Growing herbs

alferret · 03-07-2010, 19:39

Just put in a raised bed to grow some herbs.
W1200mm x D450mm x H240mm

Catches early sun up till 10am and reasonably protected from the wind, havnt added gravel for drainage yet or soil\compost.

I am looking for herbs that are availiable all year and some annual ones (no mint thats going in a pot)

Any reccomendations, advice greatly apreaciated.

TIA

**Maggy J** · 03-07-2010, 20:03

Do you want culinary?

Well there's Thyme.Lemon Thyme and Sage and it's differing varieties.Being perennial they will come up year after year and will take neglect. Rosemary is also a perennial BUT it is a shrub-makes a nice hedge.Chives are also perenial. Basil,Coriander are annuals.Sorrel is nice as a green veg that's also a herb and it's perennial.It has nice variations in colour.Tarragon is also a perennial and is nice with chicken and fish.

Do you want medicinal?

I love Wormwood mainly because it has a lovely scent,Ladies Mantle because it has large huge attractive leaves and lovely yellow flowers.Sweet Woodruff is a good insect repellent.

alferret · 03-07-2010, 21:03

Cheers Maggy

Culinary for me, thanks for the reccomendations.

Osem · 03-07-2010, 21:06

Garlic chives are great too! Maggy have you got any herbal remedies for stressed wives?

**Maggy J** · 03-07-2010, 21:11

I forgot to mention Pineapple sage which tastes of Pineapples,purple sage and there is a lovely variegated version too.

There is no reason for a herb patch not to look attractive.

---------- Post added at 21:11 ---------- Previous post was at 21:09 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osem

Garlic chives are great too! Maggy have you got any herbal remedies for stressed wives?

Yep an aromatherapy massage using camomile and lavender essential oils...The Body shop will supply all those.

Osem · 03-07-2010, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Yep an aromatherapy massage using camomile and lavender essential oils...The Body shop will supply all those.

...and I just get her to rub them in me do I??....

(cheers BTW seriously

)

Oh and for the OP, Borage is very attractive and easy to grow.

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/borage.htm

**Maggy J** · 03-07-2010, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Osem

...and I just get her to rub them in me do I??....

(cheers BTW seriously

)

Oh and for the OP, Borage is very attractive and easy to grow.

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/borage.htm

Yes it can become a nuisance though as it is self seeding.

As can fennel though it is a pretty plant especially the bronze foliage one,It self seeds like mad.

heero_yuy · 04-07-2010, 11:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Yes it can become a nuisance though as it is self seeding.

As can fennel though it is a pretty plant especially the bronze foliage one,It self seeds like mad.

I had a fennel grow spontaneously (guess a bird must hve dropped the seeds) Got a huge amount of seed off it but I lost count of the number of new plants that keep coming up. Lemon balm is also a devil for that.

Taf · 04-07-2010, 11:50

Make a list of ones you WILL use first, otherwise you'll end up wasting space with plants you WON'T use.

Have a look for Sicilian Mint (mentha requienii)... tiny leaves and it has a kick of peppermint flavour/scent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha_requienii

**Kymmy** · 04-07-2010, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Tarragon is also a perennial and is nice with chicken and fish.

Problem with Tarragon is getting the right one, the french tarragon has a fantastic flavour but the russian tarragon is a bit lacklustre..

Weird thing is though that you can't buy French tarrogan in seeds only plants/cuttings and if you let it seed it produces russian tarragon seeds

You can;t beat a nice bit of bernaise sauce over steak and new potatoes

Angua · 04-07-2010, 13:18

Also a huge variety of thymes. We have a lovely orange one. Definitely recommend chives and also Oregano and a Bay tree, expensive but lovely with cabbage as it takes the strong smell away.

Parsley can be tricky but if you are green fingered enough a very useful annual. It is important to grow things you will actually use.

Caff · 04-07-2010, 14:01

Rosemary - such a delight as a shrub - evergreen and, besides the culinary aspect, it has such dainty, pretty blue flowers early in the growing season. All of the others should be in pots!

and it's worth persevering for more than one season with thyme, parsley, chives, etc if you can curb the flowering.
And mint definitely needs border control as mentioned

**Maggy J** · 04-07-2010, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caff

Rosemary - such a delight as a shrub - evergreen and, besides the culinary aspect, it has such dainty, pretty blue flowers early in the growing season. All of the others should be in pots!

and it's worth persevering for more than one season with thyme, parsley, chives, etc if you can curb the flowering.
And mint definitely needs border control as mentioned

Only mint grows so much and pushes out it's fellow herbs.All the others will be fine and don't need to be in pots.All they need is to be occasionally divided and surplus replanted elsewhere or repotted to be passed on to any family or neighbours.

---------- Post added at 14:12 ---------- Previous post was at 14:08 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angua

Also a huge variety of thymes. We have a lovely orange one. Definitely recommend chives and also Oregano and a Bay tree, expensive but lovely with cabbage as it takes the strong smell away.

Parsley can be tricky but if you are green fingered enough a very useful annual. It is important to grow things you will actually use.

Oh how did I forget Oregano..fantastic in Spag Bol.I like using Marjoram in Roasted Lemon Chicken..

The only persons who had any success at growing parsley were my mother and grandmother.Sadly they never passed on the secret or ability to me.

**Kymmy** · 04-07-2010, 14:14

I have two troughs that I use for herbs (the garden is dedicated to flowers and wildlife) In it I currently have mint, Corrainder, Parsley, some rocket (not a herb I know) and in a third trough I have some nice chilli plants

Anything else is grown up the allotment

**Maggy J** · 04-07-2010, 14:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

I have two troughs that I use for herbs (the garden is dedicated to flowers and wildlife) In it I currently have mint, Corrainder, Parsley, some rocket (not a herb I know) and in a third trough I have some nice chilli plants

Anything else is grown up the allotment

Oh rocket is more like a salad leaf than herb.Very peppery like watercress.

Has anyone here ever grown water cress by the way..I know it needs a source of water and tends to be grown commercially for that reason but has anyone here had a go at cultivating it?