10:44 - 12 May 2010
If there’s one group of plants in the garden that are worth their weight in gold it has to be the herbs. Just a few leaves, the odd stem or a fragrant flower makes an incredible difference in the kitchen and the good news is that herbs are very easy to grow. Just a bunch of fresh herbs is enough to transform a basic meal into a culinary delight. But buying them fresh can be an expensive affair. Instead why not grow your own? You don’t even need a garden as a windowsill or balcony will do fine. Either plant up a small tub on the terrace or keep a few pots of herbs on the windowsill for a fresh supply. If you’re a bit more adventurous then grow your own from seed and save even more money in the process. And if you have a greenhouse, then the world is your oyster; you can start all your own herb plants from seeds and cuttings and get an earlier crop too by forcing them over winter.
When you’ve got a good crop of herbs going you can create wonderful herb salads on a weekly basis by simply cutting whatever is ready and mixing it into a bowl of salad leaves. Herbs don’t need to look boring either, you can dress them up with attractive pots, keep them in trim with neat herb shears and hang them up to dry in style with an elegant herb hanger.
For shrubby herbs such as rosemary and sage it easiest to buy a young plant and plant it out in the garden. Plant it well with plenty of quality planting compost to get it off to the very best start. Shrubby herbs will grow for years in the same place and become quite large established shrubs. More importantly these herbs add fantastic flavour to roasts, stews, soups and other dishes especially in the winter when other plants are dormant.
Reliable performers
Perennial herbs such as Fennel, lovage and chives will die down for the winter and then reappear in spring when their fresh and young leaves will be particularly tasty.
But for me it is the annual herbs that really steal the show. A freshly cut bunch of coriander literally oozes flavour and is so easy to grow in abundance that you’ll be adding it to salads, sandwiches and summer snacks all season and wondering why you ever bothered to buy it from the supermarket. Grow them from seed, sowing just a few seeds in a pot of quality seed compost every week or two for a constant supply throughout the summer months.
Another favourite is basil, it’s not always strictly an annual but is usually grown as such and can be slow to germinate early in the season and quick to suffer when the temperature drops in the autumn, but get it right and you’ll have this wonderful Mediterranean herb coming out of your greenhouse. Although you can sow Basil seed earlier, it is better to wait until May as the seedlings are very prone to cold snaps and will damp off quickly if they are too wet or not warm enough. Basil plants need watering during the day and should not be left standing in water for any length of time. There’s simply nothing that comes close to freshly made pesto and basil leaves mixed with tomatoes. Basil is delicious with fresh strawberries or simply tear a few leaves up into the salad, basil leaves have flavour in absolutely every cell. If you’re not too good with seeds then buy growing pots of it from the supermarket and take them out of the their pot, potting them up into a larger flower pot of fresh, quality potting compost. Keep them frost free in a greenhouse or on the kitchen windowsill until summer starts in earnest and feed well with an organic fertiliser high in nitrogen to keep them growing vigorously. Harvest regularly and don’t allow the plants to flower. For a stunning garden display grow purple basil and green basil and plant them into large terracotta pots for the summer. It\s a great reminder that herbs don’t just taste good but are great and attractive garden plants too.
