Herbs for Wildlife

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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Cardoon is a stately, statuesque perennial worth its place in any herb garden or wild meadow. It looks like the love child of a thistle and a teasel but is in fact the wild cousin of the globe artichoke. Considered a delicacy back in the day and is still enjoyed in rural Italy, the stems have a celery-like crunch and flavour of artichoke.  Cynara cardunculus needs a load of space and a sunny position in fertile, free draining soil. The striking foliage can reach 2m tall with beautiful thistly flowerheads which are a magnet for bees and pollinators. 

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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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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.  

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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. 

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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.

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Garlic chives are an allium like chives, but a different species altogether; allium tuberosum. They originated in China and spread throughout Asia before the rest of the world. Larger and more vigorous than chives, with flatter, broader leaves and a distinct garlicky taste. Garlic chives are easy to grow and actually considered invasive pests in some countries. They enjoy the same conditions as  regular chives, including being particularly suited to pots.

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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.  

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Fennel is a brilliant herb and would grace any garden on looks alone. But it has style and substance; tall delicate stems and wispy leaves are topped with vivid yellow umbels of flowers in late summer and its subtle flavour is prized in all manner of culinary dishes. It’s very easy to grow and vigorous too, enjoying fertile, moist, free draining soil. On a patio or balcony, grow in a deep pot to give the tap root plenty of space.  Fennel is very vigorous but will be ok in our pot on a sunny windowsill to begin with.  

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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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It’s not a question of whether to grow lavender in your herb garden, it’s which ones? Hidcote is an English lavender (rather than French) and is the most widely grown variety in the UK, with good reason. It’s super tough – hardy, drought resistant and positively enjoys rubbish soil, it can also take a severe crew-cut if necessary. Hidcote is an early flowering lavender and is a magnet for bees and butterflies. This variety is known for producing high quality essential oil.  Lavender Hidcote will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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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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Garden Mint aka Spearmint (it’s rapper name) is a friendly, sweetly scented perennial which is virtually unkillable. In fact, it can be a bit too friendly and in the right conditions can get out of hand, so is best grown in a pot. It’s fast growing, so you can regularly pick refreshing leaves for desserts, sauces, cocktails and baking. The soothing and decongestant qualities of mint are well known, it’s also extensively used in skin care products.  Your mint will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on.  

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Create wonderfully scented hanging basket with this vigorous, trailing mint. Indian Mint (Satureja douglasii) isn't a true mint but it does a damn good impression! Brilliant for teas and with a load of health benefits, it has a strong, unique minty scent and is really easy to grow. A perennial, it's not fully hardy but will over winter in mild areas or in a sheltered position. Trailing or spreading up to 1m, with small serrated leaves and pretty, dainty white flowers.

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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.

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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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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. 

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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.

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If there were a Champion’s League of Herbs – oregano would be in it every year, one of the old Italian giants…Napoli maybe? It’s a wonderful culinary herb and is really easy to grow if you treat it well. Oregano loves being in the sun, where the rays will concentrate the essential oils, scent and flavour of the leaves. It prefers light, free-draining soil like other herbs from the Med and hates soggy roots, especially in winter.  Oregano will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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Rosemary Barbeque has been specifically bred for its culinary benefits. Its as vigorous as rosemary goes and has squat bushy habit producing thick stems which are a delight smoking on the BBQ. All rosemary prefers a sunny position in fertile well-drained soil and hates sitting in the wet – this one’s no exception. Grow in a large pot on a sunny patio or make it the centre of attention in your Mediterranean herb bed.  Rosemary will be happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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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. 

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There’s nothing common about this gorgeous evergreen shrub, with its pungent downy leaves and stunning purple flowers. A herb garden must-have, sage grows best in full sun, which brings out the flavour of the leaves. It does very well in pots or containers on a sunny patio or balcony and will love being outside in a bed with other Mediterranean varieties. It’s hardy and drought tolerant once established and needs a bit of space to reach its full potential.  Sage will be really happy growing in our pot on a sunny windowsill until it needs potting on. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.   

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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. 

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