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INTRODUCTION

My first encounter with herbs was very early in my childhood when I crawled out of the kitchen door to nose into a clump of mint. Since then my appreciation of herbs has grown, and so has the repertoire of herbs that I grow. I know, use and love herbs as they grow through each season. I have grown herbs in containers, in hanging baskets, on patios, allotments and now, in Suffolk, have a half-acre garden where herbs predominate. There is a circular culinary wheel, an informal herb potager, and through the rest of the garden herbs play an important role as attractive plants in herbaceous borders.

I love the taste of mint and have two collections of these aromatic but invasive plants. In an old enamel footbath, with holes drilled in it for drainage, I grow apple mint, curly mint and ginger mint. In a large round container sunk into the main herb garden, spearmint and peppermint compete with apple mint.

I also have upright pennyroyal growing in an ever increasing patch: its waywardness is always forgiven when its astonishing lavender-blue flowers appear. Creeping pennyroyal basks in a damp area near a small natural pond, that boasts a clump of watermint. The lowest-growing mint of all, Corsican mint, fills cracks in the paths of the main herb garden.

meadowsweet

MEASUREMENTS

Metric and imperial weights and measurements are given throughout the book. For practical instructions and recipes, follow either metric or imperial: do not mix them.

THE HERB POTAGER

I grow salad herbs, such as chervil, lambs’ lettuce, landcress and chives, mixed in with tomatoes and lettuce, as well as fragrant and edible herb flowers in my herb potager. There are various sages including golden and purple sage and a lavender-scented one and also flax, costmary, thyme, sorrel, parsley, and dill. Here, too, angelica provides its own successors each year.

There are two shrub roses that make central features of two quarters of this garden. I have underplanted them with bronze and green fennel and French tarragon. In summer the herbs grow tall, hiding the bare, thorny stems of the roses.

Under and up to the stone seat a downy and fragrant path of creeping thyme and chamomile releases its heady scents as I walk along it. Twining through the wild plum arch, jasmine perfumes the air around me as I pause to admire the shape, leaf texture and flowers of the herbs in this informal herb and vegetable garden.

Edged with brick, my herb circle has an old glazed chimney for its central feature. The herbs once grew in wedge shapes: sage, thyme, salad burnet and fennel, with large clumps of chives, garlic chives, lavender and lemon balm. Some, including thyme, salad burnet, fennel and sage are still in their wedge shapes. In spring there is a lovely display from the variegated lemon balm, hyssop provides pretty blue flowers, while the garlic chives have heads of starry white. There are also some asparagus crowns, rescued from other parts of the garden, and angelica regularly sows itself here. These give the circle height in late summer.

From a herb garden there are many rewards: for most gardeners the idea of creating and running a herb garden is one of the dearest dreams. It appeals to the herbalist, cook and gardener in us all.

USING THE BOOK

In The Herb Garden Month-by-Month there are practical activities to undertake each month in the herb garden, as well as projects, many of which allow you to enjoy the plants indoors. Create the herb garden, with paths, benches, arches, even statuary. Then fill it with plants that will delight visual and aromatic senses as they grow – and still have more to offer as you use them in the kitchen, or preserve them for cosmetic, decorative, culinary and fragrant use later.

Each month is introduced by a scene-setting picture of the herb garden and an outline of the month’s activities. In the sections which follow are set out the principal tasks for the month, such as seed sowing, taking cuttings, harvesting and preserving herbs, or maintaining the herb garden. In each chapter there are herb profiles, each providing a full description of the plant, how to grow it, maintain, harvest and preserve it. Here, too, you will find general information on how to use the herb. There is an additional list of plants traditionally grown in the herb garden.

Calendula and feverfew;

THE BASIL COLLECTION

For years I have grown up to 15 different types of basil, including anise basil, bush basil, cinnamon basil, dark opal basil, Greek basil, Genovese basil, green ruffles, Holy basil, horapha or Thai basil, lemon basil, Neopolitana basil, purple ruffles, spice basil and sweet fine basil. They vary in size, fragrance, and size and shape of leaf and all are wonderful plants to grow in a hot, sunny border, in pots in the greenhouse, or, sown late in the season, to grow potted up specially, indoors in autumn and winter. I nip off most buds to encourage leaf formation, but let some go to flower, so I can enjoy their fragrance. I also harvest some for pot-pourri.

NOTE TO NORTH AMERICAN READERS

Not all these monthly projects will be appropriate for every region and will have to be adapted to your area.

SEASONS AND MONTHS

Under average conditions, the terms ‘early’, ‘mid’ and ‘late’ season as used throughout the book correspond to the following months:

SPRING

Early: March

Mid: April

Late: May

SUMMER

Early: June

Mid: July

Late: August

AUTUMN

Early: September

Mid: October

Late: November

WINTER

Early: December

Mid: January

Late: February

To find out more about a herb that is mentioned in the general text, look it up in the index, and you will be referred to its profile. Included in the herb profiles are one or two that might seem unusual. For example, Norway spruce, our familiar Christmas tree, is included, because I wanted to use its branches as backing for a festive herbal wreath and for garlands. (But it has other herbal uses too – if you buy a small, rooted tree in a pot, when you plant it outdoors after Christmas, it will soon begin to grow new shoots, and you can harvest these to make your own spruce beer for summer drinks!)

In the winter and early spring months there are indoor planning projects, while all through the summer there are activities centred around particular types of herb gardens. Grow a tea garden, for example, and learn how to harvest and use herbs to make relaxing teas, or grow a fragrant cosmetic garden and use its produce to make gentle home cosmetics.

Traditionally, herbs have many uses for remedying everyday ailments, both minor and major. There are specialist books available on herbal remedies, but if you are seriously interested it is wise always to consult a professional herbalist.

In this book, I have set out to look at herbs as intensely rewarding garden plants – culinary, decorative and cosmetic – that we can all enjoy throughout the year.

USEFUL HERBS

FRESH FROM THE GARDEN

Hyssop

Rosemary

Sage

Salad burnet

Thyme

Winter savory

FRESH FROM THE KITCHEN

WINDOWSILL

Chervil

Chives

Parsley

Winter savory

IN THE GREENHOUSE

French tarragon

Lemon verbena

Liquorice

Mint

Scented pelargonium

PLEASE NOTE

Any mention of herbal remedies is intended for reference only. Plant substances, whether used as foods, remedies or cosmetics, used externally or taken internally, can cause allergic reactions in some people. Neither the author nor the publishers can be held responsible for claims arising from the mistaken identity of any herbs or their inappropriate use. Do not try self-diagnosis or self-treatment for serious or chronic medical conditions without consulting a medical practitioner or a qualified medical herbal practitioner. Do not take herbal remedies if you are undergoing any other medical treatment. Always seek professional medical advice if symptoms persist.