Herbs for Wellbeing

Coriander is the go-to herb for use in curries and south Asian cuisine. The leaves have a fresh, citrussy, lemony flavour and the seeds a warming, nutty, zesty taste. It’s quite literally a ‘marmite’ herb as up to 20% of people find the flavour of coriander has an abhorrent rotten, soapy taste. This is actually due to a variation in a certain gene, the incidence of which differs with ethnicity.  

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Dill is a wonderfully aromatic plant and is worth a place in any herb garden. The leaves are prized for their sweet anise flavour which has none of the liquorice strength of fennel, and the seeds for their pickling power. Generally grown as an annual because it’s not hardy, it will be ok over winter in a greenhouse and suits growing in deep pots – to accommodate the long root. Grow in a sunny position and keep moist.  Dill is pretty vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with.  

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This gorgeous little herb is known as the wild pansy, but is actually a viola. It has a traditional use in love potions and to cure ailments of the heart, Cupid is said to have struck the plant with an arrow which bled purple with ‘loves wound’. You’ll love it in the herb garden because it prefers places others don’t like – even cool, shady areas. The dainty flowers add the finishing touch to a summer salad or long, cool beverage. Nothing says ‘I Love You’ like a heartsease flower frozen into an ice cube.  Heartsease will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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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. 

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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. 

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Lemon Balm has been used for thousands of years to ease digestive problems and as a feel-good mood lifter. It’s an undemanding, easy to grow herb thriving virtually anywhere in the garden, in sun or partial shade. Bees love the pretty flowers, but it’s the leaves which pack a lemony, minty punch and have a delightful citrussy aroma. In cooking, it’s an interesting lemon alternative – especially in fruit cocktails, desserts, cakes and marinades.  Lemon balm will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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Of all the herbs which will brazenly self-seed all over your garden, and there are a lot, pot marigold is the most forgivable. It loves to find its own place to thrive, which might not be where you thought or wanted! Such a cheery, happy herb, it metaphorically blesses those who touch it, traditionally treating rashes, minor burns, cuts and skin conditions. Supposedly called ‘Pot’ marigold not because it looks fantastic in pots, although it does, but because its leaves were tossed into the cooking pot.   Pot Marigold will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs ‘potting’ on. 

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Apple mint (aka Woolly Mint) is a tall variety with bum fluffy leaves and a wonderful appley scent and taste. It makes a brilliant alternative to garden mint and enjoys the same conditions – rich, moist soil and dappled shade. It’s more vigorous than most mints, which is saying something, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it and give it a good seeing to if it gets out of hand. Best grown in pots and containers to curb its enthusiasm.   Apple mint will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.

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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

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