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Herbs are the staple of the kitchen garden and can be used for everything from cookery to medicines. Whether you have an allotment, a small garden, a patio or merely a window sill, our growing guide will show you how to make create a functional, yet attractive herb garden.

History

Herbs have been used for centuries to treat ailments and to season foods. The traditional cottage garden mixed herbs and vegetables with ornamental plants – an ideal way to make the most of a limited space and reduce the need for weeding. The term ‘potager’ was coined at the Château de Villandry, in the Loire valley. The need to grow vegetables and herbs was balanced against aesthetic considerations to produce a formal knot garden. Varieties were chosen as much for their colour and decorative qualities as their value in the kitchen. You don’t, however, need a château to create an attractive herb bed – the same principles can be followed in your garden on a smaller scale. In fact, a 1×1m² bed can provide enough for the demands of the home kitchen. Alternate dark-leaved plants, such as basil ‘Purple Ruffles’ with the bright green basil for a formal, striking display.

While most herbs are not difficult to grow, it can be tricky to find a spot in the garden where they can be kept together – simply because herbs have a diverse range of requirements. A clever way to create a variety of conditions in a small space is to build a herb spiral; in simple terms a conical mound of earth planted on all sides from bottom to top. Follow our guide to create a superb display in just a couple of hours.

Project: Build a Herb Spiral

1. Using a centre peg and a length of string, mark out the radius of a circle one meter across. Clear any grass and weeds by removing the turf completely, or simply lay a circle of permeable weed-proof membrane.
2. You may wish to edge your spiral in some way – one idea is to dig a shallow trench and lay bricks at a 45 degree angle. There’s no need for mortar unless you’re being extra neat – just bed them into the soil.
3. Mound-up topsoil (mixed with grit and/or compost if it is heavy clay or very sandy), firming thoroughly as you go to avoid future movement. It should be about 40cm high at the centre, and evenly sloped on all sides.
4. Plant your herbs as described above, and water them generously to get the soil settled around their roots. You could add a centrepiece such as this chimney pot – the perfect place for a drought-tolerant rosemary.
Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary and thyme like very sunny, well-drained sites and will do best at the top of the spiral in full sun and where the soil is bound to be driest. Herbs which need more moisture will grow better at the bottom of the spiral, with sun-lovers like mint facing south and plants like parsley ‘envy’ on the northern face, where the lower light levels will encourage leaf growth.

Culinary Container Planting

A pot or tub of herbs located near the kitchen door ensures a fresh supply to hand. Choose dwarf, bushy varieties such as dill, or the delicious basil ‘Siam Queen’ – a key ingredient in Thai cookery. We also stock a selection of herbs specially selected for growing on the windowsill. Containing compact varieties of popular herbs, this collection is suitable for the smallest of spaces and our indoor grow light can extend harvesting into the winter.

For something different

Supermarkets tend to stock only a few species and it is easy to tire of them. Growing your own allows you to experiment with more unusual herbs. Fennel has attractive fern-like fronds which sway gently in the breeze. It also has innumerable uses in the home; add to fish dishes to counteract oiliness or use an infusion to treat sprains. The pleasant aniseed-flavour also adds an unusual touch when chopped thinly into salads. Although rarely seen these days, hyssop makes a tasty addition to hearty bean and meat stews. It will also fill your borders with a mass of blue, pink and white blooms making the plants just as decorative as they are useful.