Traditionally herbs are grouped together in a special area of the garden or in special pots like these ‘long toms’. You can try mixing ornamental herbs amongst perennials or with Bay, Lavender and Rosemary amongst shrubs.

Focal Points with Herbs

Angelica is happy in semi-shade and reaches over six feet tall. The green candied stems of Angelica archangelica, with huge fine cut leaves are used to decorate cakes. Alternatively try bronze coloured Angelica silvestris Vicar’s Mead.

Fennel is another tall focal point plant with green or bronze foliage. This perennial likes sun and flowers yellow with edible seeds.

A Bay tree, Laurus nobilis f. augustifolia will create a more formal setting responding well to trimming, shaping and pruning.

Ginger mint is a healthy sight when grown as a good sized clump. Constrain it in a pot if you must but feed the plant in those circumstances.

Edible Edging

Curly leaved Parsely with bright green leaves can set off the bright colours of bedding. Flat leaved parsley works less successfully.
Chives are fine leaved clumpy alliums with purple blue flowers and look very good with purple leaved plants and shrubs.
Thyme has many varieties both upright (above) and creeping, variegated or lemon scented. They are useful for hot, dry, poor soil conditions. Thyme can be good for ground cover with very small leaves and a neat habit.
Marjorams or Oreganum vulgare can also fill a niche at the front of a garden

Herb Tips

• Keep picking or trimming herbs to keep tidy and encourage new growth
• Mid range border filler plants include Rosemary, Lavender, and Hyssop
• Mint likes semi-shade and a fertile soil try spearmint mentha spitica, apple suaveolens, ginger gracilis as other flavours.
• Try mint in flower arrangements.
• Caraway, Chervil, Lovage and Coriander look tatty as they begin to flower so leave them in the vegetable or herb garden

Some herbs can be difficult to grow in the open garden but it is worth persisting. Here are some simple tips to help get bigger and better crops together with some perennial herb plants to start you off.

Simple Herb Growing Tips

• Create a wind break to give plants protection.
• Mediterranean herbs like Thyme, Oregano & Basil need sunshine and a warm spot.
• Parsley and leafy crops needs plenty of water.

Grow Better Herb Crops

• Seedlings bought from a nursery should be hardened off for planting outdoors in a container of open ground.
• You grow herbs for the flavour so chose strong varieties.
• Do not let herbs run to seed, crop the growing tips regularly
• Give herbs adequate space to grow well.
• Pick the tender shoots not the large lower leaves that are helping the plant to feed.
• Avoid insect and fungal sprays, you don’t want that rubbish in your mouth!

Perennial Herbs Growing Outdoors

• Sage cuttings root easily but if soil is mounded over the plant in February the shoots will root and they can be cut off and replanted.
• Horseradish can be invasive. Plant near a wall and pick all but a couple of roots each winter.
• Rosemary benefits from being renewed every few years. take cuttings from semi-ripe wood and you will get a constant flow of new plants.
• Thyme can be grown decoratively amongst your flowering plants.
• Bay is easy to grow and can produce a shrub large enough to be a wind break for more tender herbs

Herb seeds at Thompson & Morgan

Preserving Herbs

• Pick leaves of mint, parsley or sage and freeze in ice cubes.
• Other herbs can be dried in an airing cupboard or microwave then stored.
• Pour warm wine or cider vinegar or olive oil over lightly crushed herbs. After several weeks remove the herb residue and use the infused liquids.
• Read Grow Bouquet Garni on Gardeners Tips

Credits
Herbs by KatieTT CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Dill, Parsley, Rosemary Lemongrass, Thyme and Oregano – see flickr for identification
Basil by cinnachick CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Herb Garden by OakleyOriginals CC BY 2.0

The Ultimate Book of Herbs: The Definitive A – Z of Herbs and How to Grow and Use Them by Lisa Thomas

Jekka’s Complete Herb Book: In Association with the Royal Horticultural Society by Jekka McVicar

Preserving Herbs

• Pick leaves of mint, parsley or sage and freeze in ice cubes.
• Other herbs can be dried in an airing cupboard or microwave then stored.
• Pour warm wine or cider vinegar or olive oil over lightly crushed herbs. After several weeks remove the herb residue and use the infused liquids.
• Read Grow Bouquet Garni on Gardeners Tips