Jane Courtier. (Ward Lock Limited 1986)
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