Basil
Sweet Basil pairs well with tomatoes; they are companion plants in the garden as well as in cooking. Basil is extremely frost sensitive and goes to seed 60 to 90 days. Plant after the frost and as late as December so your Tomatoes and Basil plants can spend the most amount of time together. When harvesting Basil, pick out the growing tips to create branching, bushy basil plants rather than just picking off the lower leaves and stressing out the plant.
Coriander
Coriander looks very similar to Parsley, bushing from a single point, with its long stems and bright green fan-shaped leaves, but it has a distinctively different texture, smell and taste. Coriander is best planted in early Spring and Autumn. It is very heat sensitive and bolts easily. So planting in Summer is a waste. Coriander will endure a frost, so overwintering is no trouble. Pick the leaves fresh from the garden and use them to garnish dishes, or dry them and add them to a herb shaker. Dig up the roots and season your favourite dish.
Oregano
Oregano is a forever plant, yes, it will be with you forever, covering the ground and saving you on mulch. It is frost hardy; its leaves will turn a slightly purple and small plants can die down completely, but do not fear, they will reappear in Spring when the soil temperature is right. Plant in a sunny position in a large space where it can creep; your vegetable patch will not do. Oregano is a favourite in our garden, we love the little round leaves and purple flowers, and the native pollinators love it too.
Parsley
Flat-leaf Parsley is an easy plant to grow. Use the leaves fresh from the garden, or dry them and add them to a shaker of mixed herbs. The root can be cooked with, used in Winter soup before the plant goes to seed in spring. We have chosen the Flat leaf Parsley as it is far more nutritious than its curly leaf counterpart, bred for its looks and used as a garnish.
Rosemary
Our standard Rosemary is produced as rooted cuttings ready for you to plant out into your garden in Spring and Autumn. Rosemary grows into a large 50cm tall bush, they are perfect for using as hedging. With their purple winter flowers, they are a welcome sight when the garden is at its dullest and beneficial bees and bugs find Rosemary irresistible.
Sage
With its teal green leaves and purple flowers, Sage is a must-have plant. Sage will happily grow in a sunny position and can grow to around 60cm. Sage will tolerate a mild frost but is not frost hardy; find a special spot where there is less frost, and it can live for three to five years. You can pick your sage leaves fresh from the garden, but we like to dry and add them to a shaker of mixed herbs.
Thyme
Thyme is a lovely edible ground cover, with its tiny evergreen leaves and soft pink/ purple flowers. Thyme is frost hardy, although in some harsh Winters it may die back and resprout from the roots in Spring, so help it along with mulch but don’t smother it. Thyme can live for up to five years, although over time it can become woody, so replant every two years in a sunny position with room to creep or prune it regularly for use in the kitchen.