Herb Lore & Inspiration

Sun is the most important thing in a basil’s life, shortly followed by rich, moist compost. As long as you’ve somewhere bright and warm to grow this gorgeous herb, then you’ll be rewarded with the most Mediterranean of Mediterranean smells and flavours. Harvesting the leaves regularly will give you more but it’s worth growing several plants to spread the load.

For some reason, Hyssop is a lesser known and grown herb. It was big in antiquity – used as an important culinary and medicinal plant and valued for its spiritual cleansing and protection against evil. A member of the mint family, it has a wonderful, minty floral taste with slightly bitter lavender overtones. Hyssop is a slow growing but super-hardy, semi-evergreen shrub which bees can’t get enough of. It’s comfortable in a range of soils and is an impressive plant when grown in a large pot on a warm, bright patio. Hyssop will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Amongst the mainly green leaved herb community, purple sage stands out as a beautiful, dusky contrast. It has all the culinary benefits of common sage but is said to have a slightly more peppery taste. The delightful bronze purple leaves and stems will gradually fade to a grey-green hue, so make the most of them in a large patio pot or sunny spot in your herb garden. It’s hardy and drought tolerant once established and needs a bit of space to reach its full potential. Purple sage will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Marjoram is Oreganos sweeter, milder twin sister. They’re often confused but once you get to know them, you’ll appreciate their subtle differences. Marj is a real sun worshipper- she can’t get enough rays and will be happy in a south or bright west facing position, in fertile free draining soil. Equally at home lounging in a pot on a warm windowsill, her leaves have a delicate flavour and are heaven scattered onto a pizza fresh from a woodfired oven (along with her mate, Basil). Marjoram will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Roman or common chamomile is grown for its flowers, a different, creeping variety ('Treneague') is used for lawns. The flowers produced by Roman chamomile are primarily used to make a soothing and relaxing tea. Like its toga wearing namesakes, it loves lounging about in the sun, so plant somewhere warm and bright. An indoor windowsill is a good place. Keep moist especially in hot weather. Chamomile will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

All keen cooks will want this queen in their kitchen! She’ll pep up your Asian dishes with an unmistakable anise/liquorice, slightly spicy flavour. Siam Queen is best grown in pots so it can be bought inside over winter as she’s a highly frost sensitive little thing and won’t survive the cold. The small pinkish-purple flower spikes make a gorgeous garnish. Thai basil will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

A pot of catnip growing on a windowsill could send your kitty into euphoric raptures. Not all cats respond to the smell of nepetalactone, an essential oil, but those that do have a feelgood reaction – becoming stimulated, then wacked out! Like their feline friends, catnip will enjoy a warm sunny location, prefurring at least six hours of sun every day but liking afternoon shade and a drink now and again. Catnip will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Chives are a kitchen garden staple and if allowed to will seed quite happily about the garden. They’re a member of the allium family, alongside onions, garlic and leeks and have a mild onion flavour too – which is perfect for sauces, dressings, marinades and garnish. Easy to grow, choose a pot or at the front of a border in sunny or partially shaded spot. When harvesting, cut individual leaves down to just above the base – let some flowers grow for the bees and your salads. Chives will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Fennel is a large, upright herb with a dense clump of stalks covered in delicate, ferny, liquorice smelling leaves. If you’ve only room for one, then bronze fennel is the best to grow. It’s common fennel’s identical twin but you get the added benefit of a beautiful, coppery hue to the wispy foliage. It too is easy to grow and vigorous, also producing intense yellow, hoverfly landing pads of flowers. Grow a single plant in a wide, deep pot in fertile, moist, well-drained soil and you’ll be richly rewarded. Fennel is very vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with.

Lemon verbena has the strongest lemony smell of any herb – it out zests lemon balm, lemon thyme and lemongrass with ease. It’s a quick growing plant which will form a reasonably sized woody shrub in the first season. Lemon verbena is a tender perennial and is unlikely to overwinter unless you bring it indoors, it actually makes a pretty decent all year round houseplant. Grow in a warm, sunny, sheltered position and keep moist but not water logged. Lemon Verbena is pretty vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with.

The scent and flavours of mint and citrus combine wonderfully in this variety. It’s also as attractive as mints go, with bronze tinged leaves and burgundy stems and veins. With a distinct, zesty lime smell and taste, it’s a great variety for desserts, drinks and cocktails. Easy to grow with the potential to get out of hand if left unchecked, plant in fertile, moist, free-draining soil, somewhere in dappled sunlight or light shade. Mint Lime will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Even if you’re death to plants, you should be ok with Peppermint. It’s a cool, laidback herb – happy to chill in most aspects and soil types. Unlike its mates from the Mediterranean herb brat pack, it enjoys rich moist soil and dappled shade. You’ll know if it likes you as it will try and spread everywhere, so is best grown in a pot to restrict the runners. Peppermint has a sharper, more intense flavour than garden mint, making it excellent for teas, cocktails and desserts. Peppermint will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Curled parsley is said to be milder than its flat leaved sibling and makes a great garnish used fresh. It likes rich, moist soil and prefers dappled shade to glaring sun – especially in pots which can dry out and encourage bolting. Pop a parsley plant on a kitchen windowsill to give you a handy supply of leaves, you’ll want to grow several and harvest in rotation to spread the load. Although parsley’s a biennial most people grow it as an annual as in year two, the leaves are more sparce and it sets seed. Parsley will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Rosemary is a totally under-rated shrub. The aromatic, evergreen leaves can be enjoyed all year round, bees and pollinators are drawn to the small, light blue flowers, it’s got loads of culinary uses and is full of health benefits. Miss Jessop’s Upright has a taller, less spreading habit than other varieties. She’ll enjoy most conditions in a sunny sheltered spot – pot, container, in the ground, she’s not fussy but likes fertile, well-drained soil. Miss J will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until she needs potting on.

Stevia is also known as candyleaf, sweetcheeks, sugarleaf and Sweet Herb of Paraguay – you can guess why. It’s hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and originates from South America, where it’s a valuable medicinal herb too. As a native of the tropics it loves similar conditions – a warm, sunny spot in dappled shade with its roots in damp, fertile, well-draining soil. Stevia is a frost tender perennial so will need to be bought indoors if you want it to survive overwinter. Stevia is pretty vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with.

French Tarragon has an unfair reputation as a problem - difficult to grow and quick to die. You just need to remember its more tender than most and hates overwintering in wet soil. Plant in full sun, in a herb bed or large pot with fertile, light, free-draining soil and you’ll be fine. It’ll grow vigorously when happy and should return again and again as long as it’s tucked up over winter or bought indoors (in pots). Tarragon will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

There are lots of thyme varieties, but this is the original and the best. The nearest thing to wild thyme, dried bunches of which you’ll see hanging in markets from Provence to Tuscany. As you can imagine, it likes a warm, bright location. South facing is best, planting in full sun brings out the essential oils in the leaves, concentrating the flavour. All thyme enjoys light, well-drained soil and hates waterlogging, especially in winter. Common Thyme will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

Once you discover winter savory in the kitchen, you’ll be chucking it in everything! It’s highly aromatic and similar to rosemary and hyssop in appearance. It has a peppery, thyme like flavour and suits cooking in stews, casseroles and sauces. Winter savory is a hardy, evergreen perennial and once established is pretty bullet proof. Suited to pots on a sunny patio or windowsill, it will delight with pretty, nectar rich flowers in summer. Winter savory will be happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.