Pots

Thyme with a citrussy twist. Lemon scented and herb garden must have, this thyme variation has everything. It’s a tough, Mediterranean sun lover that enjoys light, free draining soil and hates waterlogging. An excellent variety for pots where you can control the drainage and moisture. In cooking it pairs brilliantly with chicken and the higher levels of citronella in the lemony leaves, give it medicinal powers other thymes don’t have… Your Lemon Thyme will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A mint bred specifically for use in a mojito – what’s not to like? Said to have originated in Cuba – the home of the mojito, it has a delightfully mild minty taste with hints of citrus. Like all mints, its vigorous and pretty un-killable. It will enjoy a range of soils, but will do the rumba in fertile, free-draining soil kept moist. It’s another sociable mint and will happily spread given half a chance, so is best restricted to pots and containers in a sunny or semi-shaded position. Mint Mojito 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.

If you’re a basil lover, you’ll want to grow this. Most herbs are generally green leaved, so it’s always pretty to have something different. Like all basil, it’ll demand sun and warm conditions in rich, moist soil. Equally at home on an indoor windowsill or in a conservatory, there really is no excuse not to grow this alongside other basils.

This small leaved, compact variety of mint smells delightfully of strawberries and has a minty/berry taste too. Absolutely perfect for a summer fruit cup or cocktail, the leaves should be lightly crushed and muddled into your favourite drink. Really easy to grow and suited to a pot (to stop it spreading), grow in moist, fertile, free-draining soil in a sunny but lightly shaded position. The lilac purple flowers are loved by bees and butterflies. Strawberry mint will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

You may see this robust, leafy annual growing wild in grass verges, on waste ground or in field margins. Introduced by the Romans, it loves an open, sunny position and will happily self-seed. Most of the plant is edible, with a mild cucumber, slightly salty taste. Toss a few ice cubes each containing a bright borage blue flower, into a long, cool G&T on a hot summer’s day.

If you like bees, you’ll love these! Bergamot is renowned for its attraction to our bumbling and honey making friends, Bee balm being a common name amongst others. It’s worth its place for the flowers alone, which bloom into crimson, spidery fireworks. However monarda didyma was used medicinally by the native American tribe giving its name to ‘Oswego tea’, drunk for its antiseptic, digestive and calming properties.