Growing your own herbs

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Posted at 12:02PM, 02 June 2008 by Kate Bradbury - Gardeners' World

There is something really satisfying about growing your own herbs. A quick snip of lovingly grown basil, chives, mint or coriander into an equally lovingly prepared dish adds a level of completeness you just can't achieve from a jar of dried stuff you bought in Tesco.

Growing herbs is relatively easy, and the results are fantastic. Who can resist a sprig of fresh basil atop a home-made spaghetti bolognaise? Or fresh coriander chopped into salads, soups and curries? Chivey mash and minty peas are among my favourites, made all the more special if I've grown the potatoes and peas as well.

No kitchen is too small to accommodate a pot or two of fresh herbs; even a windowsill has room for a little basil and coriander. A porch, yard or garden can afford a tub of mint, chives, sage, rosemary and oregano, which will last for years and become as much a staple to the kitchen as an herb rack (and smell much more appetising).

While pots of basil, coriander and parsley can be bought from the supermarket for around 59p, they're not all they're cracked up to be. Fresh herbs from the supermarket are grown in intensive, hot-house conditions, and can be fed with a host of unsavoury pesticides and fertilisers. Because they're put under so much pressure to produce lots of lush leaves, their root-balls don't develop properly, so they're most likely to die as soon as you've got them home.

It's not just regular dishes that benefit from home-grown herbs. Ever tried lavender biscuits? Or making your own horseradish sauce or mustard?

It's far better to buy herb plants from a reputable garden centre, or grow the plants from seed. I love sowing the seeds myself. Every March I part fill several 5cm pots with moist, peat-free compost and sprinkle a few seeds of basil, coriander and parsley into them. I cover the seeds with a loose layer of compost, and then wrap the top of the pot with clingfilm to create a microclimate in which the seeds can germinate (it works like a greenhouse). Once the seedlings have developed their first 'true' leaves (after about five weeks), I thin them out, to around 5cm apart, or transplant them into separate pots. These pots provide me with bundles of fresh herbs, often leaving me with a surplus to freeze, dry, or make into a delicious home-made pesto.

Of course, it's not just regular dishes that benefit from home-grown herbs. Ever tried lavender biscuits? Or making your own horseradish sauce or mustard? Now there's a challenge...

Do you grow your own herbs? Do you make your own bouquet garni, make intricate herbal concoctions, or just snip chives into a salad?

Comments

James

2 June 2008, 4:02PM
James

The chive flowers are great for presentation too (as well as eatin). Because my herbs are so prolific I chop them and freeze them for the winter months. If you lay them flat on a tray, then bag them so they are freeform you can add handfuls to sauces etc all year round. Lavender makes nice bead too. And thyme makes great biscuits for cheese. You could also make herb purees which freeze. Pea and mint sorbet my sound odd but is the most refreshing thing on a hot summers day (if we get one) and easy to make with the ice cream machine.

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Elaine

3 June 2008, 9:54AM
Elaine

Have lots of pots of herbs in my garden - rosemary, mint, chives - and also a small bay tree. Find they are great for perking up so many dishes. I also grew rocket last year in a tray. Very easy and great sense of satisfaction when you harvest it and throw it straight in a salad. Just have to keep it away from slugs!

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hungry man

3 June 2008, 6:48PM
hungry man

in my small garden i have rosemary,tyme,sweet basil, chives, mint and of course parsley. in my eyes, if your into cooking then just having a wee walk to the bottom of the garden for something so fresh is a must!!

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lou

5 June 2008, 4:17PM
lou

herbs are useful when cooking. in my balcony i have mint, parsley and celery. however, my rocket plants weren't successful. i planted some seeds and when the rocket plant was growing it was attacked by many green worms. they ate it all in a couple of days and eventually it died. does anyone know what i could have done to kill these worms? thanks

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Pippa

5 June 2008, 7:39PM
Pippa

i would love to have fresh herbs to add to my cooking - BUT, although i have a garden and windowsills i have very little sun - can i still grow herbs? if so which ones?

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Holly

6 June 2008, 11:29AM
Holly

I am a useless gardener, as don't have a garden, but feel inspired to make the most of my window sills this year and get planting. I love love love, basil and hate the supermarket plants you buy that die within days of getting them home so I think this is for me. Note to self - buy more cling film! Thanks Kate.

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joe2091

11 June 2008, 8:52PM
joe2091

I grew basil, sorrel, parsley,chives,mint(very slow grower),coriander and fennel from seed lately. Also I've got sage, rosemary and thyme planted which I just bought as I am impatient. Each herb has been wonderful.

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Carol

13 June 2008, 1:02PM
Carol

I have chives, tarragon, rosemary, coriander and basil in my herb garden also a curry plant that I am not sure how to use but it does smell nice. My two year old granddaughter likes to smell all the herbs as she comes back into my kitchen - learning young eh!

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Kate

16 June 2008, 12:29PM
Kate

Reply to Lou: Lou, your green worms sound like the caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly (http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/problem-solving/cabbage-white-caterpillars/index.jsp).The best thing to do is just regularly inspect the underside of the leaves for eggs, or small caterpillars, and just rub, or pick them off. You can use a chemical spray, but it's very messy and then the leaves wouldn't be very nice to eat!

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Kate

16 June 2008, 12:31PM
Kate

Reply to Pippa: Pippa, it's surprising how many herbs you can grow in the shade, even basil likes a bit of shade at midday, and coriander lasts much longer if grown in the shade (it has a tendency to flower to early and 'run to seed' if grown in full sun). Other herbs that thrive in the shade include: rocket, sorrel, mizuna, mustard, parsley and chervil.

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Amanda

18 June 2008, 7:12PM
Amanda

Basil is the only herb I grow indoors, I buy the pots from the supermarket and put them in my kitchen windowsill which is north facing, so no bright sun, as long as you keep them watered they go on for months and will eventually get a bit woody. I think the longest Ive kept one is for a year.

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chully

22 June 2008, 4:41PM
chully

I have a shady/dappled garden and have found that chives, rosemary, tyme and parsley do fine. Basil will do well indoors as you can control how much water it has - it hates water on its leaves and only needs watering when it starts to wilt. I transfered corriander and basil outside before and as soon as we had a windy and rainy patch it ruined it.

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Kelvin

25 June 2008, 9:27AM
Kelvin

For novices beware, mint is a thug when planted in the open ground, extremely tasty but gets everywhere.

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mark williams

20 March 2010, 11:51AM
mark williams

Great to grow your own herbs, can also find wild garlic in late April/ may; this makes a great soup if paired with water cress. If you are looking to start a vet garden I have found a great site that will help you get started http://www.thegoodlife-online.co.uk/Grow_your_own_herbs.htm And for specific tips on starting a vet patch http://www.thegoodlife-online.co.uk/Growing_your_own_vegetables_How_to_make_your_own_veg_patch.html

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