Herb Lore

Produce show stopping cakes and savouries! Keen bakers will adore this collection of herb botanicals for use in all manner of desserts, breads and pastries. This curated mix includes herbs to cover a number of baking bases and makes the perfect gift (which might be repaid in a delicious way!). The plants will be happy indoors to start with too. 

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African basil will excel in your garden as well as in the kitchen. To be honest, it’s a bit of a show-off – the leaves start off a delightful purple colour, which turn green as they mature and feature striking purple veins. It then throws up gorgeous spikes of deep pink flowers which are a magnet for bees and pollinators (it’s also known as Bee Basil). Because it doesn’t set seed, the flowers last for ages and are great value in pots, beds or borders.  It’s a vigorous basil and can grow to 75cm tall, so needs a largish pot if growing inside. 

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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.  

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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. 

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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.   

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A lovely herb gift for the one who wears the tongs in the family or to brighten up your outdoor cooking area. The best varieties for barbequing, marinading and a herbal smokie, presented with decorative pots, wooden plant labels and herb snips. Grow indoors or out. 

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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. 

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Where have all the butterflies gone? The sight of buddleia bushes pulsating with masses of vibrant species seems like a childhood memory. Unfortunately, it’s not nostalgic rose-tintedness, there’s been an 80% reduction in UK butterflies since the 1970’s. Hopefully times are changing, with fewer pesticides used and rewilding being encouraged. These herbs will do their bit. 

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Catmint is generally milder and less smelly than catnip but can still have a feelgood effect on felines. It has a minty aroma and produces spikes of beautiful deep violet flowers which will attract bees, potentially leading to some amusing but painful cat v bee interactions. Grow along the front of a border or in a raised bed, to spill out giving your kitty a nice comfy spot in the sun.  Catnip will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

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