[Little Miss Muffet]

I want to grow some herbs in my garden.i would like rosemary,mint and parsley.
would you reccommend any more what is simple to grow.or tell me the herbs to stay way from.
also any tips.
thanks

[ytyynycefn]

Hi LMM -  Most herbs like oregano, thyme, rosemary etc are from the Med, so like it quite dry and not too rich - they are much stronger in taste and fragrance then!

Mint in very invasive, so either grow in a pot, or sink a bottomless bucket into the soil, and grow in that.

Borage is an annual, but a prolific self-seeder, so can also be regarded as invasive if it gets out of hand!  I love it, it's a good bee plant and looks so pretty, so I never mind digging up spare plants!

Rosemary is fabulous, and I've found it very easy to grow, but i know some people have problems.  I just put a garden centre bought plant into the ground, and it's three foot high now.  I cut from it all year round, and it dries beautifully.

Parsley is a biennial, so stick some new in each year to keep your supply going.

Lemon balm is pretty easy, a good bee plant, and fabulous with fish and chicken, or even just a few leaves in some hot water to make a nice refreshing tea.

I always grow oregano and thyme, again, pretty easy.  Just bung 'em in the ground, and cut them back when the leaves fall off in autumn.  Home-dried oregano beats anything from the shops hands down!  I nearly cried when I ran out and had to buy some!

I've never had any success growing basil, it either dies or the slugs get it, but I might have a bit more luck in the greenhouse.

For herbs I use a lot of, I keep a pot by the door for fresh use, and a bigger lump on the allotment for drying or picking when I'm down there.

Think about what herbs you use most of, and plant more of those - and maybe experiment with a new one or two each year and introduce them to your cookery!

[WG.]

I ditto all of what yyytyynyyycyefyyynyy said and would add :

coriander : broadcast sow in succession, fertile soil.  Indispensable herb

fenugreek : broadcast again.  For Chicken Methi curries

chives : perennial.  Rich soil required

hamburg parsley : for these shady spots

sage : fab

lovage : trying for the first time.  Celery flavour - great in soups; "Maggi" contains lots of it.

lemon balm : worth noting that it self seeds freely

[Little Miss Muffet]

Wow thanks you for your help most imformative  

[agapanthus]

I ditto all of what yyytyynyyycyefyyynyy said and would add :

coriander : broadcast sow in succession, fertile soil.  Indispensable herb

fenugreek : broadcast again.  For Chicken Methi curries

chives : perennial.  Rich soil required

hamburg parsley : for these shady spots

sage : fab

lovage : trying for the first time.  Celery flavour - great in soups; "Maggi" contains lots of it.








lemon balm : worth noting that it self seeds freely

Ditto from me too.
Would add that I grow all my coriander from the seed that's sold in Asian shops....got a 1kg bag for £1.49...literally thousands of seeds compared to the 30 or so you get in packets from seed merchants. This way you can sow really thickly with superb results!!
Just remembered other favourite herbs...bay (an absolute must) and myrtle (great with pork)....both shrubs and very easy to grow

[WG.]

And DILL, I can't believe I forgot about Dill.

Heh, Aggy, I gave up on the coriander from grocery shops after wasting almost an entire growing season with very poor germination rates.  Must have been old seed, I think

[wellingtons]

... I would really start from the kitchen when it comes to herbs.

What do you use and/or buy regularly, either in fresh or dried form?

There's your main planting list!  Now think about the quantities you use for each.  For instance I use a lot of rosemary, with roasting baby new spuds and the like, so I have three rosemary bushes.  Most people ask why so much, but if I only had the one it'd be bald by June!

What the others have said about herbs is sound advice.  

I do well with coriander, but it is a tricky lil blighter.  I used those (expensive!) seed mats last year, but the quality of the plants is superb and I have had fresh coriander all winter.  Basil is best sown in pots indoors at this time of the year and potted on several times before sowing outside.

I prefer fennel to dill, but don't grow em both they're promiscuous and you'll end up fendill.

I'm going to try lemongrass this year, as that's one think I use quite a lot but don't grow and it's supposed to be relatively easy.

Good luck!!

[WG.]

 I would really start from the kitchen when it comes to herbs.

Yes, great advice wellies.  Can I just add one thought ... if you've never actually tried fresh herbs straight out of the garden, then you might be totally gobsmacked at how quickly they will enter your repertoire in a big way.

[niclala]

ooh, I love growing herbs.

Second (third/fourth!) all of the above suggestions. I also tried Chervil last year and it's very pretty and tastes lovely, especially with fish. Kind of like a lemony parsley. I've got some garlic chives on the go this year, as well as the other usual suspects already mentioned.

I've noticed hundreds of bronze fennel self-sets popping up all over the place in my garden too - very pretty, tall plant in the border and great for attracting hoverflies and other good insects. I wish the bulb fennel I put in the veggie patch would pop up as easily!